03.21.14

Hoeven: New Williston Post Office Lease Approved, Service Expected to Begin This Spring

Facility, Postal Improvements Come Following Hoeven-Initiated Visit by Postmaster General

WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven today announced that the U.S. Postal Service has signed a lease to open a full-service retail postal facility in Williston at the newly constructed Badlands Town Center. The facility will house postal employees serving customers at the counter, a self-service kiosk and customer post office boxes on site and is expected to open this spring.

In August 2013, Hoeven invited Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe to visit Williston to hear from local business and community leaders and local postal employees about challenges to mail delivery in the region. As a result of his visit, the Postmaster General committed to finding a location in the northern part of Williston to open a new facility.

“This is another important step we’ve been pushing for to improve postal service in the Williston area,” said Hoeven. “We brought Postmaster General Donahoe to North Dakota last year, and our postmaster in Williston suggested that a new facility in the northern part of town would greatly improve services for customers. During Donahoe’s visit, we looked at possible sites for a new facility. We’re grateful that Postmaster General Donahoe listened to our community’s concerns and is making this new facility a reality.”

The U.S. Postal Service approved the lease today for a 5,880-square-foot site in the Badlands Town Center located at 4315 9th Ave. W., Unit 411 in Williston. This new facility will operate in addition to Williston’s current postal facility, with the hours of operation to be determined prior to the formal opening of the new facility.

Additionally, USPS officials notified Hoeven last month that the USPS has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Rural Letter Carriers Association to grant pay increases and bonuses to recruit and retain rural carriers in the Bakken region, including Minot, Dickinson, Williston, Watford City and most of the communities in western North Dakota, effective May 17, 2014.

In addition to the new post office and pay raises, the Postmaster General also committed to Hoeven to make the following improvements as a result of his visit last fall to Williston:

  • Directed the commencement of immediate delivery of mail to employer housing units, including apartment buildings serving essential service, public employees and their families, as well as buildings housing oil field industry workers and families in the region, including Dickinson, Williston and Watford City.
  • Moved additional postal vehicles to the region.
  • Ordered the suspension of the POST Plan reduction of hours in western North Dakota that prevented the planned reduction of hours at facilities throughout the region.
  • Placed on hold the planned consolidation of the Minot Mail Processing Center.
  • Increased the hiring of new employees and converted existing positions to career service.
  • Brought employees from other districts to the Bakken region to fill vacancies on a temporary basis to improve service.
  • Authorized renovations to postal facilities including those in Ross, Dickinson, Williston and Watford City.
  • Placed a portable building on-site in Williston to provide more space for employees to sort mail.
  • Evaluating the space needs in Watford City and reviewing possible renovations to the existing building or the relocation to an alternate site.
  • Continues working with the community to resolve mail delivery inconsistencies, including newspaper delivery.

“These are all good steps to improve the postal services in western North Dakota and across our state,” said Hoeven. “There’s still more work to do and we continue working with postal officials and our communities to ensure we have quality, reliable mail services.”