Residents of Northeast Florida, which is dominated by Jacksonville, have continually complained of slow or lost mail from the United States Postal Service (USPS). This has prompted Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL) to demand answers from Inspector General Tammy Hull on why this problem persists.
Rep. Bean's letter noted that the USPS modernized its facilities in March 2021 with the Delivering For America (DFA) Plan, turning the original Jacksonville Network Distribution Center (NDC) into the Jacksonville Regional Processing and Distribution Center (RPDC).
While we understand the need for USPS to modernize, it is evident that poor planning has led to a severe disruption in service for our constituents. The Jacksonville NDC is currently undergoing renovations to repurpose the facility as an RPDC. In the meantime, this NDC is still attempting to function while processing the package volume. During this transition, residents of Northeast Florida have suffered. Over the last year, our offices have seen a drastic uptick in messages from residents and businesses concerned about USPS mail and package delays," Rep. Bean continued.
An egregious case highlighted in the Florida Congressman's letter involved a package sent from Texas to Jacksonville that somehow went to Puerto Rico and then ultimately all the way up to Alaska.
"One Northeast Florida business reported they have not been receiving business reply mail, and mail is consistently returned as undeliverable. This business only receives mail every three days, which is not meeting the standard our constituents expect from the USPS. Instead, our constituents have lost confidence in the postal system. This is unacceptable," Bean added.
As a result, he called for an audit and investigation of the facility to determine why it has been operating so poorly and to suggest solutions to improve the situation.
"Since January, I've had many constituents reach out with concerns regarding delivery delays and lost mail. We all rely on the USPS for timely delivery of mail and packages, and I understand it's not just a service, it's a critical resource. That's why I'm pushing the USPS Inspector General for answers and solutions, not excuses," Bean said in his press release.
