[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 68 (Thursday, May 17, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E822]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   INTRODUCTION OF THE POST OFFICE COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP ACT OF 2001

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 16, 2001

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I came to Congress dedicated to making 
the federal government a better partner in building livable 
communities. Perhaps the most important opportunity for realizing this 
goal is to ensure that the federal government lead by example through 
such simple actions as locating federal facilities in ways that support 
existing communities.
  Today I am introducing the Post Office Community Partnership Act. 
This legislation, similar to the bills I introduced in the 105th and 
106th Congresses, outlines minimum community contact procedures that 
the United States Postal Service must pursue for any proposed closing, 
consolidation, relocation, or construction of a post office. Simply 
put, the bill requires the Postal Service to comply with local zoning, 
planning, or other land use laws.
  This bill is being introduced with 57 bi-partisan original 
cosponsors. In the 106th Congress this bill was supported by 240 bi-
partisan cosponsors. Identical companion legislation is being 
introduced this week by Senators James Jeffords of Vermont and Max 
Baucus of Montana. This continued and widespread support, in addition 
to the multitude of letters received from constituents and stories in 
newspapers throughout the country, illustrates the important need for 
this bill to become law.
  The Post Office Community Partnership Act takes another step in 
making the federal government a better partner with communities and 
local governments. It is important that local officials and citizens 
have input into the decisions that impact the daily livability of their 
communities. Additionally, this bill addresses the need for the Postal 
Service to abide by a community's own plans for growth management, land 
use, traffic management, and environmental protection--rules by which 
all citizens and businesses must adhere.
  Communities and neighborhoods across the country have been subjected 
to Postal Service decisions that have negatively impacted service to 
postal customers and community development. This bill provides 
communities an opportunity to be notified of Postal Service plans in 
advance, which will allow for interaction in the decision-making 
process between local government officials, the public, and the Postal 
Service. The beneficial results of this type of interaction can be seen 
from Fairview Village in my congressional district to Castine, Maine.
  In Fairview Village, Oregon, by working with the developers of the 
community, the post office was the first civic building constructed in 
the area and acted as an anchor for what has developed into a retail 
street. By centrally locating the post office as the developers 
proposed, residents can easily walk or drive to the post office from 
anywhere in Fairview Village. In Castine, Maine, the Postal Service 
proposed moving the oldest operating post office in the country--a 
national historic landmark--from its downtown location to the suburbs. 
After a public outcry, the Postal Service and the Town of Castine 
worked together to find a way to expand the existing building and keep 
the post office in its historic downtown location.
  Despite these examples, too often the Postal Service does not involve 
the community and instead relies on the fact that they are not required 
to follow local land use laws when building new facilities or 
renovating existing facilities.
  The Post Office Community Partnership Act puts in place basic 
procedures for notifying local officials and post office customers of 
any planned facility changes or construction. The Act also requires 
that the Postal Service follow local land use laws, procedures and 
public participation requirements to the same extent and manner as 
other private enterprises. It has been shown that the Postal Service 
can manage this process without hampering its mission of cost effective 
and efficient universal service as evidenced by Fairview Village, 
Oregon and Castine, Maine. It is time to ensure that the Postal Service 
operates within the same framework and rules that a community imposes 
on its own citizens and businesses.
  The Post Office Community Partnership Act would establish community 
notification and land use policies and procedures that should have been 
in place all along. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation 
that will help ensure that the post office is a productive federal 
partner in building livable communities.

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