[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 137 (Monday, July 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35210-35211]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17155]


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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION

[Docket No. N2009-1; Order No. 244]


Postal Retail Network Consolidation

AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.

ACTION: Notice related to postal retail network consolidation 
initiative.

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SUMMARY: This document addresses a recent Postal Service filing seeking 
Commission action on matters related to a retail network consolidation 
plan affecting certain postal stations and branches and postal patrons, 
primarily through consolidation of facilities. It includes information 
on several related procedural steps, including intervention and a 
prehearing conference.

DATES: Deadline for notices of intervention, requests for hearings, and 
required statements: July 28, 2009; prehearing conference (9:30 a.m.): 
July 30, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Submit filings electronically via the Commission's Filing 
Online system at http://www.prc.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharman, general counsel, 
202-789-6820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On July 2, 2009, the United States Postal 
Service (Postal Service) filed a request with the Postal Regulatory 
Commission (Commission) asking for a determination whether a plan to 
optimize the postal retail network by consolidating the operations of 
some retail stations and branches into nearby facilities constitutes a 
change in the nature of postal services, substantially on a nationwide 
basis, within the meaning of 39 U.S.C. 3661(c).\1\ The Postal Service 
describes the plan as the Postal Service Station and Branch 
Optimization and Consolidation Initiative (Initiative). Request at 1.
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    \1\ Request of the United States Postal Service for an Advisory 
Opinion on Changes in Postal Services, July 2, 2009; and Notice of 
the United States Postal Service of Filing Erratum to Request 
[Erratum], July 2, 2009 (Request).
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    If the Commission determines that the Initiative will likely 
generate changes in the nature of postal services on a substantially 
nationwide basis, the Postal Service then requests that the Commission 
issue an advisory opinion under section 3661(c) which concurs that such 
service changes would conform to the policies reflected in title 39 of 
the United States Code. Id. at 2.
    The Postal Service states that the Initiative already began in May 
with the examination of the portion of the retail network consisting of 
stations and branches that report to Postmasters at or above the USPS 
Executive & Administrative Schedule level 24 pay grade. USPS-T-2 at 8. 
It asserts that the stations and branches that meet this criterion are 
located primarily in urban and suburban population centers and comprise 
approximately two-thirds of the over 4,800 stations and branches 
nationwide. Request at 5-6. The stated objective of the Initiative is 
to ``realign the postal retail network with current and future postal 
customer service needs, to reduce inefficiency and redundancy, and to 
capture the resulting cost savings.'' Id. at 6. The results will be 
used to inform any decisions on whether to expand the Initiative to a 
broader pool of stations and branches. Id. The Postal Service states 
that if the Initiative results in a decision to change the nature of 
any postal service provided at any postal facility, such changes will 
not be implemented before October 2, 2009. Id. at 7.
    The Postal Service's Request is accompanied and supported by two 
pieces of testimony and four library references. The Postal Service 
states that the reasons underlying the pursuit of the objectives 
contained within the Initiative are described in the Direct Testimony 
of Alice M. VanGorder on Behalf of United States Postal Service (USPS-
T-1), July 2, 2009. It states that the process to be employed in making 
decisions to achieve the objectives are described in the Direct 
Testimony of Kimberly I. Matalik on Behalf of United States Postal 
Service (USPS-T-2), July 2, 2009. The library references provide public 
and non-public versions of the official records for the closings of the 
Buhl, PA classified station \2\ and the Washburn, IA classified 
branch.\3\
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    \2\ USPS-LR-N2009-1/1 Official Record to Close the Buhl, PA 
Classified Station, Docket No. 16146 (Public Version); and USPS-LR-
N2009-1/NP1 Official Record to Close the Buhl, PA Classified 
Station, Docket No. 16146 (Non-Public Version). The public version 
excludes the names of customers and postal patrons providing 
comments to the Postal Service.
    \3\ USPS-LR-N2009-1/2 Official Record to Close the Washburn, IA 
Classified Branch, Docket No. 50706 (Public Version); and USPS-LR-
N2009-1/NP2 Official Record to Close the Washburn, IA Classified 
Branch, Docket No. 50706 (Non-Public Version). The public version 
excludes the names of customers and postal patrons providing 
comments to the Postal Service.
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    The Request and all supporting public materials are on file in the

[[Page 35211]]

Commission's docket room for inspection during regular business hours, 
and are available on the Commission's Web site at http://www.prc.gov.
    Further procedures. Section 3661(c) of title 39 requires that the 
Commission afford an opportunity for formal, on-the-record hearing of 
the Postal Service's Request under the terms specified in sections 556 
and 557 of title 5 of the United States Code before issuing its 
advisory opinion. All interested parties are hereby notified that 
notices of intervention in this proceeding shall be due on July 28, 
2009. Any participant requesting a hearing in this matter shall so 
state in conformance with 39 CFR 3001.20(b).
    At this time, the Commission cannot anticipate the duration, or 
even the exact form, proceedings on this matter will take. Participants 
who wish to offer their views on these issues may do so in their 
interventions. Due to the nature of this Initiative, the Commission may 
consider holding public hearings outside of Washington, DC.
    The Postal Service indicates that its Initiative was fostered, in 
part, by the current financial crisis and the continuing decline in 
mail volume. In light of this, it requests that the Commission 
expeditiously issue its opinion. However, a proposal for changes which 
could impact the nature of postal service on a nationwide basis must be 
examined carefully. The Commission urges participants to carefully 
consider, prior to the prehearing conference, the justification for any 
proposed discovery period.
    The Commission will hold a prehearing conference in this docket on 
July 30, 2009 at which these questions will be discussed.
    Public participation. Section 3661(c) of title 39 requires the 
participation of an ``officer of the Commission who shall be required 
to represent the interests of the general public'' in these 
proceedings. Robert Sidman is designated to serve as Public 
Representative to represent the interests of the general public.
    It is ordered:
    1. The Commission establishes Docket No. N2009-1 to consider the 
Postal Service Request referred to in the body of this order.
    2. The Commission will act en banc in this proceeding.
    3. Notices of intervention shall be filed no later than July 28, 
2009.
    4. Participants who wish to request a hearing on the Postal 
Service's Request in this docket shall submit such a request, together 
with statements in conformance with 39 CFR 3001.20(b), on or before 
July 28, 2009.
    5. A prehearing conference is scheduled for July 30, 2009, at 9:30 
a.m., in the Commission's hearing room.
    6. Pursuant to 39 U.S.C. 3661(c), the Commission appoints Robert 
Sidman to represent the interests of the general public in this 
proceeding.
    7. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this notice in 
the Federal Register.

    Issued: July 10, 2009.

    By the Commission.
Judith M. Grady,
Acting Secretary.
[FR Doc. E9-17155 Filed 7-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P