MISSOURI CITY, Texas — After receiving dozens of complaints about mail delays at a USPS processing center in Missouri City, Rep. Al Green tells KHOU 11 that he wants to take a tour of the facility in hopes of resolving the issue.
“They [USPS] have given me assurances, but the assurances are not enough," Green said. "I want to tour the plant. I want to see the facility. I want to set some sense of how this will all work and understand how this south facility will work with the north facility."
EDITORIAL NOTE: The above video originally aired on Dec. 13.
Green represents the 9th Congressional District where the South Houston Local Processing Center is located. Mail delays from this facility have been reported across Houston, surrounding counties and in other states.
Green's office confirmed he had two meetings with USPS officials since KHOU 11 notified him of the mail delay issues in December. From those meetings, Green said that he learned the processing center in Missouri City just recently opened.
“They've given us the indication this facility...is one that they recently opened and they were bringing it online," Green said. "With that, there are people who were familiarizing themselves with the use of technology necessary to move the mail efficaciously."
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Green said he and USPS officials "concluded" from their meetings that Green would tour Houston’s north side facility and the new south side facility. As of now, no date has been finalized yet.
Green explained his frustration about the delayed mail is two-fold; including his concerns about everyday packages, which may include medications, and his worries about the mail ballots that will be used in the Texas primary elections in March.
“Every piece of mail is a paramount concern,” Green said.
Since December, KHOU 11 has received numerous complaints from viewers about mail and packages that have been delayed at the Missouri City facility. At the time, it was unclear if the facility was only experiencing delays due to the holiday. Nevertheless, in the new year, viewers are still reporting issues with delays there.
Below is the most recent statement that USPS sent on Wednesday:
As part of its 10-year Delivering for America plan, the Postal Service is working to modernize our mail and package processing network. For decades, our outmoded network has created significant financial losses, increased deferred maintenance costs, deteriorated workplace conditions for our employees, and failed to efficiently integrate mail and package processing and delivery. The transformation of our network is necessary and fundamental to our continuation as an organization and a service to the American people and our business customers.
In the Houston area, network adjustments are ongoing. We have initiated the complex transition of the North Houston Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC) to a Regional Processing & Distribution Center (RPDC). Under our 10-year plan, we are combining and centralizing mail processing operations in approximately 60 new RPDCs nationwide over the coming years, which will handle originating mail and all package processing. Many of the RPDCs, such as North Houston, will be developed from existing postal facilities. The entire USPS geography is being assessed to determine the most appropriate mix of facilities within each regional ecosystem.
These new RPDCs will allow USPS to better use resources — including space, staffing, processing equipment and transportation — to take advantage of state-of-the-art technologies that process mail and packages more efficiently, while also creating brighter, cleaner, and more modern workplaces for postal employees.
As part of our network transition, we are also establishing Local Processing Centers (LPC) throughout the nation. The Missouri City, TX facility is designated as the South Houston LPC. Nearly all LPCs will be developed from existing postal facilities. It’s anticipated that up to 180 stand-alone LPCs will be opened in the next few years. The LDCs will process destination mail and transfer mail and packages to delivery. The LPCs will be modernized with standard designs in workflow and refined operations, with benefits similar to the RPDCs, including repositioning of machines to improve mail flow, removing obstructions from the workroom floor, improving overall visibility (i.e., lighting), and improving employee common areas.
This process, as with any such transition, takes time. The Postal Service will adhere to all legal, statutory, contractual, and regulatory requirements as network modernization continues in the coming years.
As with any transition, some unintended and temporary disruptions may occur. We are taking steps to ensure packages are processed as quickly and efficiently as possible and apologize to any customers who may be experiencing issues with delivery of their items. We strongly encourage customers who have concerns to contact us either online or via our toll-free number. When customers reach out, they can provide vital details to our customer service staff. A number will be assigned to each case, which allows the Postal Service to fully research the situation and provide a suitable resolution for our customers. Customers may call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777), or visit our website at www.usps.com/help .