FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The United States Postal Service (USPS) confirmed it is not planning to close its Northwest Arkansas Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC), rather it will become "modernized" and repurposed as a Local Processing Center (LPC), according to a letter from USPS to Congressman Steve Womack on Jan. 11.
USPS says the final decision will be made "early in 2024."
In late November, USPS announced it was considering moving its P&DC out of Northwest Arkansas based on a Mail Processing Facility Review (MPFR) they conducted that recommended keeping the center open but changing it to a local processing center.
Since the processing center moved from Fort Smith to Fayetteville in 2012, the MPFR found demands for flat mail have declined and package volume has increased.
Community members came together to voice their concerns on Dec. 6. Many said they were confused about the language used by USPS and felt they still had not gotten their questions answered.
Womack met with U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Jan. 9 to express concerns over the potential changes to the Northwest Arkansas facility.
"I would like to dispel any misconception that the MPFR will result in closing the Northwest Arkansas facility or any career employee layoffs. In every reasonable scenario, the facility in Fayetteville will continue to be a needed network node delivering mail and packages for the state," USPS said in the letter to Womack.
However, they do anticipate that seven career positions and one management position impacted.
Womack said in a statement:
"Although I am still wary, Mr. DeJoy left me hopeful that despite the losses in this particular sequence, there may still be opportunities in the future to expand and provide jobs to meet the emerging needs of postal services. Those sentiments are shared in their recent response to my letter from November demanding answers on the impact these changes would have on our region. By engaging at the highest level possible on this issue, I will continue to fight for the best outcome for my constituents."
USPS plans to implement its Delivering for America (DFA) plan. This national plan will take 10 years and $40 billion in efforts to "revitalize the Postal Service and allow it to meet the service expectations of our current and future customers, achieve financial stability, and bring this essential national institution into the 21st century," the letter said.
"The Postal Service has been contending with a broken business model better suited to the year 2000 when mail volume was abundant than today when letter mail volume continues to decline," USPS said, "We must now turn around from an obsolete, illogical, and inefficient processing network, and a regulatory scheme seemingly intent on preventing any progress or prospect for success."
In this new modern approach, USPS will introduce Regional Processing and Distribution Centers (RPDCs), "which are large facilities that act as central nodes for a given region."
"RPDCs will support and be supported by LPCs," USPS said. LPCs will essentially process products that are on their way out.
For Northwest Arkansas' new LPC, the RPDC will be in Oklahoma City.
"There will be no service impacts with the implementation of these changes," USPS said. "Mail will be processed in Oklahoma City on the day it is collected and returned to Northwest Arkansas in sufficient time for on-time delivery."
It is unclear whether or not jobs will be transferred from the Northwest Arkansas location to the Oklahoma City RPDC.
Initial reports on USPS considering move:
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