Postal Service Still Looking for Feedback on Tariffville Post Office

Nearly four months after the Tariffville post office was evacuated and closed due to structural concerns, the U.S. Postal Service is giving customers another opportunity to give input on whether services should be continued. 

Christine Dugas, a spokesperson for the Postal Service, said Wednesday that after an emergency suspension takes place, it automatically triggers a study. Part of this study looks into the workload of that particular post office, customer demands and the availability of other postal services nearby. Dugas said the Postal Service is currently looking at the workload analysis and the type of transactions that occurred in Tariffville, as well as responses to questionnaires and surveys.

Also part of this process, Dugas said, is a 60-day period for customers to give feedback, which is where the Postal Service is right now.

On May 16, a proposal was placed in the Simsbury post office, the location most residents currently use with Tariffville closed, regarding suspending the Tariffville post office. The 35-page proposal offers an opportunity for residents to look at and see what the U.S. Postal Service has found thus far in regards to keeping the Tariffville location closed.

“That notice being posted is an opportunity for customers to give input on whether or not we should continue this post office,” Dugas said. “We don’t close them lightly. It’s a complex study and we want to study as much information as possible.”

The Tariffville Village Association, along with the town of Simsbury, has been spearheading initiatives to keep a post office in Tariffville, with recorded phone calls, petitions, and coming out in droves to the public hearing in April. 

After hearing about the proposal, Deputy First Selectman John Hampton said the town is requesting a legal opinion from the town attorney and is exploring all of its legal options. 

“We’re working with our town attorney,” Hampton. 

The town, he said, is also communicating with U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy’s office. 

“The villagers are trying to ramp up their efforts,” Hampton said. “It’s not the best scenario, so we’re still grappling with it ourselves.”

Residents are being given the opportunity to complete a comment page, which is available at the Simsbury post office. 

The comment form invites residents to respond to three questions: first, any effects the proposal would have on the regularity or effectiveness of their postal services; any effects the proposal would have on the community; and finally, other opinions or information that the Postal Service should take into consideration in making its decision.

The 60-day posting period, during which written comments are welcome, runs to July 17. The posting states that the comments will be considered as well as incorporated into the official record, and will be available to the public if the proposal is finalized.

Dugas said once the Postal Service gets to this point in studying a particular post office, they are almost ready to submit the study to headquarters. She said the final decision is not made locally. 

“We wanted to give people a last opportunity to give their input before they send the information,” she said. “They take all the information and the customer comments, put it in a package and send it to headquarters [in Washington, D.C.] to determine whether they close it or keep it open.”

Dugas did not specify a timeline for the decision, but said it is not something that occurs overnight.

“As soon as we know anything, we’ll certainly let the public know,” she said.