Thursday, 02 August 2007 09:22

Sutter Creek Mail Delivery - Mail box Controversy

Mailboxes are becoming quite the conversation in Sutter Creek as the local post office there has decided to allow street delivery on some additional streets.

Residents of those streets received a letter from the Post Master that the Sutter Creek branch will begin street mail delivery due to customer request. Previously, the Post Office was not able to perform this delivery because they did not have right handed government postal vehicles. Now they do have them- and due to customer requests, the Post Office is willing to provide the service. The Post Master’s letter asked residents on the newly proposed service streets to purchase their own box, and then mount it on a curbside post. Post Master Debbie Baker states that any configuration of boxes, individual or multiple, up to 4, is acceptable as long as the post is located curbside and is 42 inches in height with as US Postal approved box atop.

Because of changes in the Post Offices policies regarding those large metal multi customer boxes, called MBUs or Multiple Box Units, the Post Office no longer provides those to customer groups. They must now be installed by a developer during the development of a community. Also, the Post Office in Sutter Creek no longer offers delivery to door slots. This has left some citizens concerned regarding the esthetics of such mail delivery receptacles in the charming town. The matter will be taken up before the city council Monday night and Post Master Baker will be at Monday’s City Council meeting for the discussion to answer questions and offer information