FAYETTEVILLE -- Plans to move 13 jobs from the U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Fayetteville to Oklahoma City make no sense, all 27 of those who spoke out at Wednesday's public meeting on the proposal said.
"I'm fairly astonished at the lack of information being provided," local attorney Suzanne Clark of Fayetteville told Juan Jones, facilities director for the Postal Service, at the 3 p.m. meeting at the Fayetteville Public Library.
Jones' presentation before the meeting opened to public comment recapped the little information already released, couched in Postal Service jargon, she said.
"This was an unbelievably poor presentation," Clark said.
At least 60 people came to the meeting, during which no questions were allowed. Those attending made up only a fraction of who would have come if the Postal Service hadn't scheduled the meeting for midafternoon during the Postal Service's peak mail and package delivery time of the year, said Ike Mills, president of Northwest Arkansas Area Local 667 of the American Postal Workers Union.
"We found out about this three weeks ago, and you schedule the public meeting on it during our peak season while people are busting their tails and working 12-hour days," Mills said.
Spokeswoman Becky Hernandez said the Postal Service had no response to Wednesday's comments at this time. Members of the public can also submit written comments at a Postal Service website.
The Northwest Arkansas Processing and Distribution Center would lose an estimated 12 staff members and one management position under a proposal, Jones said in his opening remarks. The Fayetteville center will remain open and will get more modern equipment, he said, while some sorting operations would move to Oklahoma.
Jones also said there would be no layoffs. Sammi Shane of Fayetteville and others replied the 13 jobs would move to Oklahoma City and employees would have to move also to keep them.
Walter Hinojosa, president of the Northwest Arkansas Labor Council of the AFL-CIO, called the Northwest Arkansas region a "colossal boom town, with no serious comparison with any region in Oklahoma" in terms of growth.
Northwest Arkansas' growth came up repeatedly in comments about the plan, with the speakers challenging the Postal Service to explain how moving jobs out of the region made sense, or how it would improve service while the volume of mail kept growing along with the population.
Oklahoma City's distribution center for the Postal Service is 221 miles away by the shortest route, according to maps. Fuel costs alone make the service's estimates of costs savings hard to believe, speakers at Wednesday's meeting said. The Postal Service estimates the move will save at least $2.5 million a year once the change is completed, including at least $1.6 million in saved transportation costs.
Elected officials who attended and spoke Wednesday, all in opposition to the move, were: Robert Stafford of the Fayetteville City Council; Evelyn Rios Stafford of the Washington County Quorum Court; Carrie Perrien Smith of the Benton County Quorum Court; and Fayetteville Mayor Lioneld Jordan. Also present and speaking was Kyle Weaver from 3rd District Rep. Steve Womack's office. Weaver reminded the Postal Service representatives of how the congressman had sent them a letter demanding answers about the proposal and expected "thorough and complete responses."
The Fayetteville processing center employs more than 90 clerks, about 50 mail handlers, 30 or more maintenance workers and about 10 supervisors, Mills said.
Submit comments online
The public may submit written comments on the Postal Services proposal through Dec. 21 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/mpfr-northwest-arkansas