Hearings set to discuss end of Saturday mail

“The Commission has developed a disciplined schedule to ensure a timely, thorough review of the Postal Service’s proposal,” said PRC chairman Ruth Y. Goldway. “Our process will provide multiple opportunities for the public to be heard and for all the facts to be considered before the Commission issues its Advisory Opinion.”

The public hearings will be held in May and June in Las Vegas, Nev.; Sacramento, Cal.; Dallas, Tex.; Memphis, Tenn.; Chicago, Ill.; Rapid City, S.D. and Buffalo, N.Y.
Anyone interested in being considered for inclusion on a field hearing witness panel may contact the PRC at www.prc.gov or by phoning 202-789-6800.

The scheduled hearings are part of a process in which the PRC intends to provide the Postal Service with an advisory opinion regarding the termination of Saturday mail delivery. By law, the Postal Service must seek this opinion before altering or ending any nationwide service.

The PRC will analyze the Postal Service’s five day delivery proposal along with any witness testimony or supporting evidence.

Mail users and interested members of the public will be allowed to offer supporting or opposing views of the proposal for consideration by the PRC. The change to a five day delivery week is considered to be one of the most significant changes ever presented to the PRC by the Postal Service.

The Postal Regulatory Commission is an independent federal agency that provides regulatory oversight over the U.S. Postal Service to ensure the transparency and accountability of the Postal Service and foster a vital and efficient universal mail system. The Commission is comprised of five Presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed commissioners, each serving terms of six years. The chairman is designated by the President. In addition to chairman Goldway, the other commissioners are vice chairman Tony Hammond, Dan Blair, Nanci Langley, and Mark Acton.