The United States Postal Service is abandoning plans to move all Reno mail processing to Sacramento following a bipartisan outcry and a federal lawsuit brought by Washoe County.
The Postal Service said Tuesday that outgoing single-piece mail — which is a smaller quantity than bulk mail — would still be processed in Reno instead of Sacramento once oversight of the plan is complete, indicating that bulk mail would still be processed in Sacramento. The agency is also seeking an advisory opinion from its parent agency, the Postal Regulatory Commission, which was the goal of the lawsuit filed by Washoe County prosecutors earlier this year.
The changes mark the latest development in a saga that pitted state lawmakers and election officials against the Postal Service. A bipartisan group of officeholders — including the governor, secretary of state and members of the state’s congressional delegation — expressed concern that the plan to process all Reno mail in Sacramento could have dire implications for medication deliveries and mail ballot processing, given that severe winter weather between the two regions could make it difficult for mail to be delivered timely and efficiently. The Postal Service repeatedly maintained the move would have no impact on mail processing speed.
An agency spokesperson did not immediately respond to a question Tuesday whether medications are considered “single-piece mail.”
The Postal Service said that changes resulted from the “identification of enhanced efficiencies in proposed operational improvements, along with related refinements within the existing service standards.”
The agency also said the change would result in no employees being impacted by the move. An internal document previously obtained by The Nevada Independent said that the Postal Service expected the previous plan to affect as many as 67 career positions, which could include employee reassignments, though the Postal Service had promised no career employees would be laid off.
In a statement, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV), commended Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and said he would request a briefing with the Postal Service to ensure strong oversight of the plan. Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, said the announcement “is great news for our state and represents a huge bipartisan victory for Nevada,” while Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) called it a “huge win for our seniors, veterans, and every person in Northern Nevada who depends on timely mail delivery" and Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat, said it was a "major win for our elections, economy and our entire community."
The Postal Service will host a virtual conference next week to discuss the Reno move and its nationwide plans regarding mail processing changes, which will include seeking an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission. After the opinion is issued, the Postal Service will review it and finalize its plans, though the agency does not have to follow the commission’s recommendations.
The Postal Regulatory Commission previously ruled that the agency did not need to seek an opinion on its nationwide plan, but may need approval before implementing specific parts. In April, it also ordered the agency to show cause for why advisory opinions were not necessary for the processing facility changes. The Postal Service responded that such a step “significantly encroaches on the Postal Service’s discretion,” and added that it will seek an advisory opinion if it determines that one is necessary.
A Washoe County spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment on what Tuesday’s announcement means for the county’s lawsuit.