Urgent Mail Delivery Interruption in Alna – Community Update and Action Steps

Thursday May 15 update:

Our 3rd Select Person, Coreysha Stone, had a brief conversation with Josh Scott, Consumer Affairs Manager at the USPS District Office Portland Headquarters.
He said that within a week they should have someone designated for the Alna route and mail should be delivered 4 to 5 days per week for a period of time. The hope is to get us 100% back to regular mail delivery eventually. He did seem very confident that within the week we would at least be up to a 4 to 5 day delivery schedule for all mail (including letter mail).
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Dear Alna Residents,

The town of Alna is currently experiencing a critical disruption in regular mail delivery services. While parcels continue to be delivered through a temporary substitute carrier program, letter mail—including bills and other essential documents—are not being delivered at this time.

A number of underlying factors have contributed to this issue:

1. Increased Parcel Volume: A significant burden has been placed on our rural postal services due to Amazon’s recent decision to use USPS as the sole carrier for parcels destined to Alna. This influx of packages has overwhelmed local resources and led to burnout among long-term employees, while also deterring retention of new hires.

2. Logistical Challenges: There is no USPS-assigned vehicle for delivery on the Alna route, meaning postal carriers are expected to use their own vehicles, specifically right-hand drive cars, to complete routes.

3. Staffing Delays: There are ongoing delays within the HR department at the USPS Portland District Office, which are compounding the difficulty of replacing staff or bringing in temporary help.

In response, we are exploring several immediate steps:

  • Authorized Representative for Mail Pickup: We are hoping to create a document template—subject to approval by the USPS—that will allow the authorization of family, neighbors, or friends to pick up mail on behalf of others, particularly those unable to do so themselves. This document would need to comply with federal postal guidelines and include: the name and address of the resident requesting a representative to pick up their mail, the name and address of the designated representative, a state issued photo id copied in color on the notarized document. The representative will also need to provide a state issued photo id at pick up if this document gets approved.

  • Government Support: We, the Alna Select Board have taken steps to communicate with USPS, Senator Cameron Reny (207) 287-1515, Susan Collins (207- 622- 8414), Angus King (207-622-8292), and Amazon. These communications included:

• Request to expedite hiring and HR support.

• Push for emergency logistical support, including the assignment of postal vehicles or temporary mobile units.

• Address the burden that Amazon’s delivery shift has placed on USPS in rural areas like ours.

• Amazon: We have reached out to Amazon’s customer service to understand why they have opted to use USPS exclusively in Alna, and to express the negative impact of this decision.

  • Community Action: 

WE NEED YOUR HELP. Please call and communicate concerns with the following departments/ local leaders/ companies/representatives: 

USPS Consumer Affairs, Portland branch to express concern and ask for quick resolution (207-482-7265).

Senator Cameron Reny (207) 287-1515, Susan Collins (207- 622- 8414), and Angus King (207-622-8292)

Until a sustainable solution is found, I encourage residents to consider limiting purchases from Amazon. It is important for each resident that has had an Amazon parcel held at the Newcastle Post Office to call Amazon at this number: 1-888-280-4331 to share the tracking number of your parcel that was held at the Newcastle post office and to report an issue with USPS delivery service. Amazon refuses to process a community wide request to use a different carrier and requires each individual customer to call them directly.

This is a matter of fairness, accessibility, and respect for the needs of rural residents. We welcome all community input, and we are working urgently to restore service continuity and advocate for structural changes.

Sincerely,

The Alna Select Board