West Branch, IA Post Office to Set-Up Temporary Location at City Hall

Community Leaders Offer Use of City Building Until Asbestos Removal is Complete

Des Moines, Iowa — An agreement has been reached between U.S. Postal Service officials and the City of West Branch, Iowa, in the wake of the National Park Service's closure of the community's Post Office for asbestos removal. Beginning Tuesday, Dec. 9, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the West Branch Post Office will set-up temporary quarters in the West Branch City Building, located at 110 N. Poplar. The temporary Post Office will be closed Saturdays and Sundays.

West Branch postal customers are encouraged to continue getting their mail from the Iowa City Post Office, located at 400 S. Clinton St., through Monday, Dec. 8.

"We're very pleased that City leaders and members of the West Branch community have stepped forward to help the Postal Service continue to provide the outstanding service they've come to expect," said Doug Morrow, manager of the agency's Des Moines-based Hawkeye District.

The change will allow postal customers in West Branch to receiving normal retail services at the temporary location. Customers who have submitted a Change-of-Address but would like to cancel it, should notify West Branch Postmaster Jeri Holbrook at 515/707-1051 for assistance.

The Postal Service, which leases about three quarters of its 37,000 Post Office locations nationwide, was forced to vacate after the National Park Service notified the Post Office that scheduled ventilation maintenance would also include the removal of asbestos. Federal regulations prohibit the Postal Service from operating a Post Office while asbestos removal is underway, forcing the West Branch Post Office to evacuate and set-up a temporary Post Office in Iowa City — about 14 miles away.

The Postal Service expects to return to the West Branch Post Office upon the completion of the asbestos removal in a few weeks.

"We apologize for the inconvenience to our customers," said Post Office Operations Manager Mark Allen. Allen joined other postal officials in West Branch for a community meeting last night. "We're confident that our temporary Post Office at the City Building will meet the needs of our customers during the Postal Service's busiest time of the year."

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An independent federal agency, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that visits every address in the nation — 146 million homes and businesses. It has 37,000 retail locations and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to pay for operating expenses, not tax dollars. The Postal Service has annual revenues of $75 billion and delivers nearly half the world’s mail.