USPS moving ahead with controversial Nevada mail plan despite mounting opposition

RENO, Nev. (KRNV) — The United States Postal Service says it is moving forward with a controversial plan to send northern Nevada mail through Sacramento, California, as part of a modernization plan.

Despite growing opposition and frustration from Nevada's congressional delegation and other elected officials, as part of the USPS' $40 billion investment project, a letter sent locally will be rerouted through west Sacramento first before coming back to northern Nevada.

Under the plan the main post office on Vassar Street will be converted from a processing and distribution center to what's called a local processing center.

During a call with media last week, Nevada Sen. Jacky Rosen said that dozens of employees would lose their job during the downsize, but in a news release Tuesday, the USPS said there are no employee layoffs.

The plan will not only impact all mail in northern Nevada, but parts of the Lake Tahoe basin as well.

Currently the Vassar Post Office handles incoming mail from a specific area and sorts it for distribution to its final destination. Under the new plan, the post office will distribute mail to individual post offices.

The USPS says it will invest up to $13.4 million in Reno, which they say will result in expanded and streamlined package and mail processing capabilities.

In a contentious hearing on Capitol Hill on April 18, Rosen clashed with USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over the plan.

Rosen, who grew increasingly frustrated, continued to press DeJoy for answers, including what sort of impact this change would have on Nevada veterans and seniors who rely on timely mail service for medications and other time-sensitive necessities.

The senator is just one of many Nevada leaders opposed to the plan including Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Rep. Mark Amodei, Gov. Joe Lombardo and Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar.

Rosen quickly responded to Tuesday's news release with a fiery statement saying the fight is far from over.

“I am outraged that out-of-touch Washington bureaucrats think they know what’s best for our state, and have decided to move forward with this misguided plan to move mail processing operations to Sacramento," she said. "As Nevadans have made clear all along, this decision will impact hardworking families and small businesses that rely on timely mail delivery. Let me be absolutely clear: this fight is not over. As a member of the committee with jurisdiction over the Postal Service, I will continue to fight against this ill-advised decision and explore all available options to prevent it from being implemented.”

The plan is set to be implemented in January.