HUNTLEY – Though recent talks among Huntley officials have hinted at plans for Huntley’s post office, postmaster Derek Strissel knows of nothing in the works.
The village currently utilizes two buildings: the customer service facility on Woodstock Street and the carrier annex on Wolf Drive. Huntley Postmaster Derek Strissel said the distance between the buildings creates lag for some deliveries.
“If there is a way for us to get that under one building, obviously that would be better,” he said.
Huntley currently utlizes two buildings for mail operations: the Woodstock Street facility, pictured here, and a carrier annex on Wolf Drive. Though the Huntley postmaster said the system causes delays, it is unlikely to change any time soon due to the USPS’s financial problems. (Chris La Pelusa I Sun Day Photo)
Strissel has been postmaster for six months now and was recently part of a meeting with village officials who brought him up to speed on the past developments and plans for a new post office facility. Strissel said in 2011, the village was planning to offer land next to the new village hall, where a consolidated post office could be built.
The plan did not go through, however, because deficits within the United States Postal Service have put such projects on hold.
Strissel has looked into leasing existing spots in Huntley to house a consolidated Post Office building but said every sufficient building he has found charges a rent higher than what the Post Office currently pays for its two facilities.
“Unfortunately we’re going to sit in this two-building operation,” he said, adding that it is the customers who suffer the most.
Residents should know the Post Office’s inability to move is not due to a lack of cooperation from the village, but the troubles of the USPS, Strissel said. He said the village has been “more than cooperative” and that he is “grateful for them.”
Though recent reports have pointed to the village looking into new options for the post office as the Woodstock Street facility’s lease is due to expire soon, Strissel said this is unlikely. A five-year renewal was signed for the carrier annex last year, and he believes the other facility will re-up as well.
In the meantime, Strissel said the Woodstock Street facility is working on ways to be more customer-friendly. In May, the post office will begin a campaign letting customers know they can order stamps by mail in order to reduce wait times in line.
Though Strissel has heard complaints of wait times as long as 20 minutes, he said these are unverified and do not match the post office’s own data.
The post office has a program using a clock that begins ticking when a customer enters the building until they are served at the counter. When the elapsed time exceeds five minutes, it is considered a “line failure.” Strissel said the last such failure to occur was last July.
How to have the best possible post office experience
• Avoid peak times; the post office opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m. Strissel says early-risers and closing businesses make these the busiest times. He recommends coming in during the early afternoon or late morning, but avoiding the noon rush. • Ordering stamps online or by mail can also help ease post office traffic.
