The U.S. Postal Service will most likely reduce the hours of the South Bristol post office to six hours a day from Monday to Friday and four hours on Saturday.
Bath Postmaster Lori Boudin announced the change at a community meeting at the post office on Thursday, July 17. The new schedule would take effect in late October, or 30 days after the retirement of South Bristol Postmaster Wayne Benner.
Boudin said the postal service mailed 257 surveys to South Bristol residents. The survey asked residents to choose one of four options for the post office hours of operation.
Ninety-four of the 105 respondents preferred the option that would reduce the current 7.45 hours of operation each weekday to six hours with Saturday hours to remain the same at four hours.
According to Boudin, the U.S. Postal Service announced its intent to close the South Bristol post office several years ago.
“This was a really unpopular decision,” Boudin said. “The post office decided to look at another option. It’s an opportunity to preserve the post offices but with an alignment in hours of operation.”
Boudin said the Postal Service, through use of the survey and meeting with town residents, is strongly influenced in its final decision for setting the new hours of the post office.
According to Boudin, since the U.S. Postal Service preference is the same as the majority of the survey respondents, the only matter left for discussion was establishing the hours of operation.
Boudin said many communities opt for a two-hour midday break in operations. For example, the six hours could be 8-10 a.m. and noon to 4 p.m.
Some of the eight residents at the meeting raised concerns about the significant change in South Bristol resident population during the summer months.
Ken Maguire said, “The population of South Bristol, according to the 2010 census, was just under 900. In the peak of summer, it’s calculated at between 2,400 and 2,500.”
According to Maguire, the increase in population has an obvious effect on the workload of the post office.
Boudin said once the new hours are established they will be in place year-round and will not change during the year.
“Each year this will be revisited,” Boudin said. “The plan we come up with for now doesn’t mean it will be the plan forever.”
According to Boudin, the office lobby will remain open 24 hours per day to provide access to post office boxes.
Boudin commended South Bristol Postmaster Wayne Benner for his 38 years of service to the Postal Service and for his 21 years in South Bristol.
“Wayne could have moved up the ladder but he chose to stay,” Boudin said. “He loved it here.”
To which South Bristol resident Maude Olsen said, “And we loved him. We’re worried what’s coming next because he spoiled us.”
