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WS — Item 4 WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT Work Session Item 4 Date: March 1, 2010 To: City Council From: Mary Divine Re: Post Office Background Mayor Reinert requested information regarding the steps a city must go through to get its own post office. This has been an interest of the city as far back as 1986, when representatives from the United States Postal Service (USPS) met with the Lino Lakes City Council to address the complaint that residents and business owners couldn't use Lino Lakes as their mailing address. Since that time, it has been acceptable to use Lino Lakes, MN, as long at the proper Zip code is used. Lino Lakes has five Zip codes within its boundaries. In 1994 the city looked into getting one Zip code to service Lino Lakes. The procedure for getting one Zip code required making a request to the USPS with proper justification. Proper justification did not include the desire for a stronger city identity. A city must be able to demonstrate that current services are inadequate and an additional point of service is needed. If the USPS finds proper justification, it completes a cost study and if the cost is justified the USPS surveys the residents. Fifty -one percent of the residents must agree to the change. In 1994, the USPS put out an RFP seeking a site for an expanded post office to cover the 55038 Zip code area. The City of Lino Lakes worked with a private landowner to complete a proposal to sell land east of 35E near County Road 14. As a part of that proposal the city offered to cover the special assessments for the street and utility upgrade. This would have provided a post office in Lino Lakes covering the east side of Lino Lakes and Hugo. The USPS did not choose that site and eventually leased space in Hugo. Also in 1994, the city council expressed a desire to have a Lino Lakes Post Office to give Lino Lakes a stronger identity. The USPS at that time informed the city that the Circle 1