Conference guests had barely finished their drinks at the “Cocktails with Exhibitors,” pre-boarding party at the Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans – French Quarter, Thursday evening before they were whisked by motor coach to the jazz dinner cruise aboard the Steamboat Natchez. The paddle wheeler is the last authentic steamboat on the Mississippi River. Despite…
Detailsby AUSPL Board Member Gary L. Poelstra One definition of option is “the power or right of choosing”. When an option on your lease is given to the USPS you are giving them the right to lease your building at a specified price for a specified time. The power to choose if they accept the…
DetailsBy Bill Eck, AUSPL Insurance Program The first thing you need to do is make sure that your property is protected from further damage. Contact a local contractor to make emergency repairs to secure the building. They can also give you an initial estimate to do the permanent repairs. The postmaster does not always know…
DetailsWHERE DID WE START? We started this journey for postal reform in 2011 and have exceeded all of the expectations. When we first began we were faced with a Congress comprised of members that had no idea the postal leasing program even existed. With the help and hard work of the board we have changed…
DetailsAs we enter the spring and prepare for election season to ramp-up, now is “do or die” time for postal reform in the 113th Congress. As we know from our previous endeavors, if Congress fails to act before the 114th Congress is sworn in this January, the process of postal reform will start over in both Chambers.
That being said, we are beginning to see some movement in the House of Representatives with staff briefing leadership and members on the various provisions and plans in the Postal Reform Act.
DetailsBy Tom Coe and Phil Wilson of Real Estate Asset Counseling What a distasteful word –”Holdovers.” It reminds many people of the “leftovers” for lunch or dinner when we would rather enjoy the pleasure of a fresh, newly prepared meal. The correlation is not too hard to make, since a “holdover” in the context of…
DetailsIt is the responsibility of the Postal Service to change burned- out light bulbs in leased facilities. The T-12 florescent light bulbs are no longer available in the catalog; however, they are available elsewhere. The Postal Service has advised its personnel not to substitute T-12 bulbs with T-8 bulbs as they do not work even…
Detailsby AUSPL Board Member Mark Dattel As Postal lessors we all want to ensure that our buildings are being properly maintained whether maintenance is the responsibility of the USPS, the owner or a combination of the two. It is incumbent upon us as lessors to inspect our buildings for any deficient maintenance and notify the…
DetailsOn January 26, the U.S. Postal Service will institute changes in mail service pricing, including a 3-cent increase on stamps from $0.46 to $0.49 for First Class letters (1 oz.), as well as a 1-cent increase on each additional ounce from $0.20 to $0.21. Postcard rates will increase by 1 cent to $0.34 from…
DetailsAlthough comprehensive postal reform has yet to move forward, leaders in the House and Senate chose to include some restrictions on the Postal Service in the recently passed “omnibus” spending bill that will fund the government through September of 2014.
The $1.1T (yes, that’s a T for Trillion!) federal spending bill ended up 1,582 pages long and contained two policy restrictions on the USPS. Page 541 of the bill bars the USPS from discontinuing Saturday delivery as well as restricting the closure of rural post offices.
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