Keith LaShier has been working hard for postal lessors. Below is a summary of events Keith has attended, or led. We appreciate his commitment to AUSPL and to postal lessors.
AUSPL National Conference
In April 2024 the Association of United States Postal Lessors (AUSPL) held its national conference in Miami, FL. The two-day event was enjoyed by over 300 attendees. Attendees were provided excellent training material from a variety of subject matter experts on such topics as: USPS Lease Forms; Building Maintenance; Building Inspections; Insurance; Estates & Trusts; EMCOR; and Lessor Issues Dealing with the USPS.
The great southern Florida weather was beneficial as many of the meals and networking activities were held outside on a promenade that abutted an intercoastal water way.
U S Postal Service National Postal Forum
In early June the U S Postal Service held its their annual National Postal Forum. I have been attending these events for the past several years, along with a few thousand other attendees who represented a large swath of firms engaged in services that interact with the U S Postal Service. Postmaster General (PMG) Louis Dejoy, most of his senior officers, and many other high-level managers from the USPS provided a variety of presentations on the “state of the USPS” as it continues its path to implementing the Delivering for America (DFA) plan.
National media stories and Congressional committees responsible for oversight of the USPS had voiced concerns that the improved service standards and financial benefits forecast from activation of several Regional Processing & Distribution Centers (RPDC’s)are not being met. In May 2024 the USPS announced it would pause some RPDC activations until 2025. The USPS PMG announced to Congress and to the NPF attendees that they were still focused on achieving the initial goals of the DFA. As such, he pointed out that implementation of the Sorting & Delivery Center (S&DC) program was continuing. By the end of 2024 they have plans to have approximately 100 S&DCs in place as well as another 150-200 in two more years.
The USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) has written several reports highlighting the challenges faced by the USPS as it implements the DFA initiatives. To date results show additional spending and degraded service.
AUSPL National Conference and Regional Meetings
The Board Members of the AUSPL met in May to discuss the AUSPL insurance program, our relationship with various congressional leaders, and plans for future Regional and National AUSPL conferences. It was decided that the 2025 National Conference will be held in the greater Washington DC area. A Regional Training Conference will be held in the Las Vegas area in the fall. We are investigating venues and possible dates for these events. Stay tuned to the AUSPL web site and other marketing material as we finalize these plans.
“…the 2025 National Conference will be held in the greater Washington DC area.”
Keith LaShier
EMCOR Update
Landlords have reported that EMCOR is sending repair requests for items that are clearly the responsibility of the USPS. Landlords must be diligent when receiving repair requests and contest those that are clearly the responsibility of the USPS. In those situations, lessors should email and write back to EMCOR to requesting an “exclusion”. Training material has been provided at recent and prior AUSPL events to educate landlords on how to address these issues.
Insurance Program
The AUSPL Insurance program is being affected by costlier claims than had been anticipated. Our “guaranteed replacement coverage” has revealed that our Post Offices are more costly to repair and/or replace due to inflation, along with other factors. The Board of the AUSPL is working closely with our insurance carrier and its underwriter to analyze the impacts of these increased claims and determine what adjustments might be required in our program to protect members and maintain the financial viability of the program.
Please know that your Board and staff of the AUSPL are working to protect your interests as we engage with USPS officials, members of Congress, and other stakeholder groups. Please contact us whenever you have any questions regarding your leased Post Office.