(c) Regional Emergency Coordinator. The Chief Inspector may delegate authority to Regional Chief Postal Inspectors, or others, for the function of Regional Emergency Coordinator and the general direction and coordination of all such programs within the Postal Regions, as are conducted by him at the National level.

(d) Postmaster General emergency line of succession. (1) Deputy Postmaster General; (2) Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Administration; (3) Senior Assistant Postmaster General, Operations.

(e) Headquarters and field lines of succession. Each Headquarters organizational unit shall establish its own internal line of succession to provide for continuity under emergency conditions. Each Regional Postmaster General, Regional Chief Inspector, Postal Data Center Director, Inspector in Charge, and postmaster at first-class post offices shall prepare a succession list of officials who will act in his stead in the event he is incapacitated or absent in an emergency. Orders of succession shall be shown by position titles, except those of the Inspection Service may be shown by names.

(f) Field responsibilities. Postmasters and heads of other installations shall: (1) Carry out civil preparedness assignments, programs, etc., as directed by regional officials.

(2) Comply with, and cooperate in community civil preparedness plans (including exercise) for evacuation, take cover and other survival measures prescribed for local populations.

(3) Designate representatives for continuing liaison with local civil preparedness organizations where such activity will not interfere with normal duties.

(4) Endeavor to serve (at their own option) as members on the staff of the local civil preparedness director, provided such service will not interfere with their primary postal responsibility in an emergency.

(5) Authorize and encourage their employees to participate voluntarily in nonpostal pre-emergency training pro

§ 241.1 Post offices.

(a) Establishment. See $113.1 of this chapter.

(b) Classification. As of July 1 each year, post offices are classified by the Postmaster General based on the allowable postal revenue units for the second preceding fiscal year as follows: (1) First Class. Post offices having 950 or more revenue units.

(2) Second Class. Post offices having 190 but less than 950 revenue units.

(3) Third Class. Post offices having 36 but less 190 revenue units.

(4) Fourth Class. Post offices having less than 36 revenue units.

(39 U.S.C. 401)

[36 FR 4764, Mar. 12, 1971, as amended at 42 FR 59082, Nov. 15, 1977]

§ 241.2

Stations and branches.

(a) Description. (1) Stations are established within the corporate limits or boundary, and branches are established outside the corporate limits or boundary of the city, town, or village in which the main post office is located. Stations and branches may be designated by number, letter or name. As a general rule, branches are named.

(2) Stations and branches transact registry and money order business, sell postage supplies, and accept matter for mailing. Delivery service, post office boxes, and other services may be provided when directed by the postmaster.

(3) Stations and branches, except nonpersonnel rural stations and branches, are designated as independent when registered and other mail is received or dispatched without passing through the main office.

(b) Classification-(1) Classified. Operated by postal employees in quarters provided by the Federal Government.

(2) Contract. Operated under contract by persons who are not Federal Government employees. Persons operating contract stations and branches are independent contractors and neither the contractors nor any person employed by them to assist in the conduct of contract stations or branches shall be employees of the Federal Government for any purpose whatsoever.

(39 U.S.C. 401)

[36 FR 4764, Mar. 12, 1971]

§ 241.3 Discontinuance of post offices. (a) Introduction-(1) Coverage. This section establishes the rules governing the Postal Service's consideration of whether an existing post office should be discontinued. The rules cover any proposal to replace a post office with a community post office, station or branch, consolidation with another post office, and any proposal to discontinue a post office without providing a replacement facility.

(2) Legal requirements. Under 39 U.S.C. 404(b), any decision to close or consolidate a post office must be based on certain criteria. These include the effect on the community served; the effect on employees of the post office; compliance with government policy established by law that the Postal Service

must provide a maximum degree of effective and regular postal services to rural areas, communities, and small towns where post offices are not selfsustaining; the economic savings to the Postal Service; and any other factors the Postal Service determines necessary. In addition, certain mandatory procedures apply as follows:

(i) The public must be given 60 days' notice of a proposed action to enable the persons served by a post office to evaluate the proposal and provide comments.

(ii) After public comments are reIceived and taken into account, any final determination to close or consolidate a post office must be made in writing and must include findings covering all the required considerations.

(iii) The written determination must be made available to persons served by the post office at least 60 days before the discontinuance takes effect.

(iv) Within the first 30 days after the written determination is made available, any person regularly served by the affected post office may appeal the decision to the Postal Rate Commission.

(v) The Commission may only affirm the Postal Service determination or return the matter for further consideration but may not modify the determination.

(vi) The Commission is required by 39 U.S.C. 404(b)(5) to make a determination on the appeal no later than 120 days after receiving the appeal.

(vii) The following is a summary table of the notice and appeal periods under the statute for these regulations.

(3) Additional requirements. This section also includes:

(i) Rules to ensure that the community's identity as a postal address is preserved.

(ii) Rules for consideration of a proposed discontinuance and for its implementation, if approved. These rules are designed to ensure that the reasons leading a district manager, Customer Service and Sales, to propose the discontinuance of a particular post office are fully articulated and disclosed at a stage that enables customer participation to make a helpful contribution toward the final decision.

(b) Preservation of community address— (1) Policy. The Postal Service permits the use of a community's separate address to the extent practicable.

(2) ZIP Code assignment. The ZIP Code for each address formerly served from the discontinued post office should be

the ZIP Code of the facility providing replacement service to that address. In some cases, the ZIP Code originally assigned to the discontinued post office may be kept, if the responsible district manager, Customer Service and Sales, submits a request with justification to Address Management, Postal Service Headquarters, before the proposal to discontinue the post office is posted.

(i) In a consolidation, the ZIP Code for the replacement community post office, station, or branch is either (A) the ZIP Code originally assigned to the discontinued post office, or (B) the ZIP Code of the replacement facility's parent post office, whichever provides the most expeditious distribution and delivery of mail addressed to the customers of the replacement facility.

(ii) If the ZIP Code is changed and the parent post office covers several ZIP Codes, the ZIP Code must be that

of the delivery area within which the facility is located.

(3) Post office name in address. If all the delivery addresses using the name of the post office to be discontinued are assigned the same ZIP Code, customers may continue to use the discontinued post office name in their addresses, instead of the new delivering post office

name.

(4) Name of facility established by consolidation. If a post office to be discontinued is consolidated with one or more other post offices by establishing in its place a community post office, classified or contract station, or branch affiliated with another post office involved in the consolidation, the replacement unit is given the same name of the discontinued post office.

(5) List of discontinued post offices. Publication 65, National Five-Digit ZIP Code and Post Office Directory, lists all post offices discontinued after March 14, 1977, for mailing address purposes only if they are used in addresses. The ZIP Codes listed for discontinued offices are those assigned under this subsection.

(c) Initial proposal—(1) In general. If a district manager, Customer Service and Sales, believes that the discontinuance of a post office within his or her responsibility may be warranted, the manager:

(i) Must use the standards and procedures in § 241.3 (c) and (d).

(ii) Must investigate the situation. (iii) May propose the post office be discontinued.

(2) Consolidation. The proposed action may include a consolidation of post offices to substitute a community post office or a classified or contract station or branch for the discontinued post office if:

(i) The communities served by two or more post offices are being merged into a single incorporated village, town, or city; or

(ii) A replacement facility is necessary for regular and effective service to the area served by the post office considered for discontinuance.

(3) Views of postmasters. Whether the discontinuance under consideration involves a consolidation or not, the district manager, Customer Service and Sales, must discuss the matter with

the postmaster (or the officer in charge) of the post office considered for discontinuance, and with the postmaster of any other post office affected by the change. The manager should make sure that these officials submit written comments and suggestions as part of the record when the proposal is reviewed.

(4) Preparation of written proposal. The district manager, Customer Service and Sales, must gather and preserve for the record all documentation used to assess the proposed change. If the manager thinks the proposed action is warranted, he or she must prepare a document titled "Proposal to (Close) (Consolidate) the (Name) Post Office." This document must describe, analyze, and justify in sufficient detail to Postal Service management and affected customers the proposed service change. The written proposal must address each of the following matters in separate sections:

(i) Responsiveness to community postal needs. It is the policy of the Government, as established by law, that the Postal Service will provide a maximum degree of effective and regular postal services to rural areas, communities, and small towns where post offices are not self-sustaining. The proposal should (A) contrast the services available before and after the proposed change; (B) describe how the changes respond to the postal needs of the affected customers; and (C) highlight particular aspects of customer service that might be less advantageous as well as more advantageous.

(ii) Effect on community. The proposal must include an analysis of the effect the proposed discontinuance might have on the community served, and discuss the application of the requirements in §241.3(b).

(iii) Effect on employees. The written proposal must summarize the possible effects of the change on the postmaster, supervisors, and other employees of the post office considered for discontinuance. (The district manager, Customer Service and Sales, must suggest measures to comply with personnel regulations related to post office discontinuance and consolidation.)

(iv) Savings. The proposal must include an analysis of the economic savings to the Postal Service from the proposed action, including the cost or savings expected from each major factor contributing to the overall estimate.

(v) Other factors. The proposal should include an analysis of other factors that the district manager, Customer Service and Sales, determines are necessary for a complete evaluation of the proposed change, whether favorable or unfavorable.

(vi) Summary. The proposal must include a summary that explains why the proposed action is necessary, and assesses how the factors supporting the proposed change outweigh any negative factors. In taking competing considerations into account, the need to provide regular and effective service is paramount.

(vii) Notice. The proposal must include the following notice: "This Is A Proposal. It Is Not A Final Determination To (Close) (Consolidate) This Post Office."

(A) If a final determination is made to close or consolidate this post office, after public comments on this proposal are received and taken into account, a

notice of that final determination must be posted in this post office.

(B) The final determination must contain instructions on how affected customers may appeal that decision to the Postal Rate Commission. Any such appeal must be received by the Commission within 30 days of the posting of the final determination. and

(d) Notice, public comment, record (1) Posting proposal and comment notice. A copy of the written proposal and a signed invitation for comments must be posted prominently in each affected post office. The invitation for comments must:

(i) Ask interested persons to provide written comments within 60 days, to a stated address, offering specific opinions and information, favorable or unfavorable, on the potential effect of the proposed change on postal services and the community.

(ii) State that copies of the proposal with attached optional comment forms are available in the affected post offices.

(iii) Provide a name and telephone number to call for information.

(2) Proposal and comment notice. The following is a sample format that may be used for the proposal and comment notice.

197-136 D-4