Local mail dilemma could have solution; neighbors meet with postmaster
DENHAM SPRINGS - A neighborhood at odds with the post office met with USPS leaders Tuesday morning to help find a solution to their problems.
Last week, 2 On Your Side met with Tye Legleu about his concerns over safety and security. Tuesday morning, Legleu along with most of his neighbors met at the Denham Springs post office for a meeting with the postmaster. Several solutions are on the table.
"Everybody was in much better spirits around the issue," Legleu said. "The positive thing is that we got something on the table we can actually work towards."
That wasn't the case a few weeks ago when 12 of the 14 homeowners moved their mailboxes from Dunn Road to the end of the driveways on Matherne Place Drive, a private and gravel-lined street. The boxes were moved over safety concerns when retrieving the mail and recent mail theft. Two days after the boxes were moved, the mail stopped.
The USPS says a mailbox cannot be moved without approval from the postmaster. Previously, Legleu says he and his neighbors attempted to speak with the postmaster but didn't have success.
"Every time someone tries to make contact with the postmaster they either don't get a return call or they can't get a hold of her. They won't set up an appointment," Legleu said.
At Tuesday's meeting, neighbors also learned that a mail carrier who delivers packages and a mail carrier who delivers mail might be different. Video captured by multiple residents along Matherne Place Drive shows the mail truck driving down the gravel road delivering packages, but no mail to the mailboxes.
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Now that there are solutions on the table, Legleu and his neighbors are feeling a little better. One of those solutions could include moving the boxes again.
"It should work out for the best," Todd Schumert said. "The jury is still out as far as the outcome, but I feel like we've definitely taken steps in the right direction."
A solution is expected in the next 30 to 60 days. In the meantime, they'll pick up their mail from the post office.