HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.B- Council Office RESOLUTION (ID#3091) DOC ID: 3091 A
I
CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO—REQUEST FOR COUNCIL ACTION
In Support/Opposition
From: Rikke Johnson M/CC Meeting Date: 04/21/2014
Prepared by: Cheryl Weeks, (909) 384-5188
f
Dept: Council Office Ward(s): All
Subject:
Resolution of the Mayor and Common Council of the City of San Bernardino in Support of the
United States Postal Service Continuing Saturday Mail Delivery. (#3091)
Current Business Registration Certificate: Not Applicable
Financial Impact:
Motion: Adopt the Resolution.
Synopsis of Previous Council Action:
None.
Background:
See attachments.
City Attorney Review:
Supporting Documents:
reso 3091 (PDF)
3
ATTACHMENTS - Sample Reso, Letter from NALC, Cities that have passed Reso (DOC)
i
Updated: 4/14/2014 by Georgeann"Gigi" Hanna A Pa'&606.586
RESOLUTION NO.
2
€ 3 RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SAN BERNARDINO IN SUPPORT OF THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
4 CONTINUING SATURDAY MAIL DELIVERY
5 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE
6 CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO AS FOLLOWS:
7 WHEREAS, the US Postal Service is a vital component of this country's economic and
8 communications infrastructure handling and delivering 160 billion pieces of mail and
0
9 generating more than $65 billion in revenues annually, while receiving no taxpayer funding; �
10
and a
L
11 r
12 WHEREAS, the railing industry, which employs 8 million Americans, generates $1
13 trillion dollars annually, and represents approximately seven percent of the country's Gross
14 �j
Domestic Product (GDP), depends on the US Postal Service's invaluable mail processing, retail
c
15 0
and last-rile delivery networks 6 days a week; and
16 0
17 W'IIl REAS, The US Postal Service is the only private company or federal agency
i -
0
18 required by Congress to pre-fund future retiree health benefits for 75 years, requiring $5.5
0
19 billion dollars to be paid annually. In addition, the hearth benefits for postal retirees is fully 0
20
funded with billions of dollars in excess, so there is no need to require a crippling $5.5 billion c
21
additional annual payment that is causing unnecessary service cuts, and
22
co
Q
23 WHEREAS, protecting voting by mail, which is now commonplace in California, is
24 essential to our democracy; and
25 WHEREAS, the US Postal Service is the second largest employer of US Veterans in
26
the country•with over 21.0,v of its employees United States Veterans: and
I 27
i
28
Packet" g� 587
}7.
1 WHEREAS, rural communities, many of which do not have access to the Internet,
2 remain dependent on the Postal Service for vital communications and for the shipment of
3
goods; and
4
WHEREAS, Small businesses along with many Americans, particularly seniors,
5
6 defend on the Postal Service for receipt of their prescription drugs;
7 NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND COMMON
d
8 !
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO AS FOLLOWS: o
9
10
SECTION 1. That the Mayor and Common Council hereby urges United States
11 Senator Barbara Boxer and United States Senator Dianne Feinstein to support postal reform
Cn
12 legislation that would: Secure the continuance of 6-day mail delivery; Stabilize the Postal c
3
13 Service's finances by reforming or eliminating future retiree health financing policies that are o
14 U
crippling the Postal Service's finances; Strengthen and protect the Postal Service's invaluable o
15 N
avail processing, retail and last-mile delivery networks that together comprise a crucial part of o
16
17 the nation's infrastructure; and Retain door-to-door delivery for 30 million plus households and
0
18 businesses.
0
19 M
SECTION 2. That copies of this resolution shall be transmitted to the President and C
N
20
i
Vice President of the United States to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to both Untied States a
` 21 E
22 Senator Barbara Boxer and United States Senator Dianne Feinstein, and to the United States r
Q
23 Postmaster General.
24
25
26
27
28
2
Pac1cet Pg.�588<
1 RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
SAN BERNARDINO IN SUPPORT OF THE UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
2 CONTINUING SATURDAY MAIL DELIVERY.
3
4 I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the Mayor and
5 Common Council of the City of San Bernardino at a meeting thereof, held on
6
7 the day of ,2014,by the following vote,to wit:
e Council Members: AYES NAYS ABSTAIN ABSENT
9 MARQUEZ °
10 BARRIOS
11
VALDIVIA a
Cn
12
SHORETT
13
:r
14 NICKEL v
15 JOHNSON N
16 0 MULVIHILL
17
0
M
18 Georgeann Hanna, City Clerk
0
19 The foregoing Resolution is hereby approved this day of .) 2014.
20
c
21
E
22 R. Carey Davis, Mayor
City of San Bernardino a
23 Approved as to form:
24 Gary D. Saenz, City Attorney
25
26 By:
27
28
3
Packet Pg.589-
Dear Mr. Rikke Van Johnson„
I, Gregory M. LaMotte, President,for the National Association of Letter Carriers, Branch 411,San Bernardino,
contacted you about the San Bernardino City Council, passing a resolution that will protect the Post Office. Here is
some additional information that you asked for: N
Im
c
Contrary to popular belief,the U.S. Postal Service is not broke.What the media is not saying often enough is how
Congress created the post office's financial problems. _
c
0
Since 2007,a short-sighted mandate from Congress(from a lame duck Congress)has required the Postal Service to U
set aside, in just 10 years,enough money to pay all future health care retirement benefits for the next 75 years—
something no other public agency or private company is required to do.That means the Postal Service is paying for 0
benefits of employees not even born yet.This is the same as paying your 30 year mortgage off in less than 4 years. 0
t
This account has about$50 billion in it now—already funded about 50 percent—accounting for 80 percent of the 0
Postal Service's red ink during this period.A strong case can also be made that this account is already fully funded
with more than 130,000 less career postal employees now than when the bill was passed.
0
The Postal Service recently released its year-end financial report on Nov. 15. It shows the service is strong and M
growing. It reported an operating profit of$600 million,thanks to the exploding E-commerce of parcels—up about 9 0
percent for 2013. But the media reports a$5 billion loss because of the$5.6 billion prefunding mandate.The
mandate accounted for 100 percent of the so-called loss of the fiscal year 2013. Released on Feb 7,2014,the Postal a
Service figures for the first quarter of 2014 are highly encouraging and show why the postal network must be m
maintained and strengthened, not degraded. N
is
CL
The announced operating profit of$765 million for the first quarter is dramatic in itself—and it continues the operating >
profitability that began last year.The Postal Service's unmatched networks and outstanding employees have made
these striking results possible.And these trends augur well for the future,because they reflect the opportunities
increasingly presented by the Internet and by an improving economy. Package revenues resulting from online
C shopping rose by more than 14 percent this quarter—more than offsetting the small decline in letter revenue. N
m
r
This quarter's$765 million operating profit compares with the$100 million from the first quarter of 2013—another sign U
of improving postal finances.
J
Q
In light of these results, lawmakers should strengthen the postal network while addressing the remaining problem:the Z
congressional mandate to pre-fund future retiree benefits, required of no other public or private entity in the country. o
Degrading the network and reducing services to the public and businesses would jeopardize the postal turnaround.
L
Congress created this problem,and they must fix it. It is a shame that you,the American people are not being told the y
truth. Here are some interesting facts: –�
0
y
• The U.S. Postal Service pays for its operations through the sale of postage and services. It is not funded by
tax dollars. m
• The U.S. Postal Service maintains the most affordable postage in the industrialized world.A first-class
s` stamp,which costs 49 cents in America,costs 79 cents in France, 72 cents in Britain and 59 cents in E
Germany.
N
• The U.S. Postal Service delivers to more addresses daily than UPS and Fed Ex combined. It delivers to 152 to
million homes, businesses,and P.O. boxes six days a week. In fact,the U.S. Postal Service delivers ~
Z
hundreds of thousands UPS and FedEX packages through its"last mile"network.The U.S. Postal Service w
can deliver them more efficiently, saving you money.
U
a
a
d
a
Packet"Pg. 590
• The U.S. Postal Service is more than just the Postal Service. It's a vital network that connects every single —
American home and business six days a week and delivers directly to your door. No other business in
America can say it connects customers that well.
L
r
Cn
• Because the U.S. Postal Service reaches every address, letter carriers across the U.S. have been trained to 0)
deliver life-saving medicines in case of a bioterrorist attack. _
_
c
• Small businesses along with many Americans, particularly seniors,depend on the Postal Service for receipt U
of their prescription drugs, primarily delivered on Saturdays.
c
0
Nobody knows your neighborhood better than your letter carrier. Countless lives have been saved,children and pets
safely returned,crimes prevented or reported,all because your letter carrier is there,six days a week. Letter carriers o
are the eyes and ears of every neighborhood in America.And they are often the only human contact to elderly
customers who are unable to leave their homes.
0
0
Reduction in window hours, closing of small offices,consolidation of distribution/sorting facilities and eliminating
Saturday delivery are all unnecessary cuts to your services. 0
N
There's even a bill proposing cluster boxes in centrally located areas for mail delivery. That means instead of getting m
your mail delivered to your door,you'll be traipsing through the neighborhood for blocks to retrieve your mail. How is
.0
Grandma supposed to get her mail,especially in inclement weather? y
By ending the pre-funding mandate,there would be no need to cut any of your services and there would be funds
available to expand operations to offer new and innovative services. 0-
Congress needs to hear from you.Tell them to end the unfair pre-funding burden,keep your mail boxes on your R
homes,and above all—keep six day mail delivery.Any postal bill must do all three of these things. t
r
m
The Postal Service is poised to make an epic comeback.We need Congress to enact a limited set of sensible
reforms,and then get out of our way.
�W♦
V
We are asking that the San Bernardino City Council,stand with Letter Carriers and cities across the state of
California and pass this resolution. Z
E
0
L
w
L
m
Thank you, J
0
Gregory M. LaMotte
President, NALC m
Branch 411 0-
(909)882-0429 E
0
Cn
t-
z
w
v
Q
a
a�
E
Q
Packet=Pg.:591
I
{r
I
February 26th Update on City Council Resolutions
We have been making steady progress in most areas of the state working to get our
City Council resolutions introduced. Below is a list of areas where they have passed. in
Resolutions have been passed in the following: 0
0
Petaluma
0
Berkeley
r
0
Millbrae �?
0
N
Anaheim
Santa Clara N
M
San Francisco
Mendocino County Board of Supervisors
Santa Ana
r,
Westminster 6
J
Q
Daly City z
E
0
Ukiah `�
L
d.d
t+
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors
0
Marin County Board of Supervisors
a�
Los Angeles
M
Orange Cove
Thousand Oaks w
x
Mendota
Q
Santa Rosa a
San Pablo E
w
a
Packet Pg. 592
San Mateo County Supervisors
Huron
La Puente Z
M
Cn
San Joaquin 0)
Parlier
0
San Luis Obispo
c
0
Sacramento
0
Adelanto
0
Colton
0
N
Cloverdale
o!
Fowler y
M
0.
Selma CD
CU
Cotati
Martinez
w
U
Oakland
J
Q
Santa Clarita Z
E
0
Sebastopol
L
Q�
Coachella
0
N
d
_(D
0.
E
R
N
H
Z
W
U
d
H
H
Q
c
m
E
U
a+
Q
Packet Pct. 593
City Council Resolution
M
WHEREAS, The US Postal Service is a vital component of this country's economic and a
communications infrastructure handling and delivering 160 billion pieces of mail and
Cn
generating more than $65 billion in revenues annually, while receiving no taxpayer funding;
and
WHEREAS, The mailing industry, which employs 8 million Americans, generates over$1 0
trillion dollars annually, and represents approximately seven percent of the country's Gross
_
Domestic Product (GDP), depends on the US Postal Service's invaluable mail processing, y
c
retail and last-mile delivery networks 6 days a week; and o
WHEREAS, The US Postal Service is the only private company or federal agency required
by Congress to pre-fund future retiree health benefits for 75 years, requiring $5.5 billion dollars
to be paid annually. In addition, the health benefits for postal retirees is fully funded with N
billions of dollars in excess, so there is no need to require a crippling $5.5 billion additional
annual payment that is causing unnecessary service cuts; and N
N
R
CL
WHEREAS, Protecting voting by mail, which is now commonplace in California, is essential
to our democracy; and
Y
WHEREAS, The US Postal Service is the second largest employer of US Veterans in the N
country with over 22% of its employees United States Veterans; and w
U
WHEREAS, Rural communities, many of which do not have access to the Internet, remain
dependent on the Postal Service for vital communications and for the shipment of goods; and Z
E
WHEREAS, Small businesses along with many Americans, particularly seniors, depend °
on the Postal Service for receipt of their prescription drugs; now w
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the City Council urges US
Senator Barbara Boxer and US Senator Dianne Feinstein to support postal reform
legislation that would: Secure the continuance of 6-day mail delivery; Stabilize the Postal d
Service's finances by reforming or eliminating future retiree health financing policies that E
are crippling the Postal Service's finances; Strengthen and protect the Postal Service's n
invaluable mail processing, retail and last-mile delivery networks that together comprise a (n
crucial part of the nation's infrastructure; Retain door-to-door delivery for 30 million plus w
households and businesses; and be it further
x
U
RESOLVED, That the City Council transmit copies of this resolution to the
President and Vice President of the United States, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to a
both US Senator Barbara Boxer and US Senator Dianne Feinstein, and to the United States
Postmaster General. E
a
Packet Pg,594