lakeexpo.com: If the City Of Laurie’s post office returns, it won’t be in 2017.

At the Tuesday, Oct. 10 Laurie Board of Aldermen meeting, Laurie City Clerk Ron Clarke presented an update on the progress of the re-opening of the Laurie Post Office. 

The United States Postal Service closed the Laurie Contract Postal Unit (CPU) in January 2017, after an agreement for an expired CPU contract failed to be negotiated by Bryant’s Osage Outdoors. Post Office Manager James Bryant said the income from the post office did not cover the expenses.

A moratorium on opening any new CPUs, issued by the United Postal Workers Union, ended in July 2017. A second moratorium was then placed into effect until September 2017. A third moratorium on the opening of any new CPUs sunsets on Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017.

Clarke reported that Laurie Mayor Allen Kimberling has written letters to U.S. Senators Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill and U.S. Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler and each of their offices contacted the USPS on behalf of the city. A conference call was also held with Mayor Kimberling and a representative from both Hartzler’s office and the USPS to discuss the city’s post office dilemma.

Clarke also reported that Gravois Mills Postmaster Pam Payne has asked permission to move the Laurie post office boxes from the Gravois Mills Post Office to the Laurie Terrace Mall. The move would only give the citizens of Laurie the ability to pick up their mail from post office boxes at the Laurie Mall. This would not include a full-retail post office at this time. If the USPS approves the move, build-outs would be necessary for security.

At this time, then final word is the USPS is saying that no new CPUs will be authorized until 2018.  Read more.