As innuendo, rumor and assumptions reach epic proportions, the Patriot is delivering this article to try and quiet the speculation (or stir it up) in regards to Becker’s local post office.

Currently, the Becker P.O. resides at 13974 1st Street in the strip mall next to Bill’s Superette. They’ve been in that location since 1987. However, through the years, the owners of said strip mall have housed the P.O. with an annual lease. The current owner of the strip mall is Bill’s Family Foods, Inc., who holds the current lease and who instructed the P.O. a couple years ago to try and find a new space since Bill’s Superette plan(s) to demolish the existing structure to house a new gas station/store.

With the 2-3 year “heads-up”, Bill’s assumed the post office would be actively searching for a  new location or consider building their own store. However, in light of Bill’s efforts to reach out to the post office, a deaf ear was returned. The owners of Bill’s continually made contact with the post office through the course of the last 2-3 years only to hear nothing back from them.

Bill’s owner, Grant Rademacher proposed a 4,200-square-foot facility near Bill’s Family Foods with a 20-year lease, but the USPS failed to act promptly, missing an opportunity to secure a suitable location. 

Becker Mayor Mark Kolbinger — since taking office in January — has been tirelessly trying to work some magic to keep the post office in Becker without an interruption to service. He has called numerous postmasters in the state and beyond and can never get a solid response. He has contacted Congressman Tom Emmer and presented him with proposals to keep the post office valid, but to no avail (so far).

Word is that if the post office closes in Becker, the mail will be re-routed to the Monticello branch where current Becker drivers will have to drive to to load their trucks and return to Becker and surrounding areas for delivery. Word is that Big Lake has outgrown their post office space and are also looking for a home, but they too may be subject to calling the Monticello branch their temporary home should a resolution not be reached in the near future.

Mayor Kolbinger was recently interviewed by a reporter from Channel 5 News and he spoke of the frustration he has had to face since the October deadline looms just around the corner.

“The post office has known for over three years that this lease was going to end in October,” Kolbinger says. “They’ve done nothing to determine where the new post office is going to be.”

Numerous concerned citizens have come forward with their concerns as well. In the Channel 5 piece, 88-year-old citizen Janet Voigt described how she walks almost everyday to the post office to get her mail. 

““It gets me out of the house a little bit,” she said. “And I meet people I enjoy saying hi to.” 

Another citizen, who is a local, rural carrier, says “the Monticello P.O.. is ill-equipped to handle this consolidation (Becker, Monticello and Big Lake merge). With 27 vehicles (nine postal, two rural, 10 carrier personal, three clerks, one postmaster, one supervisor) and only eight empty parking spaces daily, adding Becker’s 16 confirmed vehicles would exceed capacity, creating logistical chaos.” 

He went on to say the lack of a dedicated loading area and limited workspace—estimated at 1,500–3,000 square feet, raises safety concerns, especially during the winter package season when 8–16 additional sorting hampers for Becker routes will reduce available space. 

“The Minnesota State Fire Code’s requirement of 150 square feet per person further underscores the risk of overcrowding,” he said. “Commuting between Monticello and Becker, particularly in Minnesota’s harsh winters, also poses safety risks for carriers and adds unnecessary mileage, increasing costs and environmental impact.”

Is it too late to find a way to keep a post office in Becker? It sure appears to be that way.

The USPS provides critical support to communities across the state by the delivery of goods to businesses, medicine to disabled veterans, and ballots to local election offices, to name a few. In many instances, USPS is seen as a type of lifeline to area communities and a breach in services would result in devastating consequences for businesses and residents alike.