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A Colorado congressional delegation has invited the new U.S. postmaster general to tour the state’s postal facilities.

David Steiner, the former CEO of Waste Management who also sat on the FedEx board of directors, began his tenure as postmaster general this week, after the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors appointed him to the role in May. Steiner’s appointment comes after previous Postmaster General Louis DeJoy stepped down from the role in March.

In a letter, U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Reps. Joe Neguse, Diana DeGette, Jason Crow and Brittany Pettersen called attention to Colorado’s postal issues and invited Steiner to visit the state.

“As you begin your tenure, we urge you to prioritize improving service for Colorado’s rural and mountain regions that rely on the Postal Service for essential needs,” the letter reads. “Over the past several years, our offices have repeatedly raised concerns about deteriorating postal service in Colorado’s mountains and rural communities.”

The letter goes on to detail “unacceptable delivery delays, staffing shortages, facility issues, and a lack of communication” from Postal Service leadership. It notes that many Colorado communities lack home delivery and rely entirely on their local post offices to receive prescription medications or to vote by mail.

In 2023, an audit by the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General found that residents of Colorado mountain towns experienced significantly lower on-time performance, especially on package deliveries, than the rest of the state and the nation. The audit identified hiring and retention as the biggest challenge for postal facilities in mountain towns.

In recent years, mountain towns like Silverthorne and Steamboat Springs have experienced lapses in maildelivery, unexpected post office closure and long lines during the peak holiday season, among other issues. In Summit County last summer, burglaries at local post office caused interruptions to mail delivery. At times, local officials in mountain towns have floated the idea of pursuing a lawsuit against the Postal Service.

“We also urge you to focus on USPS’ responsiveness to outreach from local governments and the constituents we represent,” the letter states. “In many Colorado communities, local leaders have made repeated attempts to communicate with USPS about urgent issues, such as expiring building leases, repeated mail theft, or interrupted delivery, only to receive limited, delayed, or no response. Increased transparency will be critical to building trust with these communities.”