Postal Service says it will not build massive mail-processing center, for now Citing the economy s impact on the U.S. Postal Service s finances, the Postal Service told the City it will not move ahead with plans to build a massive mail processing center in town.
In a Feb. 27 letter addressed to Mayor Donald Garcia, the Postal Service said that a nationwide freeze on capital spending has been instituted, nixing its plans to proceed with the postal facility in Aliso Viejo or issue the Record of Decision on the Environmental Impact Statement at this time.
Reports that the Postal Service is facing massive deficits that could force it to cut one day of mail delivery had city officials hopeful the Postal Service would scrap its plans to build a much-contested massive-mail processing center in town. The city and residents have long vehemently expressed concerns regarding the Postal Service s plan to build a roughly 350,000-square-foot regional mail distribution center near homes, a religious facility, teen center, preschool, proposed affordable senior housing development and other vulnerable uses between 2A and 6 Liberty.
On Monday, city officials were elated but still cautious and reluctant about the Postal Service s decision to not move forward. During the city s drawn-out battle to stop the USPS from moving forward with its plans, city officials were told certain things by Postal Service staff that turned out to be false.
We were cautiously optimistic when we heard that the Postmaster General was calling for a suspension of capital projects due to the economic disaster the Postal Service found itself in, as it reported several billion dollars of losses over the past year alone, said Council Member Carmen Cave. However, we were soon told that the Aliso Viejo project was critical to the operations of the Postal Service. This announcement just validates our perception based upon our experience with the Postal Service and the way they have not been totally upfront with city staff or the people of Aliso Viejo.
Council OKs agreement for biodegradable pet waste bags in parks
The City Council on Wednesday gave the green light for the Aliso Viejo Community Association (AVCA) to receive a $12,000 grant to buy biodegradable pet waste bags, as part of an effort to help improve the environment.
The funding comes from a grant the City received last year from the Department of Conservation – Beverage Container and Litter Abatement Grant. AVCA, which owns and manages most of the community parks in the city, has spent roughly $30,000 a year to purchase biodegradable pet waste bags for 39 dispensing stations at 21 public parks to support the vital pollution-prevention measure. The association’s budget caused it to ask the city to assist in carrying on the environmental-friendly program.
Having the program in place greatly benefits the community: It provides pet owners with bags to pick up after their pets and prevents pet waste from entering the city’s storm drains. Biodegradable bags also equate to less litter on city streets.
Council members Wednesday also reminded the public that it needs to do its part by properly disposing of the bags in the trash and not leaving them on sidewalks or in the bushes. The bags also tend to end up around play areas, with kids using them as sand toys, and eventually make their way to the creek and into the ocean where sea creatures confuse them for food.
