Of the 211,435 possible mail deliveries in Salt Lake County, only 381 were made on the 24th of July, a figure that appears to support a U.S. Postal Service policy of making mail deliveries optional on major state holidays.
Postal spokesman Brian Sperry said postal patrons served by non-rural carriers were given the option of receiving regular mail delivery on the 24th. To get delivery, however, the patron was required to contact the local post office.In addition to the 381 who received delivery, another 353 made arrangements to pick up mail at their local post office. Only 28 complaints were received.
"The 24th is a major holiday in Utah, it's as big as most national holidays," Sperry said. "We (the postal service) wanted to give as many employees as possible an opportunity to participate in the celebration."
And, Sperry noted, the plan also provided a prime opportunity to cut local service costs.
"We're constantly being urged to find ways to cut our costs and this is something we very much want to do," Sperry said. "It allows us to save money while still providing service to those who want it on that day."
Because it was a state and not a national holiday, post offices remained open for normal walk-in business. Local post offices compiled a list of those who wanted regular delivery and consolidated the requests into a few special routes, allowing most carriers to use a day of vacation and join in local celebrations.
"If they wanted the day off, they had to use one of their vacation days," Sperry said.
Sperry said the small number of requests combined with the relatively few complaints received indicates the decision was a good one.