KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mail delays across the Kansas City area have been significant source of frustration for several months. The issues have caught state and federal attention.
The Office of the Inspector General released an audit in August recommending staffing evaluations and a plan to ensure proper mail reporting.
In south Kansas City, Missouri's, Verona Hills Neighborhood, it's not the delayed mail service they're frustrated with at the moment.
Neighbors like Ann Hunt haven't seen a mail carrier in more than a month.
"We need to go to Martin City Post Office to pick up our mail, which isn't a big deal," Hunt said. "It's not that far, but it's usually a long wait when I go to get mail."
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The Verona Hills Homes Association had a contractor install around 30 new units for hundreds of homes due to needed maintenance and issues with theft.
The installation was done in March. The HOA said they have been trying to get USPS to distribute the keys to the neighborhood, but they haven't made much progress.
"There's a source of frustration. People are taking a two to three mile trip to Martin City," Kevin Hills, president of the Verona Hills Homes Association, said. "When they get there, staffing and everything else, you're waiting in longer lines."
Fallon acknowledged the post office probably has challenges with getting the process moving with their staffing levels. He's aware of instances of neighbors going to pick up their mail and it's mixed up with someone else.
USPS told KSHB 41 on Wednesday they will "expedite the process of installing locks and distributing the keys to the homeowners, immediately". They were in the neighborhood that same afternoon labeling cluster boxes to match with keys.
"Starting to see that he's opening the box and certify the keys...that's a huge step in the right direction and gives us hope," Fallon said. "At least there's movement."
After 28 years in Verona Hills, the Hunter family still enjoys the neighborhood, but when they can walk down their driveway to the mailbox again, they'll enjoy that too.
"I would just like to know what the hold up is," Hunter said.
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