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M/CLOUDY Temp: 42 °F Wind: WNW at 3 mph Monday, March 3, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend February 13, 2003 Phoenix seeks stamp of approval for ZIP By TONY BOOM Mail Tribune PHOENIX — City leaders want residents to come home to a Phoenix address, and they’re taking their case to Congress. Because ZIP codes were assigned long before Phoenix grew, many city residents have Medford or Talent addresses. Many even think they are residents of those towns. Even the chamber of commerce information booth has a Medford ZIP code. "Right now were almost Balkanized. We’re divided," said Councilman Hal Burks, who has pushed the effort. Too many ZIP codes confuse residents, emergency service workers, delivery services and potential voters, he said. City leaders want a change — all land in city limits and the urban-growth boundary should share the Phoenix 97535 postal code, they say. Burks said door-to-door canvassing to promote a public safety levy in November found Phoenix residents who thought they lived in Medford because of their mailing addresses. "Truckers will have a Medford address (for a delivery). They’ll roll into Medford and find out they have to come back to Phoenix," he said. "It does have a tendency to create confusion," said police Chief Bob Kershaw. Phoenix officials bypassed a U.S. Postal Service process for requesting ZIP code changes after they learned that some cities in Oregon have failed with the approach. Instead they’ve asked Oregon Sens. Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Greg Walden to address the issue directly with the service. "We were sort of dissuaded right away to even think this was possible, so we chose the political approach," said Burks. The League of Oregon Cities polled city managers and found that Springfield, Albany, Island City and Adair Village reported running into a brick wall when they tried to change ZIP codes by working with the postal service. "Their level of success, I think I could generalize, was dismal," said league Executive Director Ken Storbeck. "The postal service said it was completely within their scope of authority (but) they really didn’t listen to anything the city had to say." Cities can ask for a formal review of ZIP code areas versus city boundaries, said Kelly Walsh, postal service customer relations coordinator for all of Oregon except Portland. Within 60 days of a formal application the post office will decide whether it can accommodate the request or report on process status. In 1999, residents of an expanding area switched from Hillsboro to North Plains addresses at their request, said Walsh. "Homeowners wanted to be associated with North Plains proper," said Walsh. A similar change occurred in the Portland area in 1991. Jackson County’s board of commissioners, the mayors of Talent and Medford, Phoenix Chamber of Commerce, business owners, Bear Creek Kiwanis Club and the Bear Lake Estate Homeowner’s Association all wrote to support the proposal. "We are conferring and working with Sen. Wyden in hopes of putting together a letter ... to post office officials," said Esther Kennedy, Smith’s field service representative in Medford. The letter may be sent in a few weeks, she said. "The city of Phoenix has presented a very compelling case," said Walden. "I am working with my colleagues in the Oregon congressional delegation to see what can be done to accommodate this request." Reach Ashland bureau reporter Tony Boom at 482-4651, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S