CHESHIRE - When Gary Post bought a post office box 16 years ago for his business, Post Financial Strategies, the mail was delivered at 9 a.m. But mail delivery, he said, has been getting later and later.

"Now, the sign at the post office says you may receive your mail at 11 a.m. or later," he said. Post said his business, on Highland Avenue, often deals with time-sensitive documents and checks, and the late delivery times cut into the work day.

"In the insurance and investment business, a certain amount of timeliness is required," he said.

Post is not alone. Other businesses have also complained that mail has been arriving late in both postal boxes and on the street, sometimes after the business day is over. The government relations committee of the Chamber of Commerce delivered a letter to the Town Council Tuesday detailing their complaints and asking if any changes could be made.

"Delivery times have been pushed farther and farther back, resulting in mail being delivered to businesses in the center of town at the end of, and sometimes after the end of, the business day," the letter said. "It is getting to the point where local businesses cannot depend upon mail service."

Town Manager Michael Milone said the council would deliver a letter to the town postmaster asking why the mail is being delivered later and whether delivery times could be changed.

Town Councilor Timothy Slocum said that while his business, HFM Interiors on Highland Avenue, had received mail around noon, in the past few weeks the mail has been delivered between 4:30 and 5 p.m.

"It is an observable difference," he said, although mail delivery times have not hurt his business.

Not all businesses in town have had a problem, however. Jennifer Lani, of Jennifer Lani Photography, said she has not had a problem with late mail.

Postmaster Paul Marciniak said last week that mail-sorting times were changed last year, from 6:30 and 7 a.m. to 7:30 and 8 a.m. Marciniak could not be reached to comment specifically on the complaints in the letter.

According to Maureen Marion, post office public affairs spokeswoman for Connecticut and New York, automated sorting in mail plants has resulted in later delivery times to the post offices, but saves mail carriers hours of time sorting mail by hand.

In August, eight postal routes were cut in Meriden, resulting in some mail being delivered after the end of the business day - and complaints from residents. One route was restored in September, but businesses still complain of late mail.

Post, who is on the chamber's government relations committee, said he has been pushing for a new post office building for about 15 years - as long as he has been on the committee. Plans for the construction of a new, 4,000-square-foot post office on the corner of Highland Avenue and Sandbank Road have been put on hold, according to post office officials.

Gerald Sitko, the town's economic development coordinator, said the current post office building is inadequate and has long needed replacement.

"This has been going on for too long," he said. "I have files going back to the days when John Rowland was a congressman."

jbuchanan@record-journal.com

(203) 317-2230

Read the Cheshire Chamber of Commerce's letter regarding mail service