Post Offices

ALL MAIL PROCESSING OFFICES

Substitute Mailbag for the First-Class Mail Number 1 Pouch

Effective immediately, the contingency substitute mailbag for the FCM No. 1 pouch is the No. 1 canvas or plastic sack, not the Priority pouch. PS Tag 6 must be attached to each substitute sack prepared with First-Class Mail.

This notification is being distributed to prevent the misuse of priority sacks and to eliminate First-Class Mail being routed to Priority Mail processing centers.

- Mail Transport Equipment,
Network Operations Management, 1-25-01

Postal Employees

CLARIFICATION

Increased Lodging Rates at the Bolger Center

[Clarified text in second paragraph is shown in bold.]

Effective January 1, 2001, at the William F. Bolger Center for Leadership Development, the rate for the Complete Meeting Package (CMP) changes to the following:

The CMP includes standard guest room, three meals, meeting room with basic equipment and supplies, morning and afternoon refreshments, use of the fitness center, and a variety of other amenities. The day guest CMP is $38 and includes all of the above except the guest room, breakfast, and dinner.

The Bolger Center has not had a rate increase since 1997. This increase is in line with the new per diem rate. The charges will continue to be processed using the Journal Voucher Transfer system. For more information, please call the sales office at 301-983-7765.

- William F. Bolger Center for Leadership Development, Employee Resource Management, 1-25-01

NOTICE TO ALL EMPLOYEES

THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN FACT SHEET

C, F, and G Fund Monthly Returns....... Released January 8, 2001

*Through 1990 the F Fund was invested in the Wells Fargo Bond Index Fund.

The C Fund is invested in the Barclays Equity Index Fund, which tracks the S&P 500 stock index. The F Fund is invested in the Barclays U.S. Debt Index Fund, which tracks the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond index. Because of expenses and changing balances in the C and F Funds, their returns vary from Barclays' returns. The G Fund is invested in special issues of U.S. Treasury securities.

Future performance of the three funds will vary and may differ significantly from the returns shown above. See the "Summary of the Thrift Savings Plan" for detailed information about the funds and their investment risks.

The monthly C, F, and G Fund returns represent net earnings after deduction of accrued administrative expenses. The C and F Fund returns also reflect the deduction of trading costs and accrued investment management fees.

The C, F, and G Fund monthly returns are dollar-weighted: they reflect net earnings on the changing balances invested during the month. The C, F, and G Fund returns for the last 12 months assume, except for the crediting of earnings, unchanging balances (time-weighting) from month to month and that earnings are compounded on a monthly basis.

Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board

Purchasing and Materials

FEDSTRIP Address Activity Code Assignment and Maintenance

The Federal Standard Requisitioning and Issue Procedures (FEDSTRIP) address activity code is used for acquisition of many commonly used products from internal postal organizations (i.e., the Material Distribution Center) and external suppliers such as Boise Cascade Office Products, which has a national strategic partnership with the Postal Service. Incomplete and inaccurate addresses delay the delivery of orders and increase costs to the Postal Service.

FEDSTRIP holders are responsible for ensuring that the FEDSTRIP address, finance number, and budget authorization (B/A) code data are accurate, complete, and maintained in a continuously current manner. The address must meet postal addressing standards as outlined in Publication 28, Postal Addressing Standards, and must be able to meet the Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) certification requirements.

Field Installations

Prior to submitting requests to the district material management specialist for a new FEDSTRIP (or to change the address for an existing FEDSTRIP), field installations must verify that the address is valid in the Address Management System (AMS) Automated Data Collection System (ADCS) by contacting the appropriate district address management specialist.

Headquarters/Headquarters-Related Field Offices

Submit new FEDSTRIP assignments and changes to existing FEDSTRIPs via cc:Mail to Larry A. Browne at Headquarters, providing the following information for each request:

• Finance number.
• Budget authorization code (B/A).
• Complete address to include:

(1) Organization name.

(2) Street address (include room number).

(3) City, state, and ZIP+4.

(4) Point of contact name, area code, and telephone number.

Prior to submitting requests to Larry A. Browne, Headquarters and Headquarters-related field offices must validate the address and ZIP+4 using the Address List Management System (ALMS) and ZIP+4 database on the corporate intranet at http://alms.usps.gov. If the address or ZIP+4 match is not found, offices must contact the National Customer Support Center at 800-331-5746, ext. 4438, and they will make the correction.

Postal Inspection Service Offices

All Postal Inspection Service offices must submit their FEDSTRIP requests as directed by Sylvia G. Parrott, Headquarters, Postal Inspection Service.

Military Post Offices

All military post offices must submit their FEDSTRIP requests as directed by the Military Postal Service Agency.

- Logistics Programs,Purchasing and Materials, 1-25-01

Retail

REMINDER

Migratory Bird Stamp Destruction

The following table contains the deadlines by which unsold migratory bird stamps should be returned for destruction. Additional instructions can be found in Handbook F-1, Post Office Accounting Procedures, section 427, "Handling Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps," in the online version available via the corporate intranet (http://blue.usps.gov; click on Information, then Policies and Procedures, and then Handbooks) or see Postal Bulletin 21964 (1-29-98).

District customer service and sales offices must establish a schedule for submitting all unsold migratory bird stamps. Stamp distribution offices (SDOs) must submit items to the stamp destruction committee no later than accounting period (AP) 8. Stamp services center (SSC) offices must submit items to the stamp return committee no later than AP 7.

Notes:

1. Unsold migratory bird stamps more than two years old in philatelic retail units must be submitted to the stamp destruction committee by AP 8 for SDO offices or the stamp services center by AP 7 for SSC offices.
2. Offices designated as philatelic outlets should be the only outlets with an ending bird stamp inventory on the AP 9/PQ 3 statement of account. These offices should list inventory of migratory bird stamps by year of issue and face value in the remarks section of the statement of account.

- Corporate Accounting, Finance, 1-25-01

RATE CASE

Rate Change Update for Servicing Vending Equipment

A concern has surfaced that the recent rate change will necessitate an increase in the number of visits made to vending equipment, especially booklet vending machines. This is not so. By following the "Standard Servicing Frequencies," Exhibit 451.2, in Handbook PO-102, Self Service Vending Operational and Marketing Program, sufficient coinage will be available in coin hoppers or tubes when filled per instructions in the related Maintenance Series handbook.

Handbook PO-102 identifies the number of visits required to a vending machine for proper service. The increase of First-Class postage to $0.34 will not adversely affect vending change.

- Self Service,Retail, Consumers and Small Business, 1-25-01

VESS Database Input

The Vending Equipment Sales and Service (VESS) system contains information regarding sales, workhours, machines, location, servicing employees, and other data for the vending program. The VESS database is being used to support other programs, such as Internet locations for postal vending machines, shipping locations for mailings of advertising materials, vending stamp product distributions, and retail mapping. It is imperative that the information listed is correct.

A search of VESS records shows more than 7,000 postal and non-postal locations with erroneous or missing addresses.

Effective immediately, to ensure that VESS vending machine postal locations are correctly listed with the location name, address, city, state, and ZIP+4, districts must use the following format for new addresses or updates:

Post Office Name
Post Office Street Address
City, State ZIP+4

Example:

Anywhere MPO
123 4^th Ave N Rm 100
Anytown, ST 10001-9998

Correct post office name, address, and ZIP+4 for all new vending locations must be obtained from your district Address Management office.

Non-postal locations listed in VESS must follow the same format:

Vending Machine Location Name
Location Street Address
City, State ZIP+4

Example:

Smith College
123 4^th St, Student Union
Anytown, ST 10001-2222

Address information for non-postal locations also must be obtained from your district Address Management office. Although non-postal vending locations will not receive advertising signage at this time, they will be included as sites for the Internet and must be correct.

- Self Service,Retail, Consumers and Small Business, 1-25-01

Stamps by Mail National Requirements Contract

The Postal Service has awarded a national contract to Cyril-Scott Co. to print PS Form 3227, Stamps by Mail. All post offices must now use only this contract to order SBM forms. SBM forms will no longer be stocked at the Material Distribution Center (MDC).

SBM provides a convenient, alternative access point for customers to purchase stamps other than the post office. In addition, it provides cost savings over some other stamp distribution methods. All city delivery post offices may offer SBM. However, in the past many offices did not support the program because of the varied number of forms, the ordering procedures, and the need for overprinting of some of the forms. The purpose of this national contract is to simplify and standardize the SBM program to enable the field to more actively support it. In addition, the SBM forms will be less costly for many offices.

All post offices must now order forms directly from the printer using PS Form 3227-O, Stamps by Mail Supply Order. Prior to completing the supply order form, make copies for future use. It is also available on the corporate intranet, under References, Forms.

All orders for SBM forms that were previously placed with the MDC must be resubmitted using the new PS Form 3227-O.

Post offices must complete this supply order form and either mail it or fax it to the printer. The address and fax number for the printer are shown on the supply order form. The printer will not accept orders placed by phone. The printer will contact the ordering office to acknowledge receipt of the order.

In the upper-right corner of the supply order form, be sure to include an order number. This number comprises the date and the ordering office's ZIP+4 Code. This will be a unique number that is used by the printer to track your order. If you need to contact the printer for any reason, you would use this number to check on your order.

All SBM forms will be overprinted with the address of the fulfillment office. At this time, only the English SBM form is available. There will be an announcement when the bilingual forms are available. Please be sure to complete the form legibly and accurately. If you provide any incorrect information, you will be responsible for the cost of the forms. Be sure to keep a copy of the order form for your records or in the event you have any questions regarding your order.

The forms must be ordered in units of 500, at a cost of $10.10 per unit. This is the total cost, including the overprinting. Offices can use their IMPAC credit card, or a check or money order made payable to Cyril-Scott Co., to order the SBM forms. We encourage the use of the credit card, since this is the most efficient transaction for the USPS to handle.

There is no restriction on the number or frequency of orders. It is recommended that offices use a just-in-time ordering process, eliminating the need to warehouse forms.

The printer will print and deliver all SBM forms within 30 days of receipt of the order. Government Bills of Lading (GBLs) will be used when the order is larger than 20,000 forms. There will be a transportation cost charged back to the finance number for any orders using GBLs. If the order is larger than 20,000 forms, your finance number must be included on the supply order form. This charge cannot go on the IMPAC credit card.

The exact cost of the GBL cannot be determined until the time of the actual order. For budgetary purposes, however, you can approximate the cost. The printer is located in Lancaster, Ohio. GBL prices are based on the mileage and weight of each shipment. Below are sample GBL charges based on 400 pounds (approximately 24,000 forms) to these destinations. The prices would increase in relation to order sizes. Using these examples, estimate the cost for delivery to your location.

Cyril-Scott Co. has a customer service office set up to answer calls regarding SBM orders. If you have any questions about your particular order, either before or after it has been sent, you may contact the company at 800-466-0455. The number is also shown on the supply order form.

If you have problems regarding an order you have placed, contact Cyril-Scott Co.'s customer service office. If you are unable to resolve the problem, you should then contact the SBM program office at 703-292-4001, or by cc:Mail at Mail, Stamps By. You should also contact the program office if you have any questions about the SBM program that are not appropriate for the printer.

- Self Service,Retail, Consumers and Small Business, 1-25-01