A bill that would give the small town of Scotland, Connecticut one zip code is making its way through Congress.
The town has a population of less that 1,600 people, but it has six zip codes, and town officials said it leads to misplaced packages, difficulty requesting mail-in ballots and uncertainty about where to send students to school.
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WATCH HEREResidents explained how this affects them.
"There's only one section of town that has delivery that can use the Scotland zip code of 06264," Melody Savino, of Scotland, said when we spoke with her for a story about the zip code issue last May. "Anywhere else in town, you may be assigned one of five other zip codes and then you get delivery out of that post office."
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"I'm a member of the local fire department, and to get ambulance supplies delivered in a timely fashion is very difficult," said Savino, who said she has to drive to Hampton to get the supplies.
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The U.S. Postal Service said last year that they are aware of the situation in Scotland.
"Changing a ZIP not only requires reconfiguring sort plans on equipment across the nation, but it’s a major inconvenience for the customers involved," Steve Dougherty, spokesperson for U.S. Postal Service, said. "Changes in ZIP codes will typically only be considered if the end result is a more efficient flow of mail."
The U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform has approved the bill, 42 to one.
The bill calls for the U.S Postal Service to designate a single, unique zip code for 14 communities:
- Eastvale, California
- Scotland, Connecticut
- Castle Pines, Colorado
- Silver Cliff, Colorado
- Hollywood, Florida
- Miami Lakes, Florida
- Ocoee, Florida
- Urbandale, Iowa
- Franklin, Wisconsin
- Greenfield, Wisconsin
- Village of Caledonia, Wisconsin
- Village of Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin
- Village of Somers, Wisconsin
- Mills, Wyoming
U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney is a co-sponsor of the bill and said it will head to the U.S. House of Representatives next week for a vote.
“Despite having a population just under 1,600, Scotland has SIX zip codes. It’s ridiculous and for years, it's caused serious issues for Scotland,” Courtney posted.
Courtney said the bill passed in the U.S. House last year.
“Last year, thanks to the grassroots advocacy by Scotland residents and local leaders – First Selectman Dana Barrow and former First Selectman Gary Greenberg – the bill passed the House, but with only a few months of lead time, the bill ran out of calendar days in the Senate for consideration. This time, we’ve got an 18-month runway to get it done,” Courtney said.
“Town of Scotland is very happy with the effort that Congressman Courtney is putting into solving this problem for our residents. I am hopeful that this bill makes it across the finish line very soon,” Scotland First Selectman Dana Barrows said in a statement.
