MELISSA, Texas — The U.S. Postal Service will soon open two air-conditioned, modular units in Melissa, Texas, to store mail its post office does not have room to contain.
For two years, Melissa's postal workers have sorted mail under tents in the office's parking lot. Until the parcels and packages are ready for delivery, they sit by the curb. The town has outgrown its brick-and-mortar facility.
"We came when it was a little, sleepy town," Melissa resident Mark Baker said, standing outside the post office Wednesday. "It's no longer the sleepy town we moved to."
The post office was built for a town of about 5,000 residents, which was more than enough for the around 4,600 residents in 2010. Today, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that about 25,000 people live in Melissa, up from about 13,000 in 2020.
Baker and others have watched with concern as Melissa's mail carriers worked outside, even during extreme weather. Another Melissa resident, Shannon Sweat, drew U.S. Rep. Keith Self's attention to the issue this summer. Self visited the makeshift operation with a thermometer in August.
"It was 108 outside," Self told WFAA Wednesday. "I can't imagine what it was like inside the tent."
Self notified Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Within weeks of their conversation, a construction crew began installing the modular units.
"He understood the gravity of the situation," Self said, referring to DeJoy. "Frankly, he'd already started moving this forward when we talked."
The two modular units are air-conditioned. The post office will also get a new parking lot so its employees do not have to park in a grass field that gets muddy after rain. There will be more spaces for Melissa residents to park in, too.
"That's why my district staff exists," Self said. "This is exactly what we're supposed to do for our constituents."
"This is a win-win for Melissa and the USPS staff during a time of tremendous growth," Sweat said.
The modular units should open in two or three weeks, an on-site contractor said. Self said he still wants a new, brick-and-mortar post office for the town. The U.S. Postal Service planned to expand the facility in August 2023, but work never began.
The congressman noted there are post offices all over the country that can no longer accommodate the booming populations they serve.
"I have no idea if we'll be able to get a permanent facility," Self said. "I'm just pleased we got our employees inside and the security improved, in the short-term."
Self, Baker, and Sweat each praised the Melissa post office's staff. Despite the working conditions, letters arrived mostly on time.
"These are the sweetest people in the world," Baker said. "They have handled this like champions and just smiled their way through it. It's nice to see them get into reasonable conditions to work in."