A temporary solution could soon be underway for residents of Henderson who no longer have a contract post office.
The town of Henderson was ultimately told no when asked for a post office replacement. But Mayor Sherbin Collette would not take no for an answer.
“It was pretty much final,” Collette said. “And I’m a Cajun I don’t take final too easy.”
He and Congressman Clay Higgins began looking for a resolution within the neighborhood.
“Three days ago, he called me and said look this is what we’re working on,” Collette said. “I’ll need your help in that. So, we started comparing notes on what could happen.”
Congressman Higgins told the mayor putting mailboxes at residences could take months and thought of a short-term plan.
“I said anything we could do now?” Collette said. “He said ‘OK I heard you have a new city hall and the old one’s vacant. Can we use a part of that to put a temporary post office?’ I said yes.”
Congressman Higgins connected the Mayor to Bayou Pack and Paddle out of Breaux Bridge, who would serve as new contract owner in the old city hall. I visited the site of the old city hall where it's obvious to see it would require some renovations.
“One section of it is pretty, well… torn up,” Collette said. “I mean it’s not useable. But I said the other two sections are. I said let’s wait until your final decision and then you’ll tell me. And we’ll help put some sort of contract together.”
As for when Henderson will officially see their own post office, Higgins said it will take some time.
“Now in time we will get a new post office in Henderson,” Collette assured. “But as Congressman Higgins told me, you know it’s Congress, it’ll have to go in front of Congress next year. He said I have it on the agenda already, but that’ll take a year and a half to two years until you get a new post office.”
Mayor Collette said we could begin to see mail services in Henderson in a matter of weeks.
