The Cortez Post Office is closing soon, and the reason is not what you might expect [The Bradenton Herald]

Oct. 15—CORTEZ, Fla. — Residents of the quaint fishing village of Cortez on the Manatee coast have been served by a post office since 1888, but unless something changes, that service could end next Friday.

The reason? The lack of liability insurance, says John Banyas, landlord of the building where the post office is located.

It seems two years ago, the post office's flagpole fell and injured a customer in the parking lot, Banyas said.

Even though it was the federal government's flag pole, Banyas ended up having to defend himself in court.

After that experience, Banyas asked the post office to get liability insurance and list him as an additional insured. He extended the post office's lease 60 days until Nov. 1 to give the U.S. Postal Service time to comply.

"It's a no brainer. It's a given that they need liability insurance, but they said, no, that they are self-insured.

"I would love the post office to stay. I have a lot of family in Cortez. But they have to have liability insurance," said Banyas, who owns several businesses in Cortez — including the Swordfish Grill and the Cortez Kitchen — and was preparing his traps for the start of stone crab season as he talked.

The issue has made its way far and near with residents reaching out to elected officials for help in saving the Cortez Post Office.

Jane von Hahmann, a Cortez resident and former Manatee County commissioner, appeared before the Manatee County Commission last week appealing for help.

"The citizens want their mail delivered to their home and a post office to remain in Cortez. They don't want to go to another post office," County Commissioner Carol Whitmore said.

Contacted by the Bradenton Herald, the U.S. Postal Service had little to say: "The Postal Service has no comment regarding the lease agreement for the Cortez Post Office since the matter is currently pending in U.S. District Court."

The Postal Service was more forthcoming to U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, who asked whether the post office was closing, why and when, and what could be done to serve residents.

"As it relates to the Cortez Post Office, the landlord is taking possession of the property at 12112 44th Ave. W. (Cortez Road). As a result, we found ourselves in the position of having to suspend operations at the location and seek suitable alternatives for the residents of Cortez," Brett Hunter, manager of consumer affairs for the postal service, said in a letter dated Oct. 12 to Buchanan.

"The Post Office must vacate the space and will close on Friday, Oct. 22, 2021," Hunter wrote.

Retail postal services will be provided at the Palma Sola branch located at 115 75th St. NW, some 5.5 miles from the Cortez location, Hunter said.

"We certainly apologize on behalf of the Postal Service for the inconvenience of residents served by the Cortez Post Office," Hunter said.

In his letter to Hunter, Buchanan said he shared his constituents' concerns about the burden placed on residents by the closing of the Cortez Post Office.

"My constituents, many of whom are elderly, would have to cross the bridge in heavy season traffic to Bradenton Beach or travel more than five miles to the next closest post office. Furthermore, they say there is no carrier delivery in the area served by the post office," Buchanan said.

Although the current impasse over a lease and liability insurance stems from a falling flag pole, it is not the first time that the Cortez Post Office has had a flag issue.

On Feb. 3, 1956, the Bradenton Herald reported that for the first time in a half century, and after three attempts, the Cortez Post Office would finally have an American flag as required by law.

"Although Cortez Post Office has had a post office for almost 50 years, it wasn't until recently that a federal inspector noticed that there was no flag and ordered one to start flying as soon as possible," the Herald reported.

"The first attempt to raise a steel pole ended in failure when it slipped and put a hole in the roof of the building. Undaunted, a second attempt was made, this time with a truck pressed into service. However, in maneuvering into position, the truck plunged into a septic pool on the property," the Herald reported.

It it believed that the post office has been at its current location since at least 1957.

Whatever, the Cortez Post Office has always been integral to the fishing village. When the post office first opened, it also brought with it a name change. The community had previously been known as Hunters Point, a name that had to be changed because there was another community with the same name elsewhere in Florida.

The U.S. Postal Service has been running in the red for years, and it is unclear whether the decision to close the post office is related to financial issues faced by the U.S. Postal System.

Over the past 14 years, the Postal Service has lost $87 billion, and is projected to lose $9.7 billion in fiscal 2021, according to the Government Accounting Office.

For more about John Baynas and his family's history in Cortez, visit https://voices.nmfs.noaa.gov/john-banyas.

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