The Pinehurst Village Council afforded residents and business owners the opportunity to air grievances Tuesday about services provided at the downtown post office.

Four people addressed the council in Assembly Hall at the end of its work session. The speakers called the post office the epicenter of the community and said adequate hours of operation and efficient service were vital to the survival of the village's businesses. Some asked for direct intercession by the council on the residents' and business owners' behalf.

It is unknown what action, if any, the council will take on the issue. Council members declined to comment on the matter during the hearing, save for Jeff Dawson, who reminded one speaker that the council does not have a position on the lack of home mail delivery in the village core.

The operational hours and service level at the downtown post office have been a hot topic around the village in recent weeks. Postmaster Denise Krise announced a reduction in window hours effective March 16 in February, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., citing a decrease in volume.

The move was resisted by residents and business owners alike. Some 900 people signed a petition demanding an increase in window hours, and a group of business owners enlisted the help of Rep. Howard Coble to contact the Postal Service.

The Postal Service eventually relented, and recently announced the hours would be returned back to 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Despite the changes, some are advocating further extension of the hours to 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and additional staff to mitigate the long lines that are common during peak hours.

For more on this story, check Friday's print edition of The Pilot.

Contact John Krahnert III at 693-2473 or by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com