So we will call our Ben City Council Business Meeting to order and we will start with a roll call.

Uh start on your end, Councilor Francosa.

Gina Franzosa, she, her.

Ariel Mendez, he him.

Megan Perkins, she her.

Megan Norris, she her.

Steve Platt, he him.

And Councilor Riley is excused tonight.

So we are going to go right into good of the order.

And first up, we have a proclamation for the 250th anniversary of the United States Post Office.

Councillor Platt.

Great, thank you very much.

It's my honor uh to present this proclamation.

Um representing the uh union and the postal workers that do great work for us.

Um I'll start off by reading the proclamation, and then we'll have uh a couple of words from some folks here with us tonight.

So, whereas the 2025 is the year of the 250th anniversary of the creation of the United States Post Office, the predecessor of the modern postal service, one year earlier than the founding of the country itself and later enshrined in the Constitution, and the Postal Services played a significant role in historic development of the country from the establishment of roads and railways and airlines and a vital part of the fabric binding together the people of the country, and the universal service obligation in current law enables the population to receive equal and affordable services no matter who we are or where we live in a democratic right of the people, and the U.S.

Postal Service serves 169 million addresses, six and sometimes seven days a week, and the U.S.

Postal Service does not receive taxpayer money but rather runs on its own revenue created by postage and postal products, and due to its public mission, the postal service is the low-cost anchor of the 1.3 trillion dollar mailing and package industry, which supports 7 million jobs across the country, and the postal service is an important source of good union living wage jobs with fair hiring practices and equal pay for equal work for workers from all levels of society, and is one of the largest employers of veterans, and any effort to privatize privatize the USPS in whole or in part would undermine the very public mission of the Postal Service and the Universal Service mandate and the dedicated work of hundreds of thousands of public servants.

And while communication habits are always changing, the USPS stays a vital source of communications, the exchange of ideas, financial transactions, private and secure correspondence, mail order medications, mail-in voting, and e-commerce packages, and a host of opportunities for new and expanded services.

And the United States Postal Service is owned by the people and is a wonderful trend uh national treasure encapsulating the best of government of, by, and for the people.

And therefore, be it resolved that the Benn City Council supports the public mission of the United States Postal Service contained in the 1970 Postal Right Reorganization Act, which says the United States Postal Service shall be operated as a basic and fundamental service provided to the people by the government of the United States, authorized by the Constitution, created by Act of Congress, and supported by the people.

The Postal Service shall have its basic function, the obligation to bind the nation together, and appreciates the role of the U.S.

Postal Service on its 250th anniversary.

We salute the diligent postal workers from all levels of society who serve the people and business community and support a robust and thriving public service for generations to come.

Thank you.

All right, move by Council Perkins, second to Councilor Norris.

All those in favor?

Aye.

All right.

All right, ready.

Yes, we have Linda O'Donnell here, who's representing the uh the American Postal Workers Union Greater Oregon Area, Local 555, an Auxiliary Oregon Postal Workers Union, as well as Jesse Soto here with the American Postal Union's Great Union Greater Oregon Area Local 555.

Please.

Welcome.

A milestone that reflects not only our national heritage, but also the vital role the USPS plays in our local communities.

In our city, the postal service is more than just mail delivery.

It's a cornerstone of connectivity that supports our residents, businesses, and civic life.

From the dedicated postal workers from maintenance, building clerks, letter carriers, all of them, all of the postal workers who ensure timely sorting and delivery of essential communications and packages to the services that help small businesses thrive.

The USPS is woven into the fabric of our daily lives.

As we celebrate this 250th anniversary, let us acknowledge the commitment of postal employees here in our city who work tirelessly to serve every neighborhood, ensuring that everyone stays connected, informed, and supported.

This proclamation honors not only a historic institution, but also the people behind it, past and present, who embody public service and community dedication.

Together, we reaffirm our support for the Postal Service, and it's ensuring enduring mission to connect our city and the union.

Anything else?

I can't say any any better than Linda just did.

So I will just say, as the president of the local, uh, I'd like to extend my uh gratitude to the council members and the mayor for your guys' voice of support for our membership here in Bend and across Central Oregon and Eastern Oregon as we continue on our mission to serve the communities and the population's uh need for our services.

So thank you all for uh considering this resolution and for your continued support going forward in the future.

Thank you.

Thank you for all your work to bring us our mail and our ballots and our medications and all sorts of important things that we received for the Postal Service.

So we really appreciate all that you do.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And Steve's got some provocations for you.

All right, so one thing.

Thank you very much.

Okay, ready?

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Thanks a lot.

Okay.

Thank you.