Big Sky Post Office contractor Al Malinowski thanks dedicated staff during transition
By Jack Reaney ASSOCIATE EDITOR
On Monday, July 15, the Big Sky community will become directly served by the federal United States Postal Service. The preceding Friday, July 12, the contract-operated Big Sky Post Office will take its last letters.
The new federal post office will bring increased services and resources to a community that outgrew its small, contract-operated post office years ago. USPS might eventually offer passport services, and many more locals will gain access to a P.O. box—USPS will more than double the number of boxes, from 1,661 to more than 3,500.
“That’s a much-needed upgrade,” said Al Malinowski, president of Gallatin Partners, which has managed the Big Sky Post Office for 23 years.
The change wasn’t easy—requiring 17 months of contract extensions—and it will come with some growing pains, Malinowski said.
In October 2022, Malinowski first announced the intent to terminate Gallatin Partners’ contract with USPS, effective February 2023. The U.S. Postal Service engaged slowly—first by seeking alternate contractors, and eventually by sending officials unannounced to Big Sky for a look-see. If Malinowski had stayed firm on the February 2023 deadline, Big Sky could have seen a significant gap in postal coverage. But recognizing the importance of continued postal service, Gallatin Partners extended its contract three times with USPS, most recently from May 31 to July 12, 2024.
As seasonal residents return this June, there’s one reason why the Big Sky Post Office is still open: continued flexibility and sacrifice from its staff, willing to stick around and work a job that soon won’t exist.
With the new post office still not ready as May 31 approached, Malinowski asked his staff if they could stick around for six more weeks. He didn’t expect them to agree; some had already made plans to move away, like manager Christine Alexander-Bitner, or to take vacations or other jobs. However, those who could stick around agreed to step up.
“It’s been our team that’s made extending these things possible,” Malinowski told EBS. “It’s bittersweet… we’ve got such a strong staff that works so well together, and I think serves our community so well.”
Malinowski negotiated with USPS to raise pay for the loyal staff. “But it also has been a challenge on their lives moving forward,” he said.
USPS letter announces facility hours, details
This morning, June 20, a letter from USPS arrived in Big Sky P.O. boxes.
Ryan Chasteen, USPS manager of operations integration for Oregon, Idaho and Montana, gave details about the new post office, including retail hours: Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The existing post office was open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus three hours on Saturday, but its services relied more heavily on staff support.
In addition to retail services, parcels will be delivered to P.O. boxes Monday through Saturday, by 11 a.m., and P.O. boxes can be accessed 24/7, according to the letter.
“Customers who currently have a P.O. box service will maintain their current box number and box size,” Chasteen wrote. “New keys will be provided for the P.O. boxes located in the new facility.”
The letter confirmed that USPS will expand retail services over those offered by the Big Sky Post Office, and that in addition to more than 2,000 additional P.O. boxes, USPS will increase the number of 24-hour parcel lockers available—from 50 to 261, Malinowski said.
“The United States Postal Service is excited to share this opportunity to serve the residents of this community,” Chasteen wrote. “The Big Sky Post Office will be offering all postal products and services, including domestic and international mailing services… The Postal Service is dedicated in providing prompt, reliable, efficient mail and package services to the community of Big Sky.”
The letter asked that the community send any questions to Eliza Uhlenkott, USPS postal operations representative, via email at Eliza.G.Uhlenkott@usps.gov.
In Malinowski’s 23 years operating the Big Sky Post Office, he said he definitely made mistakes early on. As USPS learns the unique ways of the Big Sky community, Malinowski asked that community members be patient.
“I’m also hopeful that some of the abnormalities that exist in our community can be addressed in the long run, too,” he said. For example, he hopes that Big Sky’s Gallatin Canyon residents including the Big Sky School District—whose mail is delivered through Gallatin Gateway’s post office—will someday be absorbed into Big Sky’s zip code, 59716.
“This is just my opinion, but I think it would help our community if all of Big Sky were considered Big Sky, for mailing purposes,” he said.
Now, with USPS present in Big Sky, the federal agency could more easily fix or improve these quirks.
Malinowski recognizes the pain of transitioning away from Big Sky’s friendly, local post office. The post office has always been a gathering space for the community, in his view. He praised his staff for serving customers in a positive way, and said he hopes the community will celebrate the next step.
“The opportunity to have more services, and more efficient services, just makes sense with our growth,” Malinowski said. “When you think about it, it’s been years that we’ve just been band-aiding our services.”
In recent weeks, locals received a letter from Christine Alexander-Bitner and the Big Sky Post Office staff. She noted shorter hours—11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday—as the post office extends for its final six weeks, and added that none of the current staff are planning to work at the federal post office.
“For most of our staff, that’s a choice,” Malinowski said. “… We have had a couple that had some interest, and I’m hopeful that that might still be a possibility.”
Alexander-Bitner concluded that it’s been an honor to serve the Big Sky community, and the farewell is bittersweet, at best.
“The entire crew, including myself, are so happy to have had so many cherished memories,” she wrote. “The laughter, the tears, the blood, the sweat and don’t even get us started on the four-legged mascots of the Big Sky PO.”
As locals and staff waited into June for communication from USPS, Malinowski said it was time to get information out to the community. It took the form of a friendly letter.
When USPS takes over in mid-July, it won’t be an easy on-ramp as Big Sky fills with summer-comers. Locals can help by making friends with the new faces behind the counter.
