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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Prairie View, Texas, lacks its own ZIP code, causing |
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a number of problems for area residents and businesses, as well as |
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for city government; and |
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WHEREAS, Only one address in the city--the U.S. Post Office |
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located on the campus of Prairie View A&M University--has a Prairie |
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View-specific ZIP code; all other locations within Prairie View |
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proper, from the perspective of the U.S. Post Office, belong to |
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either Waller or Hempstead; and |
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WHEREAS, It is possible for Prairie View residents and |
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businesses to receive mail to the Prairie View ZIP code only if they |
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purchase a post office box at the PVAMU post office; in other words, |
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they are forced to choose between direct delivery to their physical |
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location or delivery to an address that correctly reflects their |
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municipal location; or, like Prairie View City Hall, they can |
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choose to manage both a physical address and a mailing address; and |
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WHEREAS, This arrangement, wherein Prairie View residents |
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and businesses have Waller or Hempstead addresses, has caused a |
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number of unintended consequences; for one, it has dangerous |
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ramifications for the efficiency of local emergency services; |
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police, fire, and emergency medical services squads have all |
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reported confusion with the current system, which does not |
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correspond with municipal boundaries; and |
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WHEREAS, The United States Census Bureau has also reported |
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problems, as many questionnaires for Prairie View residents were |
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incorrectly delivered to Waller and Hempstead; moreover, critical |
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official City of Prairie View mail is often sent to the City of |
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Hempstead or the City of Waller, and additionally, citizens |
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regularly express confusion about their correct address and how it |
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relates to their polling location; and |
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WHEREAS, In accordance with the United States Postal Service |
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ZIP Code Boundary Review Process, the City of Prairie View has |
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requested the creation of a ZIP code that includes all properties |
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within its corporate limits, a change that would greatly benefit |
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Prairie View residents, businesses, and city government; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 83rd Legislature of the State of Texas |
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hereby respectfully urge the Congress of the United States to |
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request that the Postmaster General designate a ZIP code that |
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includes all properties within the city of Prairie View; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Texas secretary of state forward official |
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copies of this resolution to the president of the United States, to |
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the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of |
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Representatives of the United States Congress, and to all the |
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members of the Texas delegation to Congress with the request that |
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this resolution be entered in the Congressional Record as a |
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memorial to the Congress of the United States of America. |