IRON MOUNTAIN — A petition drive to remove Postmaster General Louis DeJoy may be the best option for correcting a decline in U.S. mail service, an Iron Mountain resident says.

Tracy Asanuma addressed Dickinson County Board on Monday, suggesting a coordinated campaign to deluge the White House with letters and petitions from 30 communities that are scheduled to lose mail processing centers.

“Under DeJoy’s leadership our community has been robbed of next-day mail delivery and we may lose the mail processing plant (in Kingsford) as well,” Asanuma said. An “Operation Remove DeJoy” petition drive would send a strong political message to bring change, she said.

Other efforts to remove DeJoy have found no success, including an online petition drive by Common Cause that’s been in place several years.

Meanwhile, DeJoy has begun implementing a 10-year “Delivering for America” plan that would cut jobs and close a number of sorting centers across the nation. Locally, it would mean sending mail from the Upper Peninsula to Green Bay, Wis., for processing.

Only the postal board of governors has the authority to remove DeJoy, who was appointed during the Trump administration. DeJoy’s opponents have called upon President Joe Biden to name board replacements to make it happen.

So far, the postal board has shown support for DeJoy and the 10-year plan.

Asanuma theorizes that Biden could remove DeJoy from the board of governors, making him ineligible for the postmaster general office. The justification, she continued, would be his elimination of next-day delivery among a number of other concerns.

Earlier this month, the county board agreed to look into possible legal action to prevent major changes at the processing and distribution center in Kingsford. A Freedom of Information Act request has been filed to seek documents related to the postal service’s analysis of proposed changes but so far nothing is in hand, Controller Brian Bousley said.

The board may take up Asanuma’s suggestion at its finance meeting today.

In other action, the county board:

≤ Reappointed Dale Johnson of Sagola to a three-year term on the Dickinson County Road Commission in a 4-1 vote. Robert Massie of Foster City was also an applicant and received support from Commissioner Barbara Kramer.

≤ Heard Commissioner Ann Martin report that Wendy Mattia of Dickinson County was chosen to chair the Northpointe Board of Directors at a recent organizational meeting. Robin Elsner of Menominee County will serve as vice chair, while Martin is secretary-treasurer. An annual report from the tri-county community mental health agency was received from Northpointe CEO Jennifer Cescolini, who said it will also be made available online. A town hall in Menominee County — where commissioners last month sought a corrective action plan from Northpointe — has yet to be scheduled.

≤ Learned from Sheriff Scott Rutter that the department’s drones were put into use for a suspect who fled on foot in Norway Township after a lengthy police pursuit April 12. After he was tracked, the Iron County man was taken into custody without incident, Rutter said. The pursuit began on U.S. 2 near Pine Mountain Road.

≤ Approved payment of $1,500 to the Lake Antoine Association to assist with 2024 Eurasian watermilfoil control efforts.

≤ Reappointed Dennis Baldinelli of Kingsford and Marguerite Schnapp of Quinnesec to six-year terms on the Dickinson County Jury Board.

≤ Approved a request from Dickinson County Band to host community concerts at the Lake Antoine Park bandshell on June 26, July 4, July 10, July 17, July 24 and July 31.

≤ Heard Commissioner Joe Stevens praise the Association of Student Artists juried art show earlier this month at Kingsford High School. Schools from throughout the area participated.