(Revised July 2003) Section 4.B
Record the mail procedures that apply to your county, such as how you open and distribute mail and how you send and receive it and insert them here.
The Administrative Handbook for Cooperative Extension Work - Chapter IX - Penalty Mail (Appendix G), an official government document, is available online and in your office. Note its location.
The U.S. Postal Service, through Address Management Systems, will update a name and address list free of charge, one time, where rural route and box number addresses are changed to city-style addresses (the 911 emergency address system).
Addresses submitted in list form should have enough space between or next to each address to permit entry of corrections. The list owner's name must appear in the upper left corner of each page or sheet. Lists must be separated by post office (by zip code).
Addresses submitted on cards must be about 3.5 by 5.5 inches in size, and must follow the submitting specifications listed above.
Submit the address list to the manager of address management systems:
Depending on volume of work, response should be within 4-6 weeks.
All postal forms can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.usps.com/ under the Forms link
All counties are asked to include their Federal Agency Cost Code in a new box at the top left of the October 1996 revised version of PS Form 3602-R. The new box is next to the permit number box.
A list of the Federal Agency Cost Codes for all counties is provided here. All Iowa counties have a "018" prefix followed by five numerals specific to each county. This code is only used for bulk mail.
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Adair 018-19001 |
Delaware 018-19028 |
Kossuth 018-19055 |
Sac 018-19082 |
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Adams 018-19002 |
Des Moines 018-19029 |
Lee 018-19056 |
Scott 018-19083 |
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Allamakee 018-19003 |
Dickinson 018-19030 |
Linn 018-19057 |
Shelby 018-19084 |
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Appanoose 018-19004 |
Dubuque 018-19031 |
Louisa 018-19058 |
Sioux 018-19085 |
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Audubon 018-19005 |
Emmet 018-19032 |
Lucas 018-19059 |
Story 018-19086 |
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Benton 018-19006 |
Fayette 018-19033 |
Lyon 018-19060 |
Tama 018-19087 |
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Black Hawk 018-19007 |
Floyd 018-19034 |
Madison 018-19061 |
Taylor 018-19088 |
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Boone 018-19008 |
Franklin 018-19035 |
Mahaska 018-19062 |
Union 018-19089 |
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Bremer 018-19009 |
Fremont 018-19036 |
Marion 018-19063 |
Van Buren 018-19090 |
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Buchanan 018-19010 |
Greene 018-19037 |
Marshall 018-19064 |
Wapello 018-19091 |
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Buena Vista 018-19011 |
Grundy 018-19038 |
Mills 018-19065 |
Warren 018-19092 |
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Butler 018-19012 |
Guthrie 018-19039 |
Mitchell 018-19066 |
Washington 018-19093 |
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Calhoun 018-19013 |
Hamilton 018-19040 |
Monona 018-19067 |
Wayne 018-19094 |
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Carroll 018-19014 |
Hancock 018-19041 |
Monroe 018-19068 |
Webster 018-19095 |
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Cass 018-19015 |
Hardin 018-19042 |
Montgomery 018-19069 |
Winnebago 018-19096 |
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Cedar 018-19016 |
Harrison 018-19043 |
Muscatine 018-19070 |
Winneshiek 018-19097 |
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Cerro Gordo 018-19017 |
Henry 018-19044 |
O'Brien 018-19071 |
Woodbury 018-19098 |
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Cherokee 018-19018 |
Howard 018-19045 |
Osceola 018-19072 |
Worth 018-19099 |
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Chickasaw 018-19019 |
Humboldt 018-19046 |
Page 018-19073 |
Wright 018-19100 |
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Clarke 018-19020 |
Ida 018-19047 |
Palo Alto 018-19074 |
East Central Area 018-19101 |
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Clay 018-19021 |
Iowa 018-19048 |
Plymouth 018-19075 |
Southwest Area 018-1902 |
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Clayton 018-19022 |
Jackson 018-19049 |
Pocahontas 018-19076 |
Central Area 018-19105 |
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Clinton 018-19023 |
Jasper 018-19050 |
Polk 018-19077 |
North Central Area018-19108 |
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Crawford 018-19024 |
Jefferson 018-19051 |
E. Pottawattamie 018-19078 |
Southeast Area 018-19109 |
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Dallas 018-19025 |
Johnson 018-19052 |
W. Pottawattamie 018-19079 |
Northwest Area 018-19110 |
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Davis 018-19026 |
Jones 018-19053 |
Poweshiek 018-19080 |
Northeast Area 018-19112 |
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Decatur 018-19027 |
Keokuk 018-19054 |
Ringgold 018-19081 |
Campus 018-19113 |
Section 4.B Return to top
Use this listing as a quick reference to some of the most frequently used sections of the Penalty Mail Handbook. Page references are to the 1990 Penalty Mail Handbook. Note the location of the handbook in your office here:
1. Any piece of mail sent out under the penalty privilege must include:
Approved Extension Letterhead (Appendix G, Section D)
A uniform letterhead should be used in both state and county offices for all types of correspondence including newsletters.
Cooperative Statement (Appendix G, Section D)
The required statement indicating cooperation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture with the state land-grant college in conducting extension work may be placed at the top or bottom of the page.
Authorized Signature (Appendix G, Section E.15)
Letter correspondence, including letters of transmittal or transmittal slips, must carry the signature, name, and official extension title of the sender when mailed in penalty envelopes.
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Office assistants may be authorized by a County Extension Education Director, area director, or field specialist to sign their name to correspondence. Such signatures should not be initialed by the office assistant. Signatures of persons not authorized to use the penalty mailing privilege (office assistants and program assistants) should not appear on material prepared for mailing under the penalty mailing privilege. Consult your county or area director for more information. |
Questionnaires Returned by Business Reply Mail (Appendix G, Section E.12)
Questionnaires to be returned by business reply mail should be prepared in such a way that they CANNOT be returned without an approved extension letterhead; cooperative statement; and signature, name, and title of authorized agent sending questionnaire.
2. Return Address (Appendix G, Section D.7)
The only authorized return address for first-class penalty envelopes is the 1862 Institution or the 1890 Institution state office address.
3. Advertising (Appendix G, Section E.1)
Material that could be interpreted as advertising may not be mailed under the penalty mailing privilege.
4. Buying, Selling, and Soliciting (Appendix G, Section E.2)
Material relating to buying or selling any article or product, except when replying to a single specific request for the name and address of a dealer in a certain commodity, may not be mailed under the penalty mailing privilege.
5. Examples of Material Not Eligible for Mailing under the Penalty Mailing Privilege (Appendix G, Section E.2)
a. General lists of dealers or others having products for sale.b. Matters stating that commodities (excludes extension educational materials) may be purchased through county extension offices.
c. Matters relating to exchange lists of farm machinery or other commodities for sale or trade.
d. Letters of inquiry to persons or concerns having livestock for sale. This rule also applies to the purchase of livestock for 4-H club members.
e. Letters to companies, organizations, individual, etc., soliciting funds.
6. Commercial, Religious, or Political Activities (Appendix G, Section E.5)
Penalty mail may not be used to distribute any type of commercial, religious, or political announcements or advertisements.
7. Fairs, Livestock Shows, and Sales (Appendix G, Section E.6)
Information on how to prepare or display exhibits at fairs, livestock shows, and sales may be mailed under the penalty mailing privilege to persons enrolled in extension projects. This would not include announcements or other material that could be interpreted as business of or advertisements for fairs, livestock shows, and sales.
8. Personal Messages (Appendix G, Section E.9)
Christmas greetings or similar personal messages may not be mailed under the penalty privilege. Similarly, extension employees, upon resignation or transfer from one location to another within the extension organization, may not transmit letters containing a farewell message in penalty envelopes unless these messages are incidental to official information in the letter/newsletter.
9. Prices (Appendix G, Section E.10)
Material containing prices of services or commodities may be mailed under the penalty privilege when furnishing such information is considered necessary. This includes:
a. Costs of attendance at 4-H camps or other extension-sponsored non-profit activities.b. Costs of soil sampling and related services.
c. Marketing information when the names of individual dealers or manufacturers are not included.
d. Prices of meals held in connection with approved extension meetings.
e. Price lists of extension bulletins. Does not include privately purchased commodities available for resale.
10. Publications - Eligibility for Distribution via Penalty Mail (Appendix G, Section E.11)
Publications for which there is a charge must be mailed under commercial postage.
11. Revision of Extension Mailing Lists (Appendix G, Section E.11f)
All mailing lists must be revised prior to June 30 each year. Business reply mail penalty envelopes may not be used for this purpose.
12. Distribution of Extension Mailing Lists (Appendix G, Section E.11g)
Mailing lists comprise a system of records established to assist in carrying out the various programs of Cooperative Extension. These mailing lists are for the sole use of extension personnel and shall not be furnished directly or indirectly to any other person, firm, association, or federal government agency.
13. Sealing Envelopes (Appendix G, Section E.13)
All penalty mail, regardless of size or classification, should be sealed before it is presented to the post office.
14. Business Reply Mail (BRM) Penalty Envelopes, Cards, Etc. (Appendix G, Section E.12)
Instances when penalty/official reply envelopes or cards may be used are:
a. Enrollment cards for 4-H, home economics, or other approved extension projects.b. Determining possible public interest in proposed extension projects.
c. Requesting information for evaluation purposes from persons who have participated in extension projects.
d. Return of tapes, records, etc., from broadcasting stations.
Instances when penalty/official reply envelopes or cards may not be used are:
a. Requesting names to be placed or retained on mailing lists.b. Making reservations for dinner or luncheons not held in connection with official extension meetings or conferences.
c. Making hotel reservations.
d. Returning soil test analyses by laboratories when charges are made for the analyses.
e. Using for any purpose not involving official extension business.
All business reply mail must be preaddressed before it is sent out of the extension office. The address must be as follows:
The address may be printed, typed, hand-stamped, or printed gummed label--not handwritten. The Post Office now requires 2 3/4 inches of clear space between the bottom of the return address and the bottom of the envelope.
The area extension offices carry Penalty Business Reply Permits. County extension offices using business reply mail use the area extension office address. An appropriate county extension office code can be indicated on the same line as the area office address. Check with your area extension office to verify the system used in your area.
15. Self-Mailers (Appendix G, Section E.14)
In preparing self-mailers (material mailed without envelopes), the following criteria should be adhered to:
a. Use the same Cooperative Extension letterhead as is used for regular correspondence.b. Fold the self-mailer to letter size, if possible, and fasten by at least one fastener on the long, open edge. A gummed fastener is preferred by the U.S. Postal Service, but staples may be used if the staples lie flat and do not stick up to scratch or catch.
c. Self-mailers that cannot be folded to letter size without damage, such as multipage newsletters and publications, need not be sealed on more than one edge (the "spine" or binding edge).
d. Use the same state return address as is used on penalty envelopes.
e. Messages, including name and title of agency, should not appear on the face of the mailing piece.
In March 1993, the penalty mail officer, located in Washington, D.C., with the federal Extension Service/USDA, was contacted regarding three specific questions pertaining to penalty mail. Below are the official answers to the questions:
Can penalty mail be used to make mailings to Extension Council members when the subject matter is organizational (sending out minutes, meeting agendas, meeting announcements, etc.)?
Yes, Extension Councils are part of extension's organizational structure. Section D of the Penalty Mail Handbook indicates, in general, that the privilege may be used as long as the material being mailed is in furtherance of extension work. In this case, it clearly would be. Section E.8 indicates that the penalty mail privilege cannot be used to support mailings for other organizations and associations, but does indicate it can be used for 4-H club mailings. Mailings to Extension Councils are considered similar to 4-H clubs--it is an internal audience and our correspondence to council members furthers our extension work.
Can checks be mailed using the penalty mail privilege?
Yes, as long as the check being mailed is related to official extension business. Section D.3 of the Penalty Mail Handbook indicates, in general, that the privilege may be used as long as the material being mailed is in furtherance of extension work.
Can postage stamps be placed on penalty mail envelopes (the envelopes which have Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University as the return address and the words "OFFICIAL BUSINESS" in the upper left hand corner) to mail out material that is not penalty mail eligible?
No, penalty mail envelopes can only be used when the material inside meets penalty mail regulations. The fact that a stamp is placed on the envelope does not change the rule.
If the piece of mail is being sent by normal postage, the return address should be consistent with the extension letterhead. The appropriate wording would be:
- Iowa State University
- University Extension
- (county name)
(county address)
A number of questions have arisen about the use of the new postage meters. This section contains commonly asked questions and answers in regards to the new postage meters. This information was gathered from Bill Bogue, Extension Finance.
Postage Meter Questions (9-16-02)
Phone
Why do we have to connect to a phone line?
All new meters are mandated to be modem set meters by the post office. Even new Pitney meters would be modem set meters. There are many different scenarios within the extension office phone systems. Analog dedicated phone lines are best for transfer. That is why we suggest fax or computer modem lines. Some of you do not have a dedicated line for the fax, so you must be sure you have a free phone line and program the necessary prefix in the TMS parameters before downloading.
What if I get modem parameter errors?
If you received a parameter error, you may need a 9 or some other code on your phone system to get an outside line. If you have problems getting an outside phone line or problems downloading postage, call 1-800-532-1565 and ask for Pat or Ryan. We can help you.
I get a message "busy -- try later".
The 1st time all the extensions tried loading from the same TMS account number virtually at the same time. Because you received a message from the TMS department, you are connected correctly. After the first download, there should not be a problem with a busy signal from Ascom's end. Call us at Copy Systems if you continue to have problems.
Setting 37 cents
There is no way to lock 37 cents into memory, but once you begin the day with .37 and hit the ok button, it will stay there until changed.
You can enter the postage amount and set the "Batch" mode and it will keep that amount on the meter until you end that mode.
Catch Tray
The catch tray seems to sit too close to the machine because of the speed that the envelopes shoot out from the meter.
The catch tray can be placed wherever you want it to be.
Reports
Simple reports can be obtained by using the post/tms key. That will give you all current readings. Beyond that, the book outlines how to program specific accounts for tracking. This meter is capable of tracking up to 25 accounts standard.
Sealer Tanks
There were mixed reactions to the usefulness of the sealer on the Pitney Bowes machines. What are the sealers like for the Ascom machines?
You are correct, the sealer tanks that can be obtained for these meters are ok, but not a fool proof method of sealing. We will let you know when we are ready to take orders for these sealer tanks.
Scale
How accurate is the scale?
The scale weighs down to the 1/10 of an oz and is very accurate.
The scale takes a lot of space.
Sorry about the room required, but a platform scale is much more versatile for weighing than a scale that attaches to the meter itself.
I'm having trouble interfacing the scale with the meter.
Call Copy Systems, Inc. and ask for Pat or Ryan. We can help you.
On/Off Switch
There is no on / off button. You can, however set up a locked password to prevent anyone from changing settings or using the meter when they shouldn't be.
Tenths of a Cent
These meters are capable of running discounted mail such as bulk rate or presort. If you only want to run 1st class mail, you can turn off the "tenth a cent" option in the programming -- see page 12-7 of the instructions.
Error Messages
What do I do if an Err 2 message comes up?
I am unsure of what error 2 means. Call and ask for Ryan. I can trouble shoot the problem.
Feeding envelopes through the meter
Our meter is set up and looks as though it should work - but won't feed the envelopes through! What are we doing wrong?
You must have an "ok" in the window under the postage amount. You need to press the "e" key to lock and confirm a new postage amount. You should only need to hit .37, then the "e" key one time. Once you do that, the meter will rotate and be ready to process mail.
Can we adjust for the thickness of the envelope?
There is no adjustment for the thickness. Anything over 2 ounces should be run with a meter tape. You can also try to "smoosh" or compress the envelopes first. This should help. Keep in mind, that if you push the piece through it will move the indicia over toward the center of the piece. If the piece is too thick, it will struggle.
Our meter doesn't feed smoothly. Sometimes it prints at the return address location on the left; other times off the right hand side to where you can't even read the postage amount.
The indicia will move if the piece is too thick or if you try to "push" the envelope through the meter. It is best to run meter tapes for pieces over 2 ounces. Since these meters are semi automatic, it is important to let go of the piece as you hear the motor start. Pushing the piece after this may cause the indicia to shift.
This is a new piece of equipment and you will eventually learn what works best for feeding techniques.
Date Change
I have to push C to make it change dates.
The "c" key in the morning just alerts you to the fact that the date needs changed. When you press it, you will hear the date rotate ahead to the current date.
I can't get the correct date to print.
If the machine will not correct itself to the right date using the steps outlined in the operators manual, we may need to get you a new meter. Please call us at Copy Systems if this problem isn't already resolved.
Section 4.B Return to top
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Revised July 23, 2003. Content questions? Ask the
experts.
Comments or suggestions? Contact the committee,
(e-mail: ofcguide@iastate.edu)