ITEM NO. 9
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CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT |
| TO: |
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council |
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| FROM: |
Arron Brown, City Manager |
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| BY: |
Brianna Hemsley, Executive Assistant to the City Manager |
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| DATE: |
06/10/2026 |
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| SUBJECT: | Consideration of a Resolution Supporting S. 4505 Requiring the United States Postal Service to Designate ZIP Codes for Certain Communities Including the City of Canyon Lake
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Recommendation:
Adopt Resolution No. 2026-32 supporting S. 4505 requiring the United States Postal Service to designate ZIP Codes for certain communities including the City of Canyon Lake.
Background/Analysis:
The City of Canyon Lake has been actively working to address a long-standing issue that has directly impacted the Canyon Lake community: the lack of a unique ZIP Code for the City. Currently, Canyon Lake shares the 92587 ZIP Code with portions of the Menifee area, including Quail Valley and Sun City, as well as Romoland, an unincorporated Riverside County community.
The shared ZIP Code has created ongoing issues for Canyon Lake residents including mail delays, missing mail, sales tax remittance, and challenges related to the City’s identity. Residents have reported numerous instances of mail being delayed, delivered to incorrect addresses, or not received at all. The City has also identified concerns regarding sales tax allocation, as transactions associated with Canyon Lake addresses may at times be incorrectly attributed to neighboring jurisdictions that share our ZIP Code. When this occurs, sales tax revenue that should be distributed to Canyon Lake may instead be allocated to another city.
The City has attempted to resolve this issue directly through the United States Postal Service (“USPS”). Efforts to obtain a unique ZIP Code formally began in July 2024, when the City submitted a request for a ZIP Code Boundary Review to the USPS District Manager. That request was denied in October 2024. The City subsequently submitted an appeal on October 31, 2024; however, the appeal was also denied in August 2025.
During the ZIP Code review process, Canyon Lake joined a national ZIP Code coalition made up of cities and communities experiencing similar issues. The coalition has expanded to include jurisdictions such as Eastvale, Hidden Hills, Industry, and communities in several other states, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and more. Due to the lack of progress at the USPS level, 14 coalition members jointly retained a lobbyist to assist with federal advocacy efforts related to ZIP Code reform legislation.
In 2025, federal legislation addressing ZIP Code boundary issues was introduced in Congress through multiple bills, including H.R. 672 and H.R. 3095. Coalition members and lobbying representatives have since participated in advocacy efforts and meetings with members of the United States Senate regarding the legislation. To streamline these efforts and consolidate participating jurisdictions under one bill, Senator Joni Ernst, Senator Alex Padilla, Senator John Barrasso, and Senator Michael Bennet introduced S. 4505 in May 2026. The bill consolidates prior ZIP Code-related legislative efforts into a single measure and includes approximately 75 jurisdictions nationwide, including the City of Canyon Lake. The bill does not establish a timeline or deadline requiring the USPS to implement or assign new ZIP Codes following passage of the legislation.
The shared ZIP Code has created ongoing issues for Canyon Lake residents including mail delays, missing mail, sales tax remittance, and challenges related to the City’s identity. Residents have reported numerous instances of mail being delayed, delivered to incorrect addresses, or not received at all. The City has also identified concerns regarding sales tax allocation, as transactions associated with Canyon Lake addresses may at times be incorrectly attributed to neighboring jurisdictions that share our ZIP Code. When this occurs, sales tax revenue that should be distributed to Canyon Lake may instead be allocated to another city.
The City has attempted to resolve this issue directly through the United States Postal Service (“USPS”). Efforts to obtain a unique ZIP Code formally began in July 2024, when the City submitted a request for a ZIP Code Boundary Review to the USPS District Manager. That request was denied in October 2024. The City subsequently submitted an appeal on October 31, 2024; however, the appeal was also denied in August 2025.
During the ZIP Code review process, Canyon Lake joined a national ZIP Code coalition made up of cities and communities experiencing similar issues. The coalition has expanded to include jurisdictions such as Eastvale, Hidden Hills, Industry, and communities in several other states, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Texas, and more. Due to the lack of progress at the USPS level, 14 coalition members jointly retained a lobbyist to assist with federal advocacy efforts related to ZIP Code reform legislation.
In 2025, federal legislation addressing ZIP Code boundary issues was introduced in Congress through multiple bills, including H.R. 672 and H.R. 3095. Coalition members and lobbying representatives have since participated in advocacy efforts and meetings with members of the United States Senate regarding the legislation. To streamline these efforts and consolidate participating jurisdictions under one bill, Senator Joni Ernst, Senator Alex Padilla, Senator John Barrasso, and Senator Michael Bennet introduced S. 4505 in May 2026. The bill consolidates prior ZIP Code-related legislative efforts into a single measure and includes approximately 75 jurisdictions nationwide, including the City of Canyon Lake. The bill does not establish a timeline or deadline requiring the USPS to implement or assign new ZIP Codes following passage of the legislation.
- Fiscal Impact Yes/No:
- No