Coral Springs resident Bob Gillan hates it every time the postman comes to drop certified mail and he is not home.

For most city residents, it would mean a trip to the nearest post office. For Gillan and others in the city who live in areas falling under the 33076 zip code, it involves going to a post office in Coconut Creek Parkway, east of 441.

“For me, it is a 22-mile round trip,” said Gillan. “It has happened to me three times in the last 60 days. It is really annoying, and it is not happening to me alone. I estimate that there are about 2,000 families who are affected.”

Gillan, who was a member of the city’s planning and zoning board, appeared before the commission recently to take up the issue. “I speak for a number of my neighbors,” he said. “I know it is not a city issue, but it needs to be addressed again. The city has addressed the issue and tried to solve the problem but it has slipped off the radar now.” The postmaster general has “significant powers” that are difficult to touch, City Attorney Sam Goran said. “He is answerable only to the Congress.”

The city has been trying to get the issue resolved for at least 12 years, Commissioner Roy Gold said. “There have been group efforts and individual efforts as well. When I joined the commission, I sent letters to three Congress people. I was told there is nothing we can do."