WHATELY — Packages not delivered or sent to the wrong places. Excise tax bill rejections. Voter registration challenges. U.S. census miscounts and inaccurate COVID-19 vaccination rates.

What do all of these have to do with each other? If you’re a resident of Whately, Buckland or Shelburne, then maybe you already know the answer: ZIP codes. Depending on where they live in town, Whately residents could have one of three ZIP codes, but that could soon change if residents support a new proposal.

The town is currently exploring an opportunity to move to just one ZIP code — 01093 — which the Selectboard said could ease some headaches for residents, delivery drivers and everyone else involved in confirming the addresses of Whately residents living near South Deerfield, who use the neighboring community’s 01373 ZIP code and U.S. Post Office.

“It’s created quite an issue with a lot of things. … We have been battling this thing for a long time,” said Lynn Sibley, the town’s former town clerk and town administrator, who is now serving as assistant treasurer/collector in her retirement. “In the long run, I think people will be much happier because they can say they live in Whately.”

Ironically, the official mailing address for the Whately Town Offices, at 4 Sandy Lane, also falls under South Deerfield’s mailing address.

Speaking at Tuesday evening’s Selectboard meeting, Sibley said the event that triggered the potential ZIP code change was the rejection of dozens of excise tax bills meant for Deerfield residents that somehow defaulted to Whately as a result of ZIP code-related issues.

Since those bills came in, the town reached out to U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, who has helped facilitate conversations between the town and the U.S. Postal Service.

Sibley said the Postal Service has signaled there is a solution to the ZIP code issue, which it can implement with few changes to residents. If the town were to change to a single ZIP code, then residents would use that code and then the Postal Service would internally redirect its mail accordingly.

The benefits won’t come without a hurdle, however. At the meeting, Selectboard member Julianna Waggoner asked if there would be “any problems down the road,” in response to which Town Administrator Brian Domina said anyone who isn’t currently using the 01093 ZIP code would have to change the mailing and billing addresses they have on file with businesses, banks and other organizations if the town switches.

“It’s going to create an initial burden,” Domina said. “Any mail they get, they will need to change their address.”

Before the town makes any official declaration to the Postal Service, though, it wants to gather resident feedback. Whately has opened a brief survey that is available for residents at surveymonkey.com/r/ZRR2WJT.

As of Tuesday, 70% of survey respondents are in favor of the switch, 15% have no preference and the remaining 15% are against it, according to Town Clerk Amy Lavallee. The survey will be open for the next few weeks as the town seeks additional feedback.

Planning Board member Brant Cheikes, who was in attendance for a Special Town Meeting on Tuesday, noted there may be a “disproportionate hardship” on the older population in town, who may have to change their address in numerous locations, including on the internet.

Acknowledging that, Selectboard Chair Joyce Palmer-Fortune said many of these residents have likely been burned by ZIP code issues in the past and may be in favor of the switch.

“I think most people will have their own story,” Palmer-Fortune said. “My general sense is we ought to do it.”

Fellow Selectboard member Fred Baron said there might even be a hidden benefit to the change.

“And if some of the junk mail doesn’t get forwarded?” Baron said. “Hey, we’ll live.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com or 413-930-4081.

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