After giving time to allow for public comment and making adjustments based on those comments, Cole County now has a policy on standards for mailboxes and what happens if they are damaged.
The policy, which was approved Tuesday meeting by the Cole County Commission, has two parts: One addresses the size and construction standards of mailboxes; the other deals with damage to mailboxes.
Last month, Public Works Director Eric Landwehr said there was no policy to establish guidelines on mailbox installation and what to do when mailboxes are damaged by snow plows in the winter.
So staff submitted the two-part policy.
For the construction of mailboxes on county right-of-way, the policy requires property owners to follow guidelines set up by the U.S. Postal Service. The property owner would be required to erect mailboxes that would break or bend if a vehicle should hit them. It is also recommended if you construct your own mailbox, instead of purchasing a pre-made box, you should have your plans approved by the postmaster.
Cole County reserves the right to require a property owner to remove a mailbox that does not follow USPS requirements and is determined to be a safety issue.
Every year, the public works department gets calls for replacing mailboxes damaged by snowplows in the winter.
The policy recommends mailbox posts have a semi-arch or extend arm type of support such that snowplows can sweep under them without knocking the box down.
When a mailbox is damaged, the policy has two categories for the county to consider mailbox replacement:
• The snowplow comes in contact with the mailbox. If this happens, public works staff will try to repair or replace the box with a temporary mailbox within 48 hours. The replacement would follow Federal Highway Administration recommendations of a metal mailbox on a 4x4 wooden post.
The county would not replace a plastic or decorative mailbox with similar materials. If the property owner wants to have something different from the standard, the property owner would have to do it on their own and the county would reimburse an amount equal to the current value of the standard post and mailbox.
• Snow being pushed off the road hits a mailbox. If this occurs, the property owner would be responsible for repairing or replacing the mailbox. Landwehr said a properly maintained mailbox will withstand normal plowing operations.
The county may chose not to repair or replace mailboxes that are installed incorrectly by USPS standards for height and distance from the edge of the road, previously damaged and/or poorly maintained.
Reporting of mailbox damage should be made to the public works department within five business days of when the damage occurred.
See also:
Cole County advances agreement with Jefferson City for new EMS station