3184-2015 Mailbox Policy By-Law
BEING A BY-LAW TO ESTABLISH A MAILBOX POLICY FOR THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF AUGUSTA
Passed by Council October 26, 2015
CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF AUGUSTA
BY-LAW NUMBER 3184-2015
BEING A BY-LAW TO ESTABLISH A MAILBOX POLICY
FOR THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF AUGUSTA
WHEREAS Section 11(3) of the Municipal Act, R.S.O. 2001, as amended, to pass
by-laws regarding highways under the jurisdiction of the Corporation of the
Township of Augusta;
AND WHEREAS Council deems it desirable to implement a policy regarding Rural
Mailboxes on municipal roads within the Township of Augusta;
NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Corporation of the Township of Augusta
enacts as follows:
1. THAT the Policy to establish a Rural Mailbox Policy attached hereto as
Schedule A and forming part of this by-law be approved;
2. THAT this by-law shall not be interpreted to contradict or violate any
statute or regulation of the Province of Ontario;
3. THAT this By-law shall come into force and take effect immediately upon
passing.
Read a first and second time this 26 day of October, 2015
Read a third time and passed this 26 day of October, 2015
Signed by Mayor Doug Malanka and CAO/Clerk Pierre Mercier
Section: Public Works
Subject: Rural Mailboxes
Policy Number: By-Law 3184-2015
Effective Date: October 26, 2015
Township of Augusta
Policy for Rural Mailboxes
Statement:
Canada Post delivers mail to its rural customers by the use of rural mailboxes
erected on the shoulders of various roads. Canada Post establishes standards
for the erection of mailboxes through the Mail Receptacles Regulations under the
Canada Post Corporations Act.. Since the mailboxes are located on municipal
road property, the municipality having jurisdiction over the road may make and
enforce regulations regarding their operations based on local conditions.
The Public Works Crew strive to work in a safe and competent manner, but rural
mailboxes that are not correctly located, not sufficiently strong to withstand
normal snowplowing operations, or have deteriorated to the condition where they
are not capable of withstanding the weight of snow thrown up during normal
snowplowing operations may be damaged.
Purpose:
This policy is to address the location, condition, strength, damage, and type of
post permitted of rural mailboxes as well as, the recommended method of
installation on the Township’s rights of way. The intent is to create a policy that
establishes criteria regarding mailbox installation and replacement due to
damage from the Township’s operation that is fair and addresses the safety
concerns of the motoring public.
Policy:
It shall be the policy of the Township Roads Department that private mailboxes
on Township Roads shall be subject to the following provisions:
a) All mailboxes shall meet all applicable Canada Post Standards.
b) Rural delivery mailboxes shall be erected on the right hand side of the
road according to the delivery contractor’s travel. The box shall be
erected at the rounding of the shoulder such that the opening of the
mailbox is at the outside edge of the shoulder. The bottom of the box shall
not be less than 105 cm (42 inches) above the level of the shoulder to
permit the passage of the plow wing below the box.
No mail box shall be located closer than 5.0 metres (16′- 6″) to the centre
of the road. This set-back is required to allow the snowplow wing to pass
the post without the truck being forced to cross the centreline of the road.
On narrow roads this may require the post to be set back further from the
edge of the shoulder and the mailbox to be suspended from an overhead
arm.
c) The box shall be sufficiently sturdy to withstand normal snowplowing
operations. This means that the mailbox must be capable of withstanding
the force of snow, packed snow and ice thrown up by the snowplow during
normal operations.
It is hereby acknowledged that many mailboxes now on the market do not
conform to this criteria and are not suitable for installation on Township’s
Roads unless reinforced or mounted from an overhead arm by means of a
suspension device. Sketches’ showing recommended method of
installation is provided within this document.
It shall be the mailbox owner’s responsibility to ensure that their
installation conforms to these requirements.
d) Snowplow truck operators are instructed to plow the road shoulder as
closely as possible to the mailbox post in order to clear the snow from the
road shoulder. On occasion, the clearance distance between the
or mailbox post is misjudged and damage is caused to the mailbox or
post. Such damage is readily identified by examination of the mailbox and
post. In these circumstances, the Township Roads Department will, as a
courtesy and without acknowledging any liability whatsoever, repair the
damage at its own expense including replacement of the mailbox or post if
repair is not feasible.
Damaged mailboxes shall be replaced as weather and manpower permit,
as completion of winter control services on the roadway is a priority.
Replacement mailboxes shall be a standard (45 em x 17.5 em x17.5 em),
weather resistant, steel, rural type mailbox.
e) No mailbox or mounting post shall be so massive as to constitute an
unnecessary hazard to a vehicle leaving the travelled portion of the road
and coming in collision with the installation. No mailbox shall be so
intrusive as to obstruct vision around a curve or from a driveway or side
road entrance. No wooden (cedar) mounting post shall exceed 150 mm (6
inches) in its maximum dimension , no wooden pressure treated mounting
post shall exceed 100mm (4 inches) X 100 mm {4 inches) in its maximum
dimension and no steel or other metal hollow post shall exceed 50 mm (2
inches) in its maximum dimension. This precludes the use of steel “I”
beams, railway rails, telephone poles or other such mounting posts.
f) No novelty installation shall be made on the road for the purpose of
erecting a mailbox which, in the opinion of the Township Public Works
Manager or designate, constitutes a traffic hazard, a distraction or an
obstruction likely to interfere with the free flow of traffic on the road or the
clearing of snow from the road. The use of concrete components is
prohibited from any mailbox erections.
g) In locations (common area) where there is more than one mailbox erected
along the road, there shall be a minimum separation of 0.3 m
(12″) between mailboxes for the owners to maintain their mailboxes and
not interfere with their neighbours’ mailbox.
h) If a mailbox is repeatedly damaged as a result of physical contact (3
Township documented cases) that the Township will provide written
recommendation for an alternate installation location. Township
responsibility for further damage will cease, if relocation to the
recommended location by the property owner does not occur. The
property owner will be responsible to contact Canada Post and receive a
letter that they are in agreement with the new location.
Implementation:
a) When a mailbox is not considered to be in conformance with this policy,
the owner of the mailbox shall be notified in writing of the non-conformity
and shall be given fourteen (14) days in which to correct the problem.
Thereafter, the Township Roads Department shall remove the defective
installation without further notice to the Owner if the installation is in
violation of Section (a), {d), (e) or (f). If the installation is not in
conformance with Section (b), no action need be taken except to advise
the Owner that the installation is not considered adequate for normal
operations and that disruption to their mail service is likely to occur unless
corrective action is taken.
b) Snowplow operators shall drive so as to minimize damage to mailboxes
by:
- reducing speed in built-up areas where mailboxes are most frequent
- leaving adequate space between the wing and the mailbox
- reducing the amount of “winging back” after a snow storm in the area
of mailboxes
The municipality reserves the right to require relocation of mailboxes
situated where heavy snow accumulations are problematic.
The Township will not be responsible for mailbox damage in the following
circumstances:
1. Damage to any mailbox constructed contrary to the policy.
2. Damage to any mailbox struck by snow or ice during normal snowplowing
operations.
3. Any damage to a mailbox struck by a snow plow where the box is buried in
a snow bank.
4. Damage to any mailbox that isn’t sufficiently sturdy to withstand normal
snowplowing operations.
5. Damage to any mailbox that may have deteriorated to the condition where
they are not capable of withstanding the weight of snow thrown up by
normal snowplowing operations.
6. Damage to any mailbox by vandalism.
Click on image below to enlarge.
This policy is adopted as of October 26, 2015 by:
Pierre Mercier, CAO/Clerk and Mike Riberdy, Public Works Manager
