Are you getting ready to install a new mailbox or newspaper
delivery
box along a county road? Here are some things you need to know:
The location and construction of mailboxes shall conform to the
rules and regulations of the U.S. Postal Service and the following
standards established by the Genesee County Road Commission. These
standards were based on A Guide for Erecting
Mailboxes on Highways, published by the American Association
of State Highway and Transportation Officials, 1994.
Contact your local Post Office for instructions on the height (normally
42-46") and side of the road where your mailbox should be
located.
Location
On paved roads, the roadside face of the box
must be offset the width of the shoulder plus 8 inches.
On curbed streets, the roadside face of the box must be 8
inches from the face of the curb.
On gravel roads, the roadside face of the box must be 8 inches
from the edge of the traveled portion of the roadway.
When a mailbox is installed in the vicinity of a guardrail,
the box should be placed behind the guardrail when possible
with the face of the box even with the back of rail.
When a mailbox is located at an intersection, the box must
be a minimum of 100 feet beyond the center of the intersection
in the direction of the postal route.
Mailboxes must be constructed of sheet metal, plastic or similar
weight materials, with weight not to exceed 11 lbs.
Newspaper boxes may be mounted below the mailbox on the side
of the mailbox support.
No more than two mailboxes can be mounted on a support structure
unless the configuration has met U.S. Department of Transportation
crash test standards
Multiple installations must meet the same criteria as single
mailbox
installations.
Click the Play button to see graphic crash test evidence of
why it is important to not install more than 2 mailboxes on
a single post.
A single 4x4 inch square or 4 inch diameter wooden post, or
light gage pipe with strength no greater than 2 inch standard
steel pipe must be embedded no more than 24 inches in the ground.
The mailbox and its support will be considered hazardous to
motorists
when the support exceeds the described structural limitations.
Mailbox
supports that exceed these criteria, such as brick, concrete,
steel and
wood pillars are not permitted.
Mailboxes with improper specifications or locations in the
right-of-way will be liable for damages.
Click the Play button to see graphic crash test evidence of
why it is important to follow structural specifications.
Any mailbox that is in violation of these Regulations shall be
immediately removed by the owner upon notification by the Road Commission.
If the owner has not removed the mailbox, the Road Commission in
accordance with M.S.A. 9.251 will issue the owner an Encroachment
Removal Order, whereupon the owner will be granted 30 days to remove
the unacceptable mailbox. Thereafter, the mailbox will be removed
by the Road Commission on the owner's expense.
For damages caused by Genesee County Road Commission snow removal
operations, a reimbursement to the property owner shall be made
in the amount not to exceed $20.00.
Recommended Policy on Reimbursement for Damaged Mailboxes
It has been the practice of the Genesee County Road Commission to replace, or reimburse homeowners $20.00 toward replacement of, all mailboxes damaged by snow or by our plows whenever we are made aware of the problem. The replacement had consisted of a standard mailbox and a recycled sign post and was installed by our own crews.
Although we will continue to reimburse homeowners $20 for a new mailbox in such instances, recent reductions in Road Commission manpower and budget make it impossible for us to continue to do the actual installation.
When a mailbox damage claim is reported to the Road Commission when the damage occurs the Road Commission will reimburse the homeowner $20.00.
It is the intent of this policy that the Manager-Director of the Genesee County Road Commission will deal with the public fairly when handling reimbursement for mailboxes which may have been damaged by Road Commission vehicles.
If you have a general complaint please call the Road Commission
at (810) 767-4920 or (800) 249-4027. The switchboard operator will
forward you to the appropriate department or a message will be taken
and left for the department manager. If you have called before,
please mention this and a note will be made of it.
If you have a specific complaint or question, please check the
sections below and your question might be answered there. You may
also want to look in our "Policies,
Practices, and Procedures" section to see if your question/complaint
may be answered/taken care of there.
Call the Genesee County Road Commission and a complaint will
be forwarded to the district foreman; or
If chloriding is being done:
Call the Road Commission and ask if your township is being
cholrided, if so;
You will be advised that the Road Commission grades the
roads prior to the chloride being applied, but there are no
promises as to the exact date this work will be done.
Dusty gravel roads
The Road Commission takes bids and makes arrangements with a contractor
to apply material (calcium chloride) to reduce the dust on gravel
roads. Three chloride applications are scheduled during the
summer. It takes approximately two weeks for the districts
to chloride all of the gravel roads in the County.
If you have a concern regarding dusty gravel roads,
Call the Road Commission and state your concern;
If your township is to be chlorided, then you will be advised
that when chloriding is scheduled to begin; or
If your township is not scheduled to be chlorided, you will be
advised that your township will not be participating in this application
of chloride.
Potholes
Call the Road Commission and a complaint form will be made out.
Please know the specific location of the pothole. If pothole is
a "tire buster" (hole of considerable diameter and/or
depth), the appropriate foreman will be contacted immediately.
Disposal of Dead Animals
Dead domestic animals
Cats or dogs - Call the Genesee County Health Department
- Phone No. 257-3612
Horses, cows, etc.. - Call the Genesee County Health Department - Phone No. 257-3612
Dead deer - Horses, cows, etc.
If the animal is in the road right of way, call Road
Commission with specific location and the appropriate
district foreman will be notified as soon as possible.
Otherwise call the Genesee County Health Department - Phone
No. 257-3612
Other wild animals (Raccoons, skunks, etc.) - Call the
Genesee County Health
Department - Phone No. 257-3612 .
Rough railroad crossings
Call the Road Commission;
The approach to the railroad crossing is the responsibility
of the Road Commission and a complaint form will be completed
and forwarded to the district foreman.
The area between the railroad tracks is the responsibility
of the railroad company and these calls will be directed to the
Permit Office, so the appropriate company can railroad be notified.
The road crews periodically scrape the shoulders to pull the gravel
up against the edge of the pavement and add material when necessary
to fill holes. Call the Road Commission and a complaint form will be completed
and forwarded to district foreman.
Roadside ditching is scheduled when our crews are not needed for
other activities, such as patching, grading, mowing, etc.
The foreman takes into consideration several questions, when establishing
priorities for ditching, such as:
Is this creating a road problem? (Elimination of flooding on
the roadway or shoulder would take precedence over standing water
in the ditch);
Is there an outlet readily available? (Ditching will create
a deeper hole for water to stand in, if a creek or catch basin
is not available to drain the water into)
Call the Road Commission and a complaint form will be completed
and you will be asked if this is creating a road problem. Complaint
will be forwarded to the appropriate district foreman. Switchboard
operator will not get involved in explaining the local ditching
program.
Fill Dirt Wanted
If you request fill dirt, the switchboard operator will transfer
you to the appropriate department, they will need your name, location
and phone number where you can be located. If our crews are
ditching and need some place to dispose of dirt, the foreman will
contact you at that time and make arrangements.
Roadside Mowing
The Road Commission mowing policy is as follows:
Primary roads are mowed two (2) swaths wide, twice a year;
Local paved roads are mowed one (1) swath, twice a year;
Local gravel roads are mowed one (1) swath, once a year;
Subdivision streets are not mowed.
Clear vision areas at intersections are mowed as needed.
Call the Road Commission and a complaint form will be forwarded
to the district foreman. If a dangerous situation exists, foreman
will be contacted by radio, as soon as possible.
Removal of Dead Trees
Dead trees that are in the road right-of-way are marked during
the summer and removed during the winter months, when our crews
are not busy with other activities (such as snow removal, pothole
patching, etc.). Trees that the foreman considers potentially hazardous
to motorists will be scheduled for removal as soon as possible.
Property owners are allowed to cut trees in the county
right-of-way if a permit has been obtained from the Road
Commission Permits Department. Arrangements can be made for the property
owner to keep the wood, if they so desire.
Call the Road Commission and a request form will be forwarded
to the appropriate district foreman.
In order to provide adequate winter maintenance services to the
motoring public, priorities have been established based on the traffic
volume on the roads within the county.
The priority for winter maintenance is as follows:
State roads - Expressways and M routes;
County primary roads (multi-lanes);
County primary roads (two lane);
County local roads (paved) with high traffic volume;
County local roads (paved) with low traffic volume;
County local roads (unpaved)*;
Subdivision streets*
* Road crews do not work overtime on these roads or streets.
Call the Road Commission and a complaint form will be forwarded
to the appropriate foreman. If this appears to be a potentially
dangerous or an isolated incident (such as an icy intersection),
foreman will be contacted as soon as possible.
Mailbox Replacement
If mailboxes are damaged during snow removal operations, our crews
will replace it with a standard mailbox and/or post, as their schedule
permits. (Road maintenance is our priority and all roads will be
cleared before crews will begin mailbox repairs)
Call 911 with the following information
and the appropriate utility company will be notified:
Location of accident;
The type of damage that was done. If damage is to gas line,
has line been pinched off or is it still leaking?
Signs or Signal Maintenance
Calls regarding sign or signal maintenance will be directed to
the Sign Shop. If no one is available in the Sign Shop, the information
will be taken on a complaint form and forwarded to the Sign Shop.
If the call is regarding a signal malfunction or sign that is down,
the Sign Shop foreman will be contacted by radio, as soon as possible.
Personal Calls for Employees
If the call in an emergency, inform receptionist of your name,
phone number and supervisor of person you're trying to reach
If the call is not an emergency, you will be notified when employee
will be available to accept their call.
Screening Department Manager's Calls
If you wish to speak to the Department Manager, you should leave
your name and phone number with the department's secretary, so he/she
can return your call.
Roads Needing Resurfacing
Calls concerning the resurfacing of gravel or paved roads will
be directed to the Construction Department.
Overloaded Trucks/Semi-trucks in Subdivisions
Calls regarding overloaded trucks will be directed to the weighmaster.
Encroachments on Right-of-Way
Calls concerning right-of-way encroachments will be referred to
the Permit Department.
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