Ionia County Road Department
It is the policy of the Board of County Road Commissioners of Ionia County to require mailboxes and newspaper delivery boxes (hereinafter referred to as mailbox) located in the Ionia County Road Commission (ICRC) rights-of-way to be constructed in a manner which does not interfere with the safety of the traveling public or the maintenance and operation of the road system. A mailbox installation that does not conform to the provisions of this policy will be considered an unauthorized encroachment on the rights-of-way and removal shall be administered in accordance with State of Michigan Act 368, Public Acts of 1925, as amended. This policy is consistent with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Postal Service.
Removal of Nonconforming or Unsafe Mailboxes
Any mailbox that is found to violate the intent of this policy shall be removed by the owner upon notification. At the discretion of the ICRC, and based on an assessment of hazard to the public, the owner will be granted not less than 24 hours or more than 30 days to remove an unacceptable installation. If not removed within the specified time, the installation will be removed by ICRC at the owner’s expense as provided by Act 368, Public Acts of 1925, as amended.
Mailboxes Damaged by ICRD
It is the policy of the ICRC to replace all mailboxes and/or supports damaged or destroyed as a result of road maintenance activities, even though, by law, ICRC has no legal responsibility to do so. The replacement mailbox shall be the standard aluminum or plastic box which is approximately 19" long by 6-1/2" wide and 9" high. The replacement will be in accordance with ICRC regulations for mailboxes. Individuals who maintain boxes of another standard do so at their own risk. The ICRC is not responsible for the installation of the replacement mailboxes and post.
In the event the owner of the damaged mailbox declines the standard mailbox and/or support offered as a replacement, the owner may receive a cash settlement in full settlement of any claim in lieu of mailbox replacement. The cash settlement, if requested, shall be $20 for a standard size mailbox; $20 for a medium size mailbox and $20 for the largest sized mailbox. On state trunklines, ICRC will supply a standard mailbox and post, but cash settlement will not be received if damaged by our equipment.
Encroachment and/or Obstruction
It is the policy of the Board of County Road Commissioners of Ionia County to prohibit and, when necessary, to remove any encroachment and/or obstruction in the county road right-of-way. It is recognized that encroachments and/or obstructions along the roadways severely impact the convenience and safety of the motoring public. The removal of such encroachments and/or obstructions promotes safety for the motoring public, improves the aesthetics of the roadway, and lawfully eliminates interference with public and private utilities within the public road right-of-way. When removal is necessary, it is at the owner’s expense.
Simply defined, an encroachment and/or obstruction is the unauthorized use of highway right-of-way or easements. An encroachment and/or obstruction includes any object, vegetation, landscape, earthwork, sign, fence, and/or building; and other objects, including oversized mailboxes or posts. Oversized mailboxes and mailbox posts are the accommodation of mailboxes and newspaper delivery boxes on the public road right-of-way.
It shall be the policy of the Board of County Road Commissioners that this encroachment and/or obstruction policy be uniformly and fairly administered. The Board recognized that there are many encroachments and/or obstructions within what is commonly recognized as the right-of-way of the county road system. The Board also recognizes that these encroachments and/or obstructions constitute hazards to the motoring public ranging from non to severe and that the staff time available to identify, assess, recommend action, and follow-up on these accommodations and/or obstructions is recognized as being limited.
The managing director shall be charged with the responsibility of developing a procedure to implement this policy in accordance with Public Act No. 368 of 1925, as amended (MCL 247.171, MSA 9.251).