Snow and Mailboxes

With snows come plowing.  With plowing comes windrows of snow being placed along the sides of the road.  With plowing there also is the occasional issue of mailbox “failures”.  These fall into two general categories.  The obvious for most people would be the plow hitting the mailbox, knocking it down.  The other category is the weight of the snow that is pushed to the side of the road carries the mailbox down.  These two types of failures are handled in different manners.  There is also the issue of a conforming installation of the mailbox.

A conforming mailbox is one that is installed at the proper height and setback from the roadway.  Having it at the proper height is important for mail delivery.  If the mailbox is too low it can be hit with a plow.  The setback is also important.  Having the mailbox too close to the roadway makes it susceptible to being hit.  The mailbox should be setback so the plow blade can move along the edge of the roadway without having to move out to avoid the mailbox. 

It is amazing to understand the weight that snow can carry when coming off a plow.  Certainly you understand that some snows are light and others are heavy depending on water content.  Typically snows in the early or late season are heavier than those during the dead of the winter.  We also understand that a snow of 6-8 inches will carry more weight coming off the plow than one of 2 inches.  These heavier snows pose more problems with mailboxes than lesser snow events. 

To help with these concerns the city sells “swing-up” mailbox supports.  These provide for a small movement of the mailbox when hit by the snow coming off a plow.  These can be purchased elsewhere but the city has them available for residents to purchase.  Installing these is one part of a conforming mailbox installation.  These lessen the possibility of the box going down when hit by snow from the plow.  To further this goal of establishing conforming mailboxes the city has recently agreed to install support poles for mailboxes for residents at a cost of $30.  The city will install them in the right location and at the right height.  The property owner can then install their mailbox on these support poles.

If you have a desire to change your mailbox in the future and want the city to install the swing-up mailbox support please let us know.   If you are interested in a mailbox support, we have them available.  We also can provide you with instructions for the proper placement of mailbox. 

Parks Capital Improvement Plan

The Park and Recreation Committee of the city works on some projects on an annual basis.  The projects are scheduled in a Capital Improvement Plan for parks which is reviewed annually.  Part of the annual review is to update the budget information adding in interest income from the previous year, addressing annual funding, and reconciling the expenditures from the previous year.  Another part of the annual review is to consider whether or not the plan for the year is appropriate.   If thoughts have changed or a better plan has emerged, the plan for the future is adjusted. 

This year the committee had contemplated the creation of a 9-hole disc golf course.  In considering this it was suggested that we at least should plan for an 18-hole course, if possible, even though we may only build a 9-hole course to start with.  Another consideration was what location would best suit the city and where could this be built.  The committee felt they needed additional time to look at options and plan for this.  In doing so, they have requested that this project be moved to 2014 in the plan.  For 2013 the committee had requested the plan be adjusted to provide for the purchase of 2 Freenotes Harmony Park musical instruments.  This change was also made to the plan. 

The revised CIP was requested to be approved by the city council and accepted.  The Park and Recreation Committee have yet to make a decision about how they will proceed with the project for 2013.  Other goals for 2015 are being worked on and some interim steps for that project could be a concern for this year.  When decisions are made the request to move forward will come to council.  

The Park and Recreation Committee have also formed a subcommittee to work on fund raising for the 2015 project.  This is a fishing boardwalk along the channel adjacent to Breezy Point Drive.  This project involves the creation of a dock type structure that would be built on shore adjacent to the channel to provide opportunities for fishing.  The structure will be handicap accessible.  This is a popular spot for spring fishing.  Anyone interested in volunteering for this effort is more than welcome.  The Park and Recreation Committee also has open spots for those who may be interested in becoming a member.