Highway Department

                      Highway Superintendent - Ed Morgan                   

 

Summer Hours:	Monday - Thursday	7:00am to 4:30pm
	Friday	7:00am to 12:00pm
Winter Hours:	Monday - Friday	7:00am to 4:00pm
Phone:	585-638-8507
Fax:	585-638-6214
Email:	edmorgan@rochester.rr.com

Mailboxes Damaged During Snow Removal

In the course of plowing during and after significant snowstorms, our Highway Department receives phone calls regarding damage to mailboxes, either from snowplows directly or from the force of snow being thrown by the plows. If such damage is indeed caused by snow removal, it is not done intentionally but is an unfortunate consequence of snow removal.

As far as replacing damaged mailboxes, it must be pointed out that there is no statutory or legal authority which grants a property owner or resident along a public highway any right to place a mailbox in a highway right-of-way. The mailbox is on town or county right of way as a courtesy to the postal service.

Thus when the necessity of keeping the highway open conflicts with the individual’s reception of the mail, the latter must stand aside. The owner might even be compelled to remove the box under Highway Law#319.

From past experiences, we have found that plastic mailboxes do not withstand the abuse of snow from the plows hitting them and are not recommended.

As a courtesy, the Highway Department will place a temporary box so that a resident can receive mail if their box is damaged by the plow. We will not replace a fancy mailbox or post.

Mailbox posts with fancy supports are not recommended as they stick down under the box and give the wing plow something to get hold of. A box mounted directly on top of a treated 4 x 4 is best.

Town of Murray's responsibility for state and county roads (see map below) are as follows:

State Roads - The town contracts the state for snow and ice control on Route 237 only.  The state controls snow and ice on Route 104 and Route 31.  The town also contracts the state for roadside mowing on all state roads.

Resident Engineer - David Lange - 585-589-6655

County Roads - The town contracts the county for snow and ice control on all county roads along with roadside mowing three times a year.

County Highway Superintendent - Ed Houseneckt - 585-589-6145

Map showing ownership responsibility for roads in the Town of Murray

(Click the picture for a larger view or click here for a Adobe Acrobat file.)

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