Town Hall: 3600 Lorraine Dr. Walworth, NY 14568
(315) 986-1400
The Walworth Highway Department provides safe roads under their jurisdiction within the Town of Walworth.
We directly service the needs of our residents by providing timely, courteous service in respect to road maintenance, snow removal, road side drainage, and a variety of other services within budgetary constraints.
Our goal is to quickly respond to complaints and to rectify them to the best of our resources.
Although we take great care at minimizing mailbox damage during the winter season, there are times when overall visibility, oncoming traffic, and heavy snow conditions work against us, and damage to your mailbox cannot be avoided. In most of these instances, mailboxes are damaged by the force of heavy snow and ice hitting your mailbox as snow is removed from the roadway. It is a New York State Attorney General ruling that mailboxes are private property that are placed in the public right of way and are not subject to repair by the municipality. However, we will repair or replace mailboxes and/or posts when we determine the damage was caused by our plows. If your mailbox is damaged because of a rotten post or rusted box, or your personal plow driver created the damage, any repairs then become your responsibility.
All damaged mailboxes/posts will be replaced by a standard metal mailbox with a 4" x 4" pressure treated post. Therefore, if you have a special, custom, or oversized mailbox, you may want to consider replacing it for the winter season, as we will not replace it with the same box you have before the damage occurred. Due to frozen ground, it may be necessary to place a temporary box and post so you may continue to receive your mail until proper repairs can be made.
The best method to protecting your mailbox during the winter months is to ensure it is properly attached to the post, and to keep the mailbox assembly simple to limit the potential impact surface area for plowed snow. Over the last few years, the practice of plowing or depositing snow from private driveways or private property onto highways has grown significantly, and especially after the roadways are clear and snow has been pushed back behind the shoulders by the Highway Department. This is a dangerous practice and is strictly prohibited under Section 1219 of the Vehicle and Traffic Law and Section 214 of New York State Highway Law. Depositing snow or ice onto the roadway or shoulder may result in a serious accident and those responsible may be held liable.
Please contact the Highway Department at (315) 524-3150 with any questions or concerns.
