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Carbondale adopts ordinance requiring landlords to maintain mailboxes to USPS standards
Summary
The City Council adopted an ordinance adding landlord responsibilities to city code to ensure mailboxes serving rental properties meet USPS standards; penalties will be citations under existing code and staff emphasized voluntary compliance as the goal.
Carbondale's City Council adopted an ordinance requiring rental-property owners and managers to maintain mailboxes serving residential rental units in accordance with U.S. Postal Service standards.
Council member Roberts said the small change will protect residents who rely on regular mail for medications, paychecks and bills. "It is a small change, but it's a practical one that helps ensure basic housing standards and protects residents," Roberts said.
John Lindsey, the community development manager, told the council the ordinance language adds mailbox maintenance to existing landlord responsibilities in Title 4-14-c and that the enforcement tool would be a citation consistent with penalties already in the code for property maintenance issues. Lindsey said the intent is voluntary compliance and that the citation is a backstop for noncompliance.
During public comment, a resident recommended that landlords ensure house numbers on mailboxes are at least four inches high and visible from both directions to help emergency responders and delivery services locate addresses.
The council moved and voted to pass the ordinance; the roll call recorded Kilman (yes), Roberts (yes), Stanfield (yes) and the Mayor Pro Tem (yes). The ordinance was adopted at the meeting.
Why this matters: reliable mail delivery affects access to critical services and legal notices. The ordinance places explicit responsibility on landlords of rental properties to maintain mailboxes and gives staff a local enforcement mechanism to address persistent problems.
Next steps: staff will implement the ordinance through existing code-enforcement procedures and apply citations for persistent noncompliance if voluntary correction is not achieved.
