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Pelican Rapids council questions city responsibility for new centralized mailboxes tied to highway project
Summary
Council members pressed staff on why the city would assume responsibility for Central Box Units (CBUs) installed under the highway 59/108 project, citing liability and maintenance concerns; council voted to gather more information and invite the postmaster if needed.
The Pelican Rapids council spent substantial time on Sept. 10 debating who is responsible for Central Box Units (CBUs) that are being installed as part of the Highway 59/108 project. Staff said the Post Office and the state require CBUs where curbside delivery becomes unsafe and that the state will help pay initial installation costs but the city will take on ongoing duties such as distributing keys, maintaining the sites and clearing snow.
City administrator Lance Reyome said the Post Office told staff the city will be responsible for providing keys and maintaining the units; Lance told the council staff prepared a simple key-tracking form and that the postmaster recommended a key deposit. "She just recommended that we have like a $20 deposit for a key," Lance said.
Council members questioned whether $20 would cover lock changes and staff time to manage keys. One council member argued the deposit should be higher given a post office lock-change fee referenced in the discussion, and suggested the city could instead drop a bag of keys at the post office and insist the federal service perform key distribution. Members also raised liability concerns, including who would be responsible if a mailbox is struck by a vehicle or if a person is injured accessing a unit placed adjacent to traffic.
Council did not adopt a final policy. Members asked Lance to gather documentation showing the Post Office nd state requirement that CBUs must become municipal property, to find the relevant statute or postal bylaw and to invite a postal representative to a future meeting if needed. Multiple council members indicated a preference to postpone any final approval until those facts are established.
Why it matters: the highway project will materially change mail delivery patterns for residents near the corridor; who owns and maintains CBUs affects ongoing city costs and potential liability.
Next steps: staff will seek the postal documentation requested by council and, if necessary, invite the postmaster to explain the statutory or regulatory basis for municipal responsibility.
