Village of Campbellsport

Why aren't stick mailboxes permitted in the Village of Campbellsport?
Why are there still stick mailboxes in some parts of town?
What about those plastic newspaper boxes?
There are new cluster mailboxes all over town, even in places where there were no stick mailboxes. What's the deal?
I got a letter from the village saying that the new clusterbox will cost me $50. Do I have to pay?
Why is the fee $50. Will I have to pay that much every year?
What happens if I don't pay the $50.
How come some of us have to buy a clusterbox, but others got one for free?
Will anyone be required to purchase a clusterbox?
What if I already have a clusterbox provided by the Post Office, but it is old and in disrepair?
What if I already have a clusterbox, but I want to move into a new one that's closer to my house?
What if I pay for a new cluster mailbox, but then move to a new house.
I never got a letter, and I need a clusterbox. What should I do?
What happens when it's time to replace the clusterboxes?

Why aren't stick mailboxes permitted in the Village of Campbellsport?
The Campbellsport Village Board of Trustees passed an ordinance in 1992 stating that the placement of individual "stick" mailboxes within the street right-of way was not permitted.  This was done primarily to eliminate the maintenance problems associated with private stick mailboxes.  As per the ordinance, only cluster mailboxes are permitted on the village right-of-way.

Why are there still stick mailboxes in some parts of town?
The Village has now provided cluster mailboxes to replace all existing stick mailboxes.  Private property owners were asked to remove all individual stick mailboxes from the public right-of-way by the spring of 2004.  Stick mailboxes are permitted on private property, however.  The Postmaster determines whether or not the post office will deliver mail to a mailbox placed on private property, and some exceptions have been made.  Contact the Postmaster with questions about delivery to private property.

What about those plastic newspaper boxes?
Individual boxes for newspapers or any of the local advertising guides are also prohibited from the public right-of-way.  As per Section 9.16.30 of the Village's Municipal Code, newspapers and other handbills must be placed in a receptacle or delivered to your door.   The village has permitted bulk newspaper distribution boxes to be placed on public property in specific locations, but individual receptacles must be placed on private property, not on the right-of-way.

There are new cluster mailboxes all over town, even in places where there were no stick mailboxes. What's the deal?
Post office policies based on mail delivery routes meant that some residents were being charged to rent a box at the post office.  The Village has purchased new cluster mailboxes to give these residents  the option of having a form of free delivery.

I got a letter from the village saying that the new clusterbox will cost me $50. Do I have to pay?
No.  Although the Village has purchased a clusterbox unit for every eligible home, the owners of existing residences will not be forced to purchase or use the new cluster mailbox that has been provided for them.

Why is the fee $50. Will I have to pay that much every year?
This is a one-time fee.  The actual cost to the Village to purchase and install the cluster mailboxes was about $100 per individual unit.  (Most cluster mailbox receptacles have 16 individuals units.)  The Village Board decided that the fee would be reduced to $50 to help compensate the property owners who had purchased and installed (but were now being forced to remove) their own stick mailbox, or who had been paying to rent a box at the post office.

What happens if I don't pay the $50?
There is no requirement for owners of existing residences to pay the fee or to use the cluster mailbox.  The reduced fee is available for a limitied time only, however.  After two years the one-time fee will go up to $100. In other words, anyone who has not already paid for a cluster mailbox by August 11, 2005, will be required to pay $100 if they want to use the box.

Anyone choosing not to use the new clusterboxes should contact the Postmaster to find out about other mail delivery options.

How come some of us have to buy a clusterbox, but others got one for free?
In the past, the post office policy was to purchase and maintain clusterboxes throughout the village.  That policy apparently changed some time ago.  The Postmaster says that they will maintain what they have already installed, but that the post office is not required to provide any new clusterboxes.  The Village Board decided that the only way to enforce the Village's ordinance prohibiting stick mailboxes, was for the Village to purchase enough new cluster mailboxes to make them available for everyone.

Will anyone be required to purchase a clusterbox?
Actually, yes.  Owners of all new homes built in the village will be required to purchase a cluster mailbox unless one has already been provided for them by a developer.  The price will be $100, which is the actual cost to the Village for the box.  The fee will be collected when a building permit is issued, or at some other point prior to occupancy.

The developers of any new property that may be annexed into the village will be required to provide cluster mailboxes (or to arrange other acceptable provisons for mail delivery) for all residents.

What if I already have a clusterbox provided by the Post Office, but it is old and in disrepair?
It is important to remember that the Village of Campbellsport is only responsible for the new cluster mailboxes and has no investment in or responsibility for the clusterboxes that were in place prior to August 11, 2003, which is when the new Mailbox Policy was adopted by the Board of Trustees.  The village has no control over policies dictated by the local Post Office or its Postmaster, however.  The village reserves the right to assess private property owners for all costs associated with the replacement of cluster mailbox receptacles if that becomes necessary in the future due to policy changes dictated by the Post Office.

What if I already have a clusterbox, but I want to move into a new one that's closer to my house?
The Postmaster has total control over assigning specific residences to specific cluster mailboxes.  If there is room in one of the new boxes, and the postmaster agrees to make the transfer, the Village has no objection.  Anyone who wishes to use a new cluster mailbox will be required to pay the one-time fee of $100, however, regardless of whether they were provided with a free box previously.  The Village Board decided that everyone must be treated equally, and since the Village taxpayers paid for these new boxes, we must recoup the investment from everyone who uses them.

What if I pay for a new cluster mailbox, but then move to a new house?
The Village keeps a record of which cluster mailboxes were paid for based on the address of the residence.  If you move to another home where the previous owner had not paid for a clusterbox, you will need to pay for a clusterbox for that residence if you want to use one.  Once the box for a particular residence has been paid for, use of that box passes to whomever resides at that property.  Contact the Postmaster to arrange for the keys to be transferred from one owner to the next.

I never got a letter, and I need a clusterbox. What should I do?
The Village relied upon the Postmaster to provide us with the adresses of homes that qualified for the new clusterboxes.  It's possible that some homes were missed.  If you did not receive a letter from the Village, contact the Village Clerk at 533-8321 to determine whether you were on our list.  You should also contact the Postmaster if you have any questions about your mail delivery that the Clerk cannot answer.

What happens when it's time to replace the clusterboxes?
The new cluster mailbox receptacles purchased by the village are UPSP approved and are of aluminum and stainless steel construction.  They hopefully will provide many years of service.  When replacement does become necessary, however, all associated costs may be assessed to property owners.  The village amended its Mailbox Policy on April 11th, 2005 to allow for that contingency.