Aurora Councillor Tom Mrakas wants town to regulate Canada Post superboxes

Yorkregion.com
May 7, 2015
By Teresa Latchford

One Aurora councillor is willing to fight for the right to determine the best locations for Canada Post’s new community mailboxes.

Councillor Tom Mrakas informed fellow council members he is seeking support at next week’s council meeting to join Hamilton in opposing the process Canada Post is using for the installation of community mailboxes.

His proposed motion will also seek to request greater public consultation, amend the town’s bylaw to reflect the rules and regulations for placement of the boxes as Hamilton has and charge a fee for each installation.

The proposal is the result of resident comments suggesting there wasn’t enough meaningful consultation when Canada Post selected the new locations for the boxes that will soon replace home mail delivery.

“My intention isn’t to prohibit the boxes, but to regulate their placement,” he said. “We own the property they will be installed on, so we and the residents should choose where they are best placed.”

He is positive the municipality will incur costs associated with the community mailboxes such as extra lighting, accessibility features, sidewalks to ensure safety and whatever else is needed. He feels the town should recover those costs by requiring Canada Post to purchase a permit for the installation as is required of the utility companies.

“In essence, I do realize it is just shifting the money from one level of government to another, but this is one way we can cover our costs at the municipal level,” he replied when asked how the permit fees from the Federally funded organization would ultimately benefit the taxpayer.

He also feels it is a battle worth fighting, even if it means using town resources for litigation if a reasonable agreement cannot be reached.

“I will just wait and see if I have support next week,” he added.

The motion will be tabled during next week’s council meeting.