Stonington — If snow or slush pushed by a town plow knocks over your mailbox next winter, don’t expect the town to pay to replace it.

On Wednesday, the Board of Selectmen approved a new policy in which the town only will replace mailboxes that are directly struck by a plow, not taken down by snow pushed by the plow.

Mailboxes damaged by actual impact with a plow will be replaced with a standard box and post. That applies as well to custom mailboxes knocked down by impact with a plow. The town will not replace a mailbox if the post shows dry rot, was unstable or placed too close to the road.

Public works Director Barbara McKrell explained to selectmen the replacement of mailboxes and posts taken down by “winter force” has proven costly to the town — about $2,000 a year and 90 minutes of labor that it takes to replace each mailbox. She said on average the town replaces about 40 mailboxes a year.

The new policy, which she said is the same as Waterford's, will take effect on April 1. That means for the rest of this winter, the town will replace mailboxes taken down by plowed snow or slush.

“It’s a rarity that they actually hit the mailbox with the plow. It’s usually the snow,” Highway Supervisor Tom Curioso said.

The updated policy states that snow being thrown by a plow “can significantly impact the mailbox and cause damage.”

It adds there is nothing that can be done to prevent snow from being thrown from the plow blade. It recommends mailboxes be securely fastened to a sturdy post to reduce or resist the impact of thrown snow.

It further suggests that the mailbox, post and arm be at least 8 inches from the curb or edge of the pavement in order to prevent direct contact by thrown snow.

The policy requires homeowners to report if their mailbox has been hit by a plow within 48 hours of being struck.

First Selectman Rob Simmons acknowledged that a few residents likely will complain about the new policy. But he said that if people take the proper steps to secure their post and use smaller boxes that don’t get hit by as much snow, they should not have a problem.

Asked about how the town will determine whether a plow or snow caused a mailbox to come down, Simmons said plow truck drivers know when they hit one.

The policy states that portable basketball hoops and sprinkler systems are not permitted within the town’s right of way and will not be repaired or replaced by the town.

The policy also gives McKrell or a designated representative the authorization to use “reasonable discretion in resolving matters involving unusual circumstances.”

j.wojtas@theday.com