Turns out small businesses and faceless companies tempting you to work from home aren’t the only ones hanging illegal signs in Derby.
The city is responsible for a few, Alderman Ron Sill said, and those should be taken down as well.
Resident Harvey Finkel asked about sign pollution during the public comment period of the Derby Aldermen meeting last month.
Sign pollution, or street spam, refers to the abundance of signs advertising everything from church fairs to weapons training that show up on utility poles all over the city.
It looks cheap, Finkel pointed out. And it’s illegal, according to state law.
The Aldermen didn’t ignore Finkel’s concerns. The topic came up again during a meeting of the Aldermen’s Community Relations Subcommittee meeting Aug. 12.
Sill said Derby has at least one “no parking sign” attached to a utility pole. That’s a no-no.
Carlo Sarmiento said he and Anthony DeFala, Sr., the public works director, will be taking down signs, including any put up by the city.
Aldermen Art Gerckens read a letter from United Illuminating stating the signs put the utility company’s workers at risk.
“The obvious reason for these prohibitions is the importance of reliable electric service and to provide for the safety of the individuals who must ascend, descend and work on the poles,” Larry Mai, a senior account manager with UI, said in a letter to Derby.
“For these reasons we respectfully request that the City of Derby not place or permit anyone else to place any foreign objects on our electric distribution poles. Additionally, we would appreciate your help in making the residents of Derby aware of this prohibition,” Mai said.
