A proposed law on roadside memorials may have lost steam after a mother who lost her son in an accident spoke out in opposition.
The law would ban glass and lit candles from being used in roadside memorials, ensure they don’t block public streets or roads — and place a 90-day limit on the memorials.
Jill Garofalo’s 16-year-old son, Tim, died in an ATV accident on Hawthorne Avenue in 2004.
There is a memorial on Hawthorne Avenue where Tim lost his life.
“To date, I have not heard of any problems or accidents occurring at this site,” Garofalo told members of the Board of Aldermen during the public comment portion of their meeting Thursday.
Garofalo urged the Board of Aldermen at its Thursday meeting to deal with more pressing matters in Derby.
Garofalo said she was told, prior to last month’s election, that the roadside memorial issue would go away because politicians were worried it would upset too many people before the vote.
“Derby must have more important issues to discuss other than roadside memorials and (I) was assured that the issue was not going to be taken up again,” Garofalo said.
Garofalo previously spoke against the proposed law at a subcommittee of the Board of the Aldermen. After that initial discussion, Aldermen said any new law would not affect existing roadside memorials in Derby.
“I have no problem grandfathering existing roadside memorials as long as rules are being followed,” Mayor Anthony Staffieri said.
However, the language about grandfathering was not included in a draft version of the law distributed to the Board of Aldermen Thursday.
After Garofalo spoke, Aldermen David Lenart, who represents Garofalo’s Second Ward, said elected officials should not regulate grief.
Lenart was part of the subcommittee that recommended the law to the full Board of Aldermen.
However, Thursday was the first time elected officials saw a draft copy of the law.
“I don’t agree with this. I’ve got to tell you right now. People grieve in their own way. Telling people how they have to grieve if far beyond what we should be doing,” Lenart said.
Ken Hughes, president of the Board of Aldermen, said the idea from the law came from complaints about a memorial set up on Derby Avenue for Claudia Woodford.
That memorial, next to the Catholic War Veterans building, had broken glass on the sidewalk.
The Aldermen didn’t take action on the proposed law. It will be put out to a public hearing next month, at which time the Board may vote on it.
Garofalo, meanwhile, said she wasn’t opposed to the law if her memorial could stay.
“As long as it can stay, I’m happy to comply with all the safety regulations,” Garofalo said.
