Hertford to post signs at cemeteries on leaving items

The town of Hertford is posting new signage on placing flowers and other memorial items in the town’s two cemeteries following complaints that some items were discarded during a recent cleanup day.

Town Manager Janice Cole informed town councilors on Monday that several residents called town offices upset that the flowers and other memorabilia they left at gravesites had been removed and thrown away.

The items were apparently removed on March 1 by volunteers during a cleanup day at the cemetery. Many of the items had been scattered across the cemetery by strong winds.

Cole said scattered items in the cemetery make it more difficult for town staff to maintain the cemetery.

“Some of the flowers and other items that were left out too long at the cemetery make it unkept and difficult for mowing,” she said.

The cemetery cleanup had been advertised well beforehand. According to town officials, the cleanup was announced during a Town Council meeting in February. Town Clerk Gina Durante also said notices of the scheduled cleanup day were included in the newsletter that accompanied town residents’ utility bills in December and January.

But Cole said town officials “recognize not everybody who has a buried relative there lives here,” so they may not have seen the newsletters.

For that reason, the town’s policy on placing items in the cemeteries is now posted at both cemeteries, Cole said. There are four signs at Cedar Wood Cemetery and two signs at Roadside Cemetery, she said. The policy is also posted on the town’s website.

The signs contain language “indicating what can and can not be there” and include cemetery cleanup dates, Cole said.

“Any flowers cemetery guests put out, need to be attached to the headstone,” she said. “We can put some sort of shed out there, so we can put the things that (cemetery visitors) put out are not thrown out.”

According to Cole, the town’s cemetery fund has enough money to cover the cost of the signs and shed.

“We can transfer money from the cemetery fund to cover the new signage and a shed where unauthorized items can be held if people want to pick them up,” she said.

In an unrelated matter, Town Council agreed to allow the placement of a private company’s ATM machine inside the lobby of the municipal building. Officials said the ATM is needed because residents need cash to pay some fees, including for notary services. The town is not entering into a contract to maintain the ATM machine. The vendor will be responsible for any maintenance.

“There will be no contract that would bind us,” Cole said.