’Sensitive Topic’ In Clarendon Hills

CLARENDON HILLS, IL – Clarendon Hills officials say they receive complaints about the placement of commemorative ribbons on parkway trees, typically marking the death of residents. Hinsdale has grappled with the issue as well.

For Monday’s Village Board meeting, Assistant Village Manager Zach Creer outlined the subject in a memo.

"Staff believes in general the sentiment is appreciated (although not always)," Creer wrote. "However, these ribbons tend to stay up past their prime and eventually lead to complaints, which sometimes requires Village Public Works staff to remove them."

Last year, Hinsdale issued a policy requiring ribbons be taken down from trees in the village’s rights-of-way within 14 days. It also says those who put them up are responsible for taking them down. And it lets residents remove ribbons on the rights-of-way in front of their houses.

Creer said Clarendon Hills may see some value in regulating the activities. However, he said, organizers of ribbon efforts may view village intervention negatively, given the seriousness of the commemorations. Mourning processes, he said, are complex through all cultures, religions and societies.

“Government, in general, tends to allow people to handle it in their own ways, and a set of regulations could be seen as government overreach by some,” Creer said.

Creer said the village could limit its policy to requiring organizers to notify the village before placing ribbons.

“I don’t think staff has a preference one way or another,” Creer told the Village Board. “This is a sensitive topic. I don’t want to upset anyone or to tell someone they have to grieve in a certain way.”

Village President Len Austin thought the best solution would be to require people call the village when they place ribbons on parkway trees.

Village officials made no decision on a policy at their meeting Monday.