June 10, 2022 Cemetery Commission Special Meeting Minutes – DRAFT

Cemetery Commissioners 

Special Meeting

10 June 2022

Present:

Commissioners

Patrick McAllister

Gary Rand

Linda Swanson

 

Others

Jeffrey DeForest

 

Agenda:

  • Training

 

Meeting came to order at 1:00 pm

Budget

Maintenance

  • FY July – June
  • Current Prices per hour: 
    • Labor – $12 (taxed)
    • Equipment
      • Big mower – $19
      • Small equipment (little mower, chain saw, trimmer, 4 wheeler) – $9
  • Estimated costs (check invoices for actuals):
    •  Center – 7-8 hours
    • Others – 3-4 hours 
  • Easier to find a few people to provide maintenance than put out for bids

 

Regulations (ask Patty)

  • Burials on own property allowed
  • Need local regulations
  • Need to specify how many caskets/ cremations per plot and what sizes for cremation

 

Burials

  • Family/ funeral home contacts town
  • Town contacts commissioners
  • Commissioners identify plot and mark
  • Funeral home handles burial

 

Plot plans – In town safe (not accurate)

  • Software can produce plot plans

 

Deeds

  • $200 – Residents
  • $1,000 – Non-residents
  • Process:
    • Family requests spots
    • Commissioner confirms and writes description
    • Family puts in corner stones [needed before deed produced]
    • Commissioner gives description to Town Clerk
    • Town Clerk produces Cemetery Deed
    • Family pays Town Clerk and receives the deed
  • Plots need cornerstones (6”x6”) – for corner of plots, irrespective of number of graves
    • Purchased by owner
  • Should specify cremation or casket for space
  • Some people purchased plots but don’t need any more

 

Outstanding requests

  • Stanclift Cemetery
    • 1 family needs to know how many plots are left, but not sure how many they have buried
  • West Halifax
    • 1 family – deed needs to be changed, if location changes need to pay new price 
    • Needs drainage ditch, other work
  • Halifax Center
    • Dan Abbiotti Monument bringing monument for2 families – need to mark plots ASAP
  • Niles
    • 1 family wants to know if they have plots
    • 1 family wants to purchase 2 plots, see Jeff’s map, 

 

Active vs. Inactive (see report)

  • Active – as long as there is space or unused plot
  • Inactive – Full or not used in many years
  • Private –need to get agreement of landowner to maintain

 

Restoration work 

 

Other

  • Unknown soldier buried in west Halifax, location unknown, near “Strong”
  • Headstone for hiker near Green River died in a snowstorm
  • Need to create expense reimbursement form
  • Need regulations for people (e.g. no shrubs/trees, no glass, you clean it…)
  • Separate deeds by cemetery, then alphabetize
  • Create archive for expenses

 

The commissioners thanked Jeff Deforest for his service as a commissioner and especially for the training he has provided to the new commissioners.

 

The meeting was adjourned at 2:45 pm.