Halifax Cemetery Commission

Special Meeting

Friday, Jan. 5, 2024, at 9:30 AM

Halifax Town Office, 246 Branch Road, West Halifax, VT

Or Zoom

Attendees: Linda Swanson, Gary Rand, Laurel Copeland, Patrick McAllister

MINUTES

CALL TO ORDER at 9:30 am

APPROVAL OF MINUTES – Minutes from the meeting on October 27, 2023, were approved.

CHANGES AND/OR ADDITIONS TO AGENDA – Discuss moving money from TD Bank to Town account.

NEW BUSINESS

Change in how Cemetery Commission $$ is handled – SB would like to include Cemetery Perpetual Reserve Fund allocation in the SB budget instead of as a separate article. Could still discuss at Town Meeting. Money put in the reserve fund does not have to be spent all in the year it is added. The amount is proposed by Cemetery Commission to SB which is $23,714 for FYE2025. CC could attend the special budget meeting tomorrow and remind SB why we need the money.

Presentation at Town Meeting – we will draft short statements for Town Meeting based on the amount in the Town Budget line. Need Pennel Hill tree-cutting estimates for FYE2026 budget request, although that could wait until subsequent year. Other major expenses besides tree-cutting are GPR and drainage, and potentially improving the trail to Worden should that become desirable. The big birch in Center also needs cutting.

Discuss moving money from TD Bank to Town account – Moving $2500 today to cover the surveyor, but we need to ask him how many pins and where to buy them. Perhaps he will have a low-cost source (or buy them for us with a professional discount).

OLD BUSINESS – Tree removal in Hatch will go to the lowest bid; in case of tie, choose best equipment for the location.

Plots – LS spoke with a family interested in Niles.

OTHER BUSINESS – None.

HEARING OF VISITORS – None.

ADJOURNMENT – 10:20 am

ACTION ITEMS – GR will follow up with Billy Hunt re drainage. LC will call Wimmelman re Hatch trees.