HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-04-10 Cemetery Advisory Board Minutes.docx
LINKED MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE
SUNSET HILLS CEMETERY ADVISORY BOARD
NOVEMBER 4, 2010
1:30 PM
THE LINDLEY CENTER – 1102 EAST CURTISS
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
Russ Tuckerman, Chairperson
Katherine Ball
Gene Brooks
Carl Craft
Don Derby
Betsy Fordyce
David Cook, Park & Recreation Board Liaison
Absent:
Lowell Springer
Carson Taylor, Commission Liaison
CITY STAFF PRESENT:
Ron Dingman, Director of Parks, Cemetery & Recreation
Thom White, Park & Cemetery Superintendent
Shane Surber, Cemetery Foreman
Michelle Dipzinski, Cemetery Board Secretary
GUEST PRESENTERS:
None
COPIES OF THE RECORDING ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
Item #1 – Call the meeting to order:
0:00:13 -
Chairperson Tuckerman called the meeting to order at 1:35pm.
Item #2 – Public comment period, limit 3 minutes per speaker:
0:00:22 -
No public comments were received.
Item #3 – Approve August 26, 2010 meeting minutes – Action Item:
0:00:47 -
No public comments were received.
Linked Minutes of the Sunset Hills Cemetery Advisory Board Meeting, November 4, 2010
No changes were requested.
Motion:
Boardmember Ball motioned to approve the August 26, 2010 minutes as presented.
Boardmember Fordyce seconded the motion.
The motion passed unanimously.
Item #4 – Superintendent/Foreman Update – Thom White & Shane Surber:
0:04:00 –
Foreman Surber gave an update on operations:
Crews are preparing for snow fall, water was turned off first week in October
o
More mulching was done this year,
o
All seasonal employees were done by the end of the last pay period
o
Burials were up this year, at the end of September we were at 142 for the calendar year so we are
o
over 150 so far. Normally we have around 125 to 135 for the year. The number of ash burials is
higher than full burials.
Working with Masons on getting the general public another area to choose for burials. The current
o
area is filling up and the two blocks mentioned at the last meeting should be ready in the spring.
Budgets are being worked on.
o
Using the old nursery for a Children’s Memorial or possibly a Scattering Garden has been discussed
o
more.
Staff has been weed eating as time allows.
o
More trees were planted in block 129 for Veterans, a blue spruce was donated by a member of the
o
public.
Boardmember Ball inquired about the kiosk:
The kiosk is not placed yet; it is available but crews have not had the opportunity to sink it into the
o
ground. It can be done in winter.
Chairperson Tuckerman inquired about the maps
The laminated maps have not been done, the one copy in the office is still available.
o
The new version from Boardmember Springer has not been seen yet.
o
Chairperson Tuckerman inquired on the old nursery and using it for a Children’s Memorial or Scattering
Garden, if this should be an agenda item for the board to discuss.
This would be part of the master plan and with how budgets are right now it may need to be shelved
o
for now.
The Children’s Memorial on Tamarack has been taken over by homeless people. The police said they
o
can’t do anything unless they are doing something illegal, they have the right to be there just like
everyone else. Emotional phone calls have been received regarding this situation. There has been a
stabbing there also. To alleviate some of the problems the tables were removed and the hedge has
been cut.
Boardmember Ball inquired if crews were seeing the same problems within the cemetery.
The cemetery doesn’t have the same level of issues as the Children’s Memorial. The location of the
o
Children’s Memorial is the draw.
The new Police Chief is going to take a pro-active role in patrolling the areas that have previously not
o
been patrolled on a regular basis.
Chairperson Tuckerman met the Police Chief and requested that the cemetery be patrolled on a regular basis.
Item #5 – Commission Report:
0:23:28 –
.Commissioner Taylor was not available for this meeting.
Item #6 – Veterans Wall Update:
0:23:43 –
2
Linked Minutes of the Sunset Hills Cemetery Advisory Board Meeting, November 4, 2010
Boardmember Craft provided the update:
The repair of the Veterans Memorial was put on hold until all of the ceremonies planned had been
o
completed.
Eight panels were removed in July and sent in for repair, it is planned to have them back before
o
Veterans Day. Fourteen panels have been repaired or replaced so far.
The third wing wall is finished on the All Veterans Wall, all that remains to be done is have it painted.
o
A volunteer said he would paint it but if he can’t get it done they would go in and roll it to get it
done. This wall will help prevent snow and ice build up on the Veterans Wall.
There is $15,500 in the bank; $4,800 will go toward the panel repair, $300 toward freight and $800
o
to grout, leaving about $9,600.
They are going to start pushing the plaques to get more cash so they can do more.
o
Flags are changed out four times a year, Foreman Surber notifies when they need to be changed.
o
Veterans Day activities include a pancake breakfast at the new Legion Hall at 7am that day; the
o
ceremony at the cemetery is at 11am and then the grand opening at the Legion at 3pm with the
ribbon cutting at 3:30pm.
Item #7 – Master Plan sub-committee report:
0:16:10 –
Boardmember Ball suggested tabling this item, it is not working the way it is set up now, she suggested
having the board as a whole work on the project. The subcommittee members present at the meeting
agreed.
Chairperson Tuckerman said this could be added as an agenda item for the next meeting, it could be taken
item by item with the board members doing research and bringing their finding to the next meeting.
Boardmember Ball said she would bring a definition of what a scattering garden is and what other cemeteries
are doing.
It was suggested to put the scattering garden by the new columbarium. The new columbarium is in the CIP
for FY12.
Chairperson Tuckerman asked all board members to research scattering gardens for the discussion at the
next meeting.
Item #8 – Recreation & Park Board Update:
0:27:36 –
David Cook provided the following information:
There are changes coming with the Bridger Ski Foundation (BSF):
o
The hospital is starting to rebuild their Emergency Room and has asked that the parking lot
not be used by BSF and the trails going into the hospital stop at the upper field.
Parking for BSF has moved to the upper parking lot of the Softball Complex.
The hospital has agreed to allow the use of the land east of Highland Blvd for ski trails until
they start to develop the land. They have signed a contract for the coming year for the use
of the land. This has almost three miles of ski trails.
They are hoping to find a way to connect the trails on both sides of Highland Blvd.
Parks and Cemetery will be plowing the parking lot.
Item #9 – Tree Donation Program:
0:37:30 –
Joyce Schmidt was not available for this meeting, she contacted Secretary Dipzinski to say she was asked by
the tree farms to contact them again in November and that she would have something available for the next
meeting.
The program concept was originally started to allow private individuals to buy and donate trees, it would also
accept trees from tree farms at the end of their season.
3
Linked Minutes of the Sunset Hills Cemetery Advisory Board Meeting, November 4, 2010
The American Legion and the Marine Corp League have donated trees to the Veterans Walls, there are no
plaques to acknowledge their donation though. It has been looked into but the cost is high.
Item #10 – Requests for Deviation:
0:41:15 –
Foreman Surber provided information on two requests:
Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Graf purchased two plots in the old section. They have requested to put up a
o
bench similar to the ones at his parents and grandparents plots. The bench exceeds the 28 inch
requirement but they have stated that there would be nothing more than ashes going on these lot.
The deviation was approved by staff.
Abel Rodriquez Esparza has requested a natural stone that he engraved himself be put in for his
o
deceased infant daughter. It will be in the infant section and will be a stone in the ground. This was
approved with the condition that it must stay flush with the ground for the first 2 years. Mr. Esparza
followed all the rules and regulations regarding the bond and paying the fees to set the stone. The
deviation was approved by staff.
Anything that might be construed as a deviation will now have a record of approvals and denials.
Item #11 – Budget Update:
0:48:54 –
Superintendent White provided the following information:
The Commission increased the street and tree funding without raising taxes so the other
o
departments were cut. Nothing was taken out of the cemetery but Mayor Krauss noted that there
was a substantial amount of money coming out if the general fund for the cemetery.
The cemetery was one of the departments that was recognized as having to be looked at and a 5%
o
decrease was suggested. That would equate to about $21,000 that could possibly be taken out of
the cemetery budget.
Director Dingman and Superintendent white have researched and found that we rate just about in
o
the middle locally, regionally, and nationally fee wise for the following areas:
Were rates compare
Services offered
How they are subsidized
Staff has to show facts of what they do, why they do it, how the rates are approved, where the rate
o
amount comes from.
The Perpetual Care Fund is a concern because it is very low and something needs to be done to
o
increase that amount in the future.
Currently the budget shows a $311,000 personnel budget which looks high but there are only 3 crew
o
members that work full time and that amounts to about $200,000.
There are no timesheets to show the work they do for Parks, Forestry, Facilities and Recreation.
o
Cemetery crews help those departments specifically.
The new columbarium is in the CIP for FY12 and the price is approximately $40,000. It is extremely
o
difficult to get a quote on something that might not happen for several years.
The CIP is Capital Improvement Projects and is a planning document that is approved by the
o
Commission. It is a five year plan to identify capital items that may be needed.
When it comes to approving the budget for FY12 it is still possible to have it cut when it comes to
o
budget time. Arguments for and against are common. It if stays in and the budget is approved the
capital item is locked in and spending authority is given.
This board is an advisory board that advises the Commission it does not direct staff; the board can
o
make a recommendation to the Commission to approve the purchase of the Columbarium. At the
next meeting it will be listed as an action item to recommend to the commission that they approve
the schedule for the columbarium funds for FY12.
The location of the new columbarium was discussed, the easiest location would be just north of the
o
present location, all that would have to be done would be to extend the walkway. Although the
location is a staff decision feedback from the board is appreciated. Any comments or concerns
regarding the location can be directed toward Superintendent White and Foreman Surber.
4
Linked Minutes of the Sunset Hills Cemetery Advisory Board Meeting, November 4, 2010
Item #12 – Fee Increases:
1:06:14 –
Copies of fees since 2002 were provided.
Currently the city is in the second year of a two year increase ordinance.
Finance Director Anna Rosenberry will be invited to one of the next two meetings to explain to the board
what direction needs to be taken. She gave a presentation at the September 11, 2008 board meeting that
showed how much money was coming in, how the perpetual care fund is doing and what needs to be done
financially.
Chairperson Tuckerman is going to take the book A Cemetery Should be Forever written by Mr. Llewellyn to
Director Rosenberry and ask her to read the chapters on the Perpetual Care Fund.
It would be best if Director Rosenberry can be at the February meeting so the issue could be an action item at
st
the May meeting and put into effect July 1.
Superintendent White and Director Dingman have researched fees and found that the fees we charge are
about in the middle compared to similar municipal cemeteries. They found that most municipal cemeteries
are subsidized 50% to 78% from their general funds.
There will always be a need for general fund subsidy for the cemetery, the commission is very intent on
reducing the subsidy at this time. Currently about 70% of cemetery operations is subsidized by the general
fund.
Item 13 – Softball Complex History:
1:14:28 –
David Cook gave a presentation of his knowledge regarding the Softball Complex history. He was asked to
review the intent of the land about 5 or 6 years ago, he worked with the City Clerk Robin Sullivan and former
Cemetery Foreman Tim Murphy.
He provided the following documentation:
Resolution 1043 which is a resolution authorizing the filing of an application for a federal grant to
o
acquire open space, it was adopted July 3, 1962. It states that the land purchased from the Elks’
Lodge is to be held and used for permanent open-space land as a park, recreational and cemetery
use. It also states that the acquisition is in accordance with the Park Recreational and Cemetery Plan
for the preservation of permanent open-space land.
Resolution 1062 which is a resolution authorizing the purchase of lands from the Elks’ Lodge for
o
cemetery and park purposes, it was adopted December 12, 1962. It states that there is a critical
need of additional land for cemetery and park purposes adjacent and contiguous to present land and
that the lands are adaptable to cemetery and park purposes.
A letter dated August 11, 1997 from the Guardians of the Cemetery regarding the condition of the
o
cemetery and how the money was being mismanaged. The letter also stated what the cemetery
land was used for.
A Cemetery Land Study compiled by David Cook chronicling the discussions and actions taken
o
regarding the land.
The board discussed whether the land was being used as it was originally intended for.
Boardmember Brooks provided a letter dated January 14, 2006 from Harold Fryslie regarding his comments
quoted on the Cemetery Land Study.
Item 14 – Confirm next meeting date – February 10, 2011:
1:27:03 –
The date of February 10, 2011 is set for the next Cemetery Board Meeting which will be held at the Lindley
Center, 1102 East Curtiss Street from 1:00pm to 3:00pm.
Item 15 - Other Business:
1:27:19 –
After serving two years on the Sunset Hills Cemetery Advisory Board, Boardmember Fordyce is stepping
down. Her service on the Board is very much appreciated and the Board thanks her for her service.
5
Linked Minutes of the Sunset Hills Cemetery Advisory Board Meeting, November 4, 2010
There is one opening on the Board, there is a form on the cities website for people to fill out and submit or
people can apply through the City Clerk’s office at City Hall
Adjournment:
Motion:
Boardmember Craft motioned to adjourn the meeting.
Boardmember Ball seconded the motion.
The motion passed unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 3:02pm.
Michelle Dipzinski, the recording secretary, will contact Chairperson Tuckerman, Superintendent White, and Foreman
Surber approximately three weeks prior to the next meeting to set up the agenda.
______________________________
Russ Tuckerman, Chairperson
ATTEST:
_____________________________________
Michelle Dipzinski, Board Secretary
PREPARED BY:
_____________________________________
Michelle Dipzinski, Board Secretary
Approved on __________________________.
6