Bethany Cemetery Committee (BCC) July 30, 2012
In attendance: Will Brinton, Carol Goldberg, Kris Sullivan, Tony Esposito, Pat Stewart and guest: Steve Press Jr.
Absent: Mary Ehrler, Don Shea, Steve Thornquist, June Riley
1) Meeting called to order @ 6:19 PM
2) Pat was asked by Will to take minutes of this meeting due to Mary’s absence.
3) Minutes of June 11, 2012 meeting not reviewed, not available.
4) Update on tree work: was presented to selectman’s meeting. Ray Pantalone met with Harkness Tree Services and they will do the job to take down trees in Old Bethany Burial Ground and Methodist Cemetery. A professional will take down the trees and the town, per Al Green, will dispose of the trees with the town crew. They will also cut back brush. The town is now handling mowing the cemeteries.
5) Cemetery Commission and membership and terms:
a. members not yet appointed by selectmen
b. Need to confirm if Cemetery Commission ordinance was published in the local paper
c. the BCC continues as a “committee” and not as a “commission” until deemed so by the selectman.
d. the terms of the commission will be determined as either a 1, 2 or 3 year membership.
6) Rules and regulations from surrounding towns: are being collected by committee members and forwarded to Carol who will compile the dollar amount of grave plots, rules and regulations. The BCC feels that the town should not legislate what graves “look like” but should have a fall back position if not in Bethany’s now existing character.
7) Discussion of lot fees in comparison to surrounding towns: $400.00 is the fee now charged by Bethany but what should it charge in the future? This money will now go into the cemetery maintenance fund. The budget for mowing all 4 town-owned cemeteries is $8,000 per FY.
8) Headstone maintenance: 2 quotes have been obtained from Skip Clark who maintains the Orange Cemetery and Monumental Conservation Collaborative (MCC) The BCC will ask for more details and a walk through of work already preformed and details of what can be expected at the Bethany cemeteries.
Suggestions and questions:
Carol: Can a fund raiser be conducted for the BCC cemeteries?
Can plots be saved for those who can’t afford to buy plots? Set criteria for pauper graves (rename)
Open up pauper /additional space in cemeteries.
E-mail Will with suggestions and questions to ask about cemetery repairs.
Next meeting: August 20 @ 7:00PM and subsequent meetings the 3rd Monday of each month at 7:00 PM.
Adjournment called by Will: 1st, Carol, 2nd Tony and all agree.
