DRAFT
Minutes
of the Bethany Cemetery Commission
Regular
Meeting on November 17 2014
A regular meeting of the Bethany Cemetery Commission was held in the
Selectmen’s Meeting Room of the Bethany Town Hall on Monday, November 17, 2014. In attendance were: Will Brinton ~ Chairman, Carol
Goldberg, Mary Ehrler and Kris
Sullivan. Absent was Steven
Thornquist. There are two vacancies on
the Commission.
The meeting was called to order at 7:39 p.m. by the Chairman.
Approval of Minutes
The draft minutes of the Commission’s regular meetings held on March
17, 2014, September 15, 2014 and October 22, 2014 were distributed for review
by the Chairman. Action on those minutes
was then taken as follows:
- It was moved by Ehrler and seconded by
Brinton to approve the minutes of the March 17, 2014 regular meeting of
the Commission as submitted .
In favor: Brinton,
Sullivan and Ehrler.
Abstain: Goldberg
Unanimous approval.
- It was moved by Ehrler and seconded by
Brinton to approve the minutes of the September 15, 2014 regular meeting
of the Commission as submitted .
In favor: Brinton,
Sullivan and Ehrler.
Abstain: Goldberg
Unanimous approval.
- It was moved by Ehrler and seconded by
Brinton to approve the minutes of the October 22, 2014 regular meeting of
the Commission as submitted .
In favor: Brinton,
Sullivan and Ehrler.
Abstain: Goldberg
Unanimous approval.
Carrington Cemetery ~ Ground
Penetrating Radar Quotes
Three separate quotes had been received from companies who can provide
ground penetrating radar surveys. Copies
of those quotes had been emailed to all the members. The quotes were from GeoModel Inc., Underground Surveying and Ground
Penetrating Radar Systems (GPRS).
At the October 22, 2014 Commission meeting, Ehrler, Thornquist and
Sullivan had agreed to each contact the references for one of the three
companies and report back their findings at this evenings meeting.
Thornquist had emailed that he had not heard back from the references
he had contacted. Sullivan distributed
the response she had received from Kevin Whitfield of Elkton, Virginia, regarding
a cemetery survey GeoModel Inc. had done in that municipality. Ehrler shared information she had found
online regarding her company, and noted she had not received any responses from
the references she had contacted.
Following discussion it was moved by Sullivan and seconded by Goldberg
to recommend to the Board of Selectmen that the firm of GeoModel Inc. be
engaged to conduct an in ground penetrating radar survey of the Carrington
Cemetery on Rainbow Road, per that firm’s submitted estimate. I
In favor: Brinton, Sullivan, Goldberg and Ehrler.
Unanimous approval.
Sperry Cemetery Gravestone
Repairs
The Chairman reported that the work on the gravestone repairs had been
completed. A bill in the amount of
$2000.00 ($100 less than the original estimate for the repairs) was received
from Clarks Landscaping & Lawn Maintenance for those repairs.
Following discussion it was moved by Goldberg and seconded by Sullivan
to approve payment of the bill in the amount of $2000 submitted by Clarks
Landscaping & Lawn Maintenance for repairs to gravestones at the Sperry
Cemetery.
In favor: Brinton, Sullivan, Goldberg and Ehrler.
Unanimous approval.
The Chairman noted that he had also met with Public Works Director Al
Green and Charlie Gagel regarding runoff into the Sperry Cemetery from the road
which is causing erosion.
The Chairman noted that he had not yet spoken to Mr. Green about
removal of the tree and shrub encroaching on two different grave stones in that
cemetery.
Financial Matters
Goldberg reported that she had been at the Board of Finance meeting the
prior week when that Board had discussed
combining the existing two line items for cemetery maintenance into one line
item.
There was a brief discussion of
the need to review the financial
statements for the Cemetery Fund from
2012 forward to determine if any deposits of funds paid for the purchase of
cemetery plots had been made to that account.
Based on that review, representatives from the Commission may need to go
to the Board of Finance to request the transfer of any plot payments that
should have been made to the Cemetery Fund.
Carrington Cemetery
Hedge/Fence
There was continued discussion of how a better site line for exiting
the cemetery could be achieved while still having a physical barrier between the
road and the cemetery.
At the end of discussion it was the consensus of the Commission to have
the Chairman speak with the Board of Selectmen about having the Town Road Crew
remove some of the hedge (+ 10 feet) on the western side of the east
entrance to the cemetery (the entrance closest to Carrington Road (Route 69),
and having the “Carrington Cemetery” stone relocated to where the hedges are
removed for better visibility of that stone, and to also prevent vehicles from
making too wide a turn into the cemetery and hitting any of the older
gravestones in that area.
The Chairman will also ask if the Road Crew could also “level” the
hedge from the cluster of birch trees where the “Carrington Cemetery” stone is
currently located, easterly to the east entrance of the cemetery to assist in
providing better visibility, without removing the barrier that the hedges
provide between the cemetery and the road traffic.
Bylaws and Lot Fees
Discussion on this agenda item was deferred until the Commission’s next
regular meeting on Monday, December 15, 2014.
Meeting Schedule for January
2015 to January 2016
It was the
consensus of the Commission members to adopt the following meeting dates for
the period of January 2015 to January 2016, with meetings being held at the
Town Hall, 40 Peck Road, starting at 7:30 p.m.:
- Tuesday, January 20, 2015
- Tuesday, February 17, 2015
- Monday, March 16, 2015
- Monday, April 20, 2015
- Tuesday, May 18, 2015
- Monday, June 15, 2015
- Monday, July 20, 2015
- Monday, August 17, 2015
- Monday, September 21, 2015
- Monday, October 19, 2015
- Monday,
November 16, 2015
- Monday, December 14, 2015
- Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Adjournment
There being no
further business to come before the Commission, it was moved by Sullivan and seconded
by Goldberg to adjourn the meeting at 8:46 p.m.
Unanimous approval.
Respectfully Submitted,
Kristine Sullivan, Acting Secretary
