Notes from Cemetery Committee, July 2, In Person Meeting

submitted by Candice Curry

Present:

• Karen Marshall, Chair
• Candace Currie
• Roxanne McCaffrey
• Patrick White
• Michael Canales
• Chris Marsden
• Hugh Page, Superintendent, Highway Dept.
• Peter Williams, Historical Commission

1. Cemetery management: Joe Gardino has resigned effective the end of the summer. Marshall moved that Chris Marsden be hired as the new cemetery consultant. Approved.
2. At St. Joseph's request, the Catholic Church will take over the maintenance and burials at St. Joseph's Cemetery, effective July 1. The Town's Highway Department will no longer maintain the grounds and the Town will no longer manage interments.
3. Page reported:
   1. There are two buildings in the cemetery currently used to store tools. The Commission brainstormed on renovations and uses for both the historic hearse building and the newer shed. Canales and Page to look over both buildings and evaluate the tool shed.
   2. The commission also discussed possible public uses of the hearse shed. For example, McCaffrey and White expressed interest in exploring whether to convert the hearse building to a small museum.
4. Hedges around cemetery and around some private lots need to be cut back or replaced. No decisions were made. The group agreed to revisit this subject again later.
5. Water spigots need to be added to the newer sections of the cemetery where people are leaving flowers.
6. Starting this year, leaves will be vacuumed instead of raked onto tarps. Using this equipment will save money and time. String trimmers, especially around the older stones, even with a lighter gauge string, are damaging the stones in the historic sections. A suggestion to switch from lawn that requires mowing to something like thyme that is already growing there would reduce labor and potential damage to stones. The newer stones made of granite are not damaged by string trimmers.
7. The cemetery roads are not plowed in the winter except for access for and during a burial, and everyone agreed that approach is appropriate for the town cemetery.
8. Walking in the cemetery at all seasons is still possible. There may be a need for a sign related to winter conditions.
9. The Commission discussed burial records; goal to maintain both physical and digital records. Currie mentioned she has extensive experience in this field (she was part of the leadership team at Mt. Auburn Cemetery for a number of years). White suggested that any database include photos, descriptions, audio clips, QR codes and related fields to allow the town to repurpose the data for a virtual cemetery tour website/mobile app.
10. The Commission discussed candidates for consultant to develop plan to repair broken and damaged headstones in the old portion of the cemetery.
11. Karen and Chris will outline the scope and requirements and then request proposals from at least three companies to do the work later this summer and fall.
12. Discuss mapping of remaining space in cemetery to determine best use of current space and anticipate any needed expansion in the future. Karen and Chris will follow up on this later this year.
13. Discussion about a new driveway and parking lot proposed by The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR) on property adjacent to the cemetery. Karen will follow up with the Conservation Commission and with TTOR.
14. Repair to Richard Bowker headstone -- the damage was reported by Rich Bradway, who offered to raise funds to repair the headstone. Commission authorized the Town to make the repair from money in the Highway Department's budget for headstone repair.

Meeting adjourned.

Photo: Jay Rhind