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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/19/2004 . � � II �I � MINUTES OF LEBANON CEMETERY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING October 19,2004-2:00 p.m. i Apple Valley Municipal Center 'il I , I I � COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: Wilt Anderson, Ranee Hadley,Dave Kemp,John Raiche, I and Gary Wagner ' COMMITTEE MEMBERS ABSENT: Bob Harvey and Gary Humphrey ' OTHERS PRESENT: Public Works Director Neal Heuer,Public Works Superintendent Rod Rippentrop, and Public Works Administrative Manager Pamela Gackstetter Chair Anderson called the meeting to order at 2:03 p.m. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: of Hadley, seconded by Kemp, approving the agenda for today's meeting as written. Motion passed unanimously. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: of Hadley, seconded by Wagner, approving the minutes of the July 20, 2004, - meeting, as written. Ayes—4,Nays—0,Abstain— 1 (Raiche). Motion passed. NEW BUSINESS Activity Report Ms. Gackstetter reviewed the Lebanon Cemetery Activity Report for third quarter. Third quarter lot/niche sales for 2004 remained strong. Of the 21 sales,there were 16 to residents and 5 to non- residents; 15 were preneed and 6 were at need. The greatest number of burials since the City took over the cemetery occurred this quarter. There were 11 burials, of which 9 were traditional and 2 were cremation. The cemetery is on track to break both sales and burial records in 2004. There were also 3 transfers and 1 return. Maintenance Trees Mr. Rippentrop said there has been concern expressed regarding dead or dying trees. Upon a recent visit to the cemetery, it is staff s opinion that all of the trees currently in place are still alive. Chair Anderson said he was told a group of people including the Mayor, Councilmember � • . Bergman, the City Administrator, City stafF, etc., would visit the cemetery in spring to assess the condition of trees currently in place and decide what can be done to ensure trees survive. Mr. Heuer suggested waiting until the trees have leafed out in order to determine what trees,if any, are dead before pulling a large group together to solve a problem which may not exist. Many trees dropped their leaves early this year giving the impression of being dead. Chair Anderson said the idea of going out to the cemetery was suggested fo him, but agreed it made sense to wait until after leaf bud to decide if it was necessary to meet. Storm Water Draina�e Mr. Heuer said staff recommends no improvement to the storm sewer system installed at the cemetery. If the Committee will recall, during periods of very heavy rain, storm water can back up on the cemetery grounds. This is due to the fact the storm sewer pipes adjacent to the cemetery are undersized. With the development of the gravel pit south of the cemetery and installation of utilities expected in 2006, the pipes will be upsized and the problem will be resolved. Mr. Heuer said expending the funds to fix a problem which may or may not occur before that time would not be prudent. Chair Anderson questioned whether or not the City has any liability for temporary flooding. Mr. Heuer said the City Attorney was consulted on this issue and it was determined the City is not liable. Temporary Easements with Countv Mr. Heuer said the request by the County for temporary easements at the cemetery is a requirement of federal funding for the Pilot Knob Road reconstruction. The easement is on the ' southwest side of the cemetery under the dirt berm. Granting of the temporary easements will not impact the cemetery. Following the reconstruction of Pilot Knob Road, the easement will be vacated. Potential Private Mausoleum Locations Mr. Heuer said this item was placed on the agenda at the request of Committee Member Kemp. Although to date the City has not had any requests to place a private mausoleum, it is always better to be proactive rather than reactive. Mr. Heuer said today he would like to get the Committee's ideas on private mausoleums or similar structures. The Committee discussed this item. Mr. Heuer said he is concerned installing private mausoleums may not meet the City Council's direction of maa�imizing the life of the cemetery, due to the amount of space these types of structures require. In addition, if additional property is acquired, it may impact the location identified for placing private mausoleums. After further discussion, the Committee agreed it may be premature to identify space for private mausoleums. If the City receives such a request, City staff should make the best decision it can. Recommended Changes to City Cemetery Regulations Mr. Heuer said staff went through the City Cemetery Regulations updating items as necessary. The Committee reviewed the recommended changes. Committee Member Kemp suggested calling the Lot Division fee associated with a second burial a Right of Second Burial fee. 2 t � � � Mr. Heuer said it is possibility the City Council may revise the eligibility requirements far purchasing lots/niches in the Lebanor� Cemetery. Changes to the eligibility requirements would require additional changes to the City Cemetery Regulations. Mr. Heuer said he is not sure when staff may opt to present these changes to the City Council, since it may make sense to present all the proposed changes to the City Cemetery Regulations at the same time. MOTION: of Hadley, seconded by Wagner, recommending the Lot Division fee be called Right of Second Burial fee. Motion passed unanimously. MOTION: of Hadley, seconded by Wagner, approving the changes to the City Cemetery Regulations as amended and authorizing staff to bring this item before the City Council at a time determined appropriate by City staff. Motion passed unanimously. Rate and Fee Structure NIr. Heuer said staff is recommending changes to the cemetery General Price List. The handout in the packet shows the current and proposed fees. Five of the changes represent increases and one is the addition of a new fee, for Lot Division. This is the fee associated with dividing a traditional lot so a second burial can take place. MOTION: of Hadley, seconded by Wagner, recommending the Lot Division fee on the General Price List be called Right of Second Burial fee. Motion passed unanimously. The Committee discussed the proposed fee associated with the Right of Second Burial. Options included raising it from$100 to $250 or making it a percentage of the Traditional Lot fee. , MOTION: of Hadley, seconded by Wagner, recommending the Right of Second Burial fee equal 50 percent of the cost of the Traditional Lot fee to which it applies. Motion passed unanimously. OTHER BUSINESS Newspaper Article Chair Anderson recapped the article about the cemetery appearing in the St. Paul Pioneer Press on September 19, 2004. Update on Minnesota Association of Cemeteries Conference Committee Member Kemp summarized for the Comxnittee the activities associated with the Minnesota Association of Cemeteries Conference held last week. Comxnittee Member Kemp, Rod Rippentrop, and Pam Gackstetter participated in panel discussions focusing on sales and service. 3 • � � • Purchasing Eligibility Mr. Heuer said the subject of non-resident lot sales came up at the recent budget meetings. As the Committee knows, it has always been the City Council's objective that Lebanon Cemetery predominantly benefit residents of Apple Valley, especially when considering the majority of expenses are paid from Apple Valley property t�es and the limited size of the cemetery. To that end, the City Council is entertaining the idea of restricting lot sales to Apple Valley citizens and �'� their families. City staff is looking at the policy used by the City of Bloomington,which restricts lot sales to past and present residents of Bloomington as well as certain family members. Staff feels addin g parents and siblings to the list currently used by the City of Bloomington would probably serve Lebanon Cemetery well and meet the goals of the City Council. The Committee discussed the model used by the City of Bloomington and potential impacts to past and future sales. Committee Member Raiche left the meeting at 4:45 p.m. The Committee expressed concern over making a recommendation at this time in light of the fact three Committee Members were absent and the lack of information currently available. 1VIz. ' Heuer said the City Council may opt to take action before the next Cemetery Advisory Committee meeting. The Committee acknowledged this may happen, but felt it best not to make a recommendation at this time. Mr. Heuer said he would update the Committee at its next meeting on any actions the City Council may take regarding this item. Ms. Gackstetter handed out copies of the newest brochure promoting the Fire Fighter's Memorial. ADJOURN MOTION: of Kemp, seconded by Hadley, to adjourn the meeting. Motion passed unanimously. Meeting was adjourned at 4:55 p.m. Approved: 4