Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/14/2000 - Regular Minutes - Cemetery Advisory Committee MINUTES for the Cemetery Committee Regular Meeting Thursday, September 14, 2000 - 10:00 a.m. C.S. Parks & Recreation Conference Room Members Present: Katherine Edwards, Chairperson; Joe Wallace, Ed Burns, Mary Lind Bryan, Sarah Adams, Mary Bingamon, Greg Anderson Members Absent: David Chester, Helen Perry Staff Present: Ross Albrecht, Staff Liaison; Emily Baker, Secretary; Delmer Charanza, Cemetery Sexton Guest: Gus Roman, College Station GIS Department I. Approval of August Minutes Ed Burns had a question regarding Item IV, last paragraph, last two sentences about how much money the committee had to spend on the Madeley urn garden and who said it. After Katherine Edwards explained that she said that, Joe Wallace made a motion to approve the minutes as written; Ed Burns seconded the motion; all in favor. II. Consideration & Approval/Disapproval of Absentee Requests David Chester is still out of town so his absence is approved. Helen Perry is resigning from the committee due to health reasons. Ed Burns moved that we accept Helen’s resignation with regrets; Sarah Adams seconded; none opposed. There was no discussion on Helen Pugh’s absence. III. Discussion on Madeley Donation and Urn Garden Katherine Edwards stated that it would be easy to subdivide Section L of the cemetery into cremate spaces. The committee also discussed having in-ground interments and monuments set flush with ground level for the cremate only section. There is also an option of buying a columbarium instead of only offering in-ground interments, but the committee would need to reevaluate how much of the Madeley donation to spend. Mary Lind Bryan stated that we have the luxury of land here in Texas and cannot see a reason to go with a columbarium. Ross Albrecht stated that there is the matter of personal preference in regards to above or below ground interments as well. Ed Burns moved to table the discussion of the columbarium, meaning that it can be brought up at anytime. No one seconded the motion. Katherine Edwards stated that the columbariums run from $5000 to $12,000, and range from 24 to 96 compartments. Ross Albrecht stated that Section L has already been platted and all we need to do at this time is to mark the corners of the lots. As per the letter from David Mayo, Joe Orr, Inc., their proposed cost will include: 1) the marking of the lot corners in Section L, south of the roadway, and 2) the preparation of necessary re-plat documents to allow for 2.5 by 2.5 foot cremate spaces within each lot. The proposed cost for this work is $4,500.00. Ross Albrecht also stated that work would not preclude the installation of a columbarium in the future. The committee had set aside $6,000.00 from the Madely Cemetery Committee Regular Meeting September 13, 2000 Page (2) donation. After the survey work, there will be $1,500.00 available for landscaping and a marker denoting the donation. Mary Lind Bryan made the motion to go ahead with the survey and designate that section for our urn garden; Joe Wallace seconded the motion; all in favor. The operational aspects of the section, landscaping, marker installation, and final space usage will be still need to be finalized. Sarah Adams made the motion that the committee directs Ross Albrecht to ask the Parks Department to come up with a preliminary landscape plan. Ed Burns seconded the motion; all in favor. IV. Presentation and Discussion on GIS Capabilities to Track Ownership within Cemetery Gus Roman, with the College Station GIS Department (Geographic Information System) presented a digital database map of the cemetery. During the summer, an intern from A&M Consolidated High School helped GIS gather information for the database. The database indicates 7,256 spaces, of which 4,627 spaces have owner information. An additional 2,629 spaces have no ownership information. The database also indicates 1,875 spaces with burials. This information is not yet totally current, and Gus is still working with Delmer Charanza to eliminate non-usable spaces, and to insure all interments and ownership information is correct. It is possible that the database will be available through the City’s website. In this fashion, it will be a great help to genealogical searches. Gus demonstrated the information stage and search capabilities of the software including owner’s name, deceased’s name, death date, burial date, and any pertinent information that can be attached to the space. Ross Albrecht stated that the new cemetery site will be an excellent opportunity to implement this technology. As of now, Gus has the ability to capture as much information as possible for the current site, and will be able to identify problems with the software prior to its use at the new site. Mary Lind Bryan raised the question on the continued use of paper files in conjunction with the database. Ross Albrecht stated that more than likely there will still be a large degree of paper records to back up the computer ones. Specifically, as the sale of spaces is a property transaction, the sale will still be recorded at the courthouse. There is a GPS (Global Position System) class at A&M that Gus Roman will work with this fall to capture monument locations within the Shiloh and Salem sections. Gus Roman also asked if there were other historical features, monuments, etc. that the committee would like to have a digital photograph of and attached to the database. Gus Roman has already incorporated shots of the fountain and some monuments. Katherine Edwards requested the committee to compile their own list of items to include in this way, and bring the list to the next meeting. Sarah Adams asked if the variances could be put in the database for the record. Ross Albrecht and Gus Roman responded that almost all of this type information could be attached on a space by space basis. This could include monument size variances, grandfathered plantings, etc. Gus Roman asked if Section M was full or was there space available. Ross Albrecht stated that the Fitch family paid for the platting of this section when they wanted to install a mausoleum. At that time (1989) there were not sections that allowed the placement of mausoleums. The area that became Section M was identified as not platted, and available. The family owns 17 spaces in the section, and there are approximately 20 to 30 additional spaces in the section. As the family paid for this platting of this section, the City has never offered the other spaces in the section for sale. At this time there are no corner markers installed. Sarah Adams will call Laura Cemetery Committee Regular Meeting September 13, 2000 Page (3) Fitch and ask what her understanding is of the 17 spaces that were marked off and paid for versus what was platted. Sarah Adams will also look back at the minutes in 1989 and see what was said about the future use of the section. The potential use of the remaining spaces in Section M will be put on the next agenda. Gus Roman inquired about the proposed cremate area (Section L) The committee indicated to leave this section alone for now in the database until the operational questions were finalized. V. Joe Wallace asked where Steve Beachy as Joe Wallace felt that Steve Beachy was to have taken information on a potential site for the new cemetery to the Council, and that Steve Beachy was to have reported back to the committee. Ross Albrecht explained that Steve Beachy was out of town, and that Steve Beachy had taken the information to the City Council. The Council discussed the information and possible purchase of land in executive, or closed, session. Joe Wallace raised the question on why an update on this item had been on the original agenda for the committee, but had then been removed. Ross Albrecht explained that when the City Manager’s Office and the City’s Legal Department had reviewed the proposed agenda for the 9/14/00 committee meeting, concerns were raised on the ability of boards and committees to conduct closed sessions. As the Council had discussed the item in executive session, the only way for the committee to be updated or discuss the specific piece of property would have been in executive session. Consequently, the item was removed from the agenda, and a revised agenda posted. Until the question of boards and committees conducting closed sessions is resolved, the committee cannot discuss specific pieces of property. Ross Albrecht indicated that this would not preclude the committee from discussing operational items in conjunction with the new cemetery. Katherine Edwards stated that our committee is an advisory board only and that we can make suggestions to city council with what we would like to see happen and respond to requests that they send to us. The next meeting date will be at 10:00 am on Thursday, October 12 at the Parks and th Recreation Conference Room. VI. Adjourn O:parks\84\cemetery\minutes\septoo.doc