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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/01/2007 - Joint Minutes - Cemetery Advisory Committee COLLEGE STATION CEMETERY COMMITTEE JOINT MEETING MINUTES Thursday, February 1, 2007, 11:30 AM Council Chambers 1101 Texas Avenue Members Present: Sarah Adams, Chairperson; Randy Matson; David Chester; Joe Wallace; Don Braune; Kevin Myers; James Batenhorst; R.C Slocum; Weldon Kruger Members Absent: Virginia Reese Staff Present: Ross Albrecht, Forestry Superintendent; Steve Beachy, Director; Ric Ploeger, Assistant Parks & Recreation Director; Glenn Brown, City Manager; Terry Childers, Deputy City Manager; Kathy Merrill, Assistant City Manager; Courtney Kennedy, Budget & Management Analyst; Becky Nugent, City Communications Director; Phillip Guillen, Assistant Director, Fiscal Service; Connie Hooks, City Secretary; Vonn Casares, Assistant City Secretary; Amanda Putz, Parks Secretary; Jeff Kersten, Chief Financial Officer; Harvey Cargill, City Attorney Visitors Present: Michael Martin, Project Manager - Edwards & Kelcey Suzette Stoler - Edwards & Kelcey , Dick Birdwell3 Forest Dr., College Station, TX Council Present: Ron Silvia, Mayor; Ben White, Mayor Pro-tem, Council Member Place 1; John Happ, Council Member Place 2; Ron Gay, Council Member Place 3; Lynn McIlhaney, Council Member Place 4; Chris Scotti, Council Member Place 5; David Ruesink, Council Member Place 6 1.Call to order: The meeting was called to order at 11:40 a.m. 2. Presentation, possible action, and discussion on the proposed Master Plan and Phase I concepts for the new municipal cemetery: Sarah Adams gave a brief description of what the Cemetery Advisory Committee members had been working on. Michael Martin and Suzette Stoler from Edwards and Kelcey presented the conceptual Master Plan. Discussion followed.. Ben White, Council Place 1 - Can there be a fourth flag pole added to the cemetery with the Texas A&M Flag? (Yes, there can be.) What could be cut out in the First Phase of the cemetery in case financial issues arise? (The water features – the reflecting ponds can be replaced with a concrete material that is attractive. Also the maintenance building could be left out of Phase I.) What size is the Information Center? (1300 square feet - a simple building) John Happ, Council Place 2 - Does not think that the information center is a good building to add to the cemetery. Personnel would need to be there. Have a committal shelter for each side, City and Aggie Field of Honor, with kiosks in each, separating and differentiating the two different cemeteries. Sarah Adams said that the information center would not need to have personnel there, however at a later date, personnel could be added. Council Place 3, Ron Gay - Has the number of spaces being constructed into the cemetery been addressed? (As soon as the design is decided upon, then the number of spaces can be constructed. We can also use more of the green space in the cemetery for spaces also.) Jeff Kersten addressed the question of spaces as it is being a marketing effort for us to be able to distinguish space quantity. Ross Albrecht - The amount of space that is in this cemetery, should keep the citizens of College Station and the students of Texas A&M University happy for the next 50-75 years. Ron Gay, Council Place 3 - The cost could go up for marketing the spaces then? (Yes, it can go up. ) Thinks that the former students will like the design. Michael Martin suggested that selling columns for people to write their name on in the cemetery might help with financial issues. Lynn McIlhaney, Council Place 4 - When the oil well is removed from the land is it the oil company’s responsibility for the removal costs? (Yes, it is.) Are we responsible for the removal of the underground storage tank? (Yes, we are.) We can use that land for spaces after removal. Is there going to be a security fence around the cemetery? (Yes, there will be a fence in all areas that is accessible by the public.) Can we add surveillance cameras for security reasons? (Yes, we can add them into the design – into the columns.) Will there be places that people can be buried above ground? (We need to decide in our schematic design phase with the committee on this issue.) Chris Scotti, Council Place 5 - Due to financial reasons, can we construct an individual oval area in the first phase for the Aggie Field of Honor and City Cemetery? (Yes.) Are the kiosks computerized? (Yes.) For future reference, can the extra areas of land be either for the Aggie Field of Honor Or the City Cemetery? (Yes, they can be for either.) Council Place 6, David Ruesink - Have we decided on the size of the spaces? (It hasn’t been looked at, but we will look at it and decide once we decide on the design and have discussion.) Ross A. - If we have outer containers that will help decide on the size of the spaces that we have in the cemetery. The columns look the same, is that correct? (Yes.) How is maintenance in the cemetery? (We are trying to minimize maintenance issues with the decision on the type of headstones, layout, and buildings. We are trying to plant more natural plantings, which will require less water and irrigation.) What kind of fence is in the design plan? (A 2 ½ foot stone fence, that delineates between the Aggie Field of Honor and the City Cemetery.) Can the view of Kyle Field be blocked off at any future time? (Not to our knowledge.) Mayor, Ron Silvia – He has concerns about parking issues and the distance to walk to graves. Lights are something that we need to look at, from a financial standpoint. Are the lights necessary? (Lighting is a security issue and a marketing issue.) Joe Wallace - Concerned that the project stay on the timeline schedule. Weldon Kruger - Raising funds for the cemetery is not easy. It takes a lot of effort to raise funds. He has worked with Texas A&M for 15 years helping to raise funds, and knows what it entails. R.C. Slocum - Raising funds is beyond the control of the City of College Station and Texas A&M University. Don Braune – Asked that the parking concerns be addressed. (The roadway is 24 ft. wide, 12 ft. each lane, and then stabilized soil is on the sides of the roadway with polypropolene strips. This allows vehicles to park on the sides of the road. We can park 80 vehicles in the first phase of construction.) R.C. Slocum - All of the spaces are essentially going to be the same, and the costs of the Aggie Field of Honor spaces are quite a bit more. Can the difference in the cost be earmarked for Aggie monuments and symbolization? (Yes, that was the plan from the beginning, however, we need to take a closer look at the written decisions before we earmark the money.) Ben White, Council Place 1 - Is it safe to say that we will get some type of financial help from Texas A&M University on this cemetery? (Yes, we should.) Is the committee in agreement with this conceptual master plan? (Yes.) Lynn McIlhaney - Some people may be willing to pay more for a space due to location in the cemetery. That is also a marketing issue that might contribute to the cemetery. Has any thought been given regarding where a funeral home could be placed in the future? (There is a lot of undeveloped land where facilities could be placed.) Lynn McIlhaney made a motion to approve the conceptual master plan as presented. Lynn M. directed the Cemetery Committee and staff to begin working on the schematics design and report back to the Council regarding the proforma. Council Gay member seconded the motion, which carried unanimously, 7-0. 3.Adjourn:David ChesterJames made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Batenhorst seconded the motion. All were in favor and the motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.