Cemetery Commission

APPROVED COPY Deerfield Cemetery Commission Meeting Minutes February 24, 2015 A meeting of the Deerfield Cemetery Commission was held on Tuesday, February 24, 2015 at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Conference Room, 850 Waukegan Road, Deerfield, Illinois. Chairman Grossman called the meeting to order at 6:40 p.m. Present were: Maynard Grossman, Chairman Mike Cramer Daniel Ziemba Paul Meintzer John Zobus Also present: Jean Spagnoli, Village Planner Debbie Galante, Secretary Public Comment: There was no public comment. Document Approval: The minutes of the November 4, 2014 meeting were unanimously approved. Business: 1. Deerfield Cemetery Website Since the cemetery website went public in January there have been 572 hits to the site. Andrew Shuman, the Village’s GIS mapping person, is able to track this information and pass it along. a. Public Notification of Cemetery Website Articles appeared in the Trib Local, two in the Deerfield Review, the Jan/Feb issue of D- Tales and the front page of the Village of Deerfield website, all announcing the launch of the Deerfield Cemetery website. Everyone on the commission thought both local papers did a great job creating interest. Deerfield Cemetery Commission February 24, 2015 Page 2 of 3 b. Response to Website Ms. Spagnoli received a few emails and phone calls from both former and current residents including Mayor Rosenthal. All spoke very highly of the project and were excited to see it. Ms. Spagnoli spoke of attending a genealogy class at the Deerfield Public Library and they used the website as part of the class. Mr. Cramer offered to speak with the Historical Society about including a link on their website as well as including mention in the DAHS newsletter. c. Proposed Changes to Website Mr. Grossman inquired about making any changes to the current website. Ms. Spagnoli had received a suggestion from Mayor Rosenthal about the possibility of a list of the names of those buried in the cemetery. The consensus of the commission was to include the list according to our cemetery records. We will not be using other sources such as the Western Undertaker Register of Funerals as some of the information may be inaccurate. The Deerfield Cemetery is sometimes confused with the Mooney Cemetery that is located on Ridge Road just east of Deerfield. Mr. Grossman suggested waiting a year or so and at that time reexamine making any changes. A couple links to the cemetery website will be added to the Village of Deerfield website for easier access to the site. A Cemetery Commission page will be added to the list of Boards and Commissions and on that page a link will be provided. Also, under the About Deerfield tab, under Village History a link will be added. 2. Memorial Pole, proposed treatment around base Mr. Cramer started a discussion about whether the circular brick floor around the base was to be a raised wall type structure or flush to the ground. It was his understanding that it was to be a raised type of retainer wall to provide protection to the base of the pole. Others thought the intention was to be flush with the ground so one could get close enough to read the plaques without the interference of a raised wall, which could be a trip hazard. Also requested, was an area wide enough to avoid any damage to the pole while the landscapers care for the grounds. Mr. Meintzer and Ms. Spagnoli had together found brick that went well with the historical nature of the cemetery but not with the intention of it ever being raised. Dawn Rummel from Moore Landscapes drew up a proposal for using granite cobbles in front of the pole and plant materials behind the pole using various flowers and grasses that already exist in the cemetery. Moore Landscapes has previously worked with the commission and has done the landscaping design that now exists along the front property line and has added additional trees to the grounds. Each member of the commission was given a copy of the proposal to Deerfield Cemetery Commission February 24, 2015 Page 3 of 3 review and all unanimously agreed to go forward with the work as soon as possible in order to have it completed in time for the Memorial Day holiday. 3. Next meeting date The commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. on April 28th at the cemetery grounds, at which time they will assess the cemetery and address any repairs or maintenance that might need attention. The commission wants to make sure the site is presentable for the Memorial Day service, which is held on the cemetery grounds. Items from the Commission: No items from the commission Items from Staff: No items from staff Adjournment There being no further business or discussion the meeting was adjourned at 7:20 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Debbie Galante Secretary