Trustees of Public Burial Grounds

City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts 115 Mt. Elam Road Fitchburg, MA 01420 Office: 978-345-9578 FAX: 978-345-9686 www.fitchburgma.gov CEMETERY TRUSTEE BOARD MEETING MINUTES Thursday, June 15, 2017 Call to Order: Chair Judith Perla called the May 18, 2017 meeting to order at 9:00 am Trustee Members Present: Judith Perla, Diane Ouellette, Andrew Hawthorne, David DeMar, Nancy Maynard Trustee Members Absent: None Minutes of the Meeting: A motion made by Andrew Hawthorne, and seconded by David DeMar to accept the minutes from May 18, 2017. 5 in favor, 0 opposed - Motion passed. Oral Requests from Audience: None Cemetery Department Report: Report given by Jaquelyn Poirier Forest Hill - Cleaned mausoleum - Cleaned office trailer - Helped with cleaning DPW and Water Department - Rubbish removal in cemetery and along bike path - Cleaned graves to keep in specification - Filled in sunken graves - Equipment maintenance - Seeding graves - Grass cutting and trimming - Helped place flags at graves - New American flags installed on poles - Cleaned the woods by lettered section - Picked up large rocks and cleaned behind columbaria - Streets Division patched potholes - Streets Division swept roads - Fixed water faucet - Removed gravel from temporary pit - Flagged graves for monuments - Installed temporary granite posts in Section O – to prevent grass damage – Gary Withington will check the price on adding a berm - (5) Funerals since last meeting Laurel Hill - Checked and picked up trash - Grass cutting and trimming - Spring Clean Trustee requested temporary dog signs be removed South Street/West Street & Dean Hill & Hartwell - Checked and picked up trash - Grass cutting and trimming - Cleaned Hartwell and placed flag for Memorial Day Cemetery Staff - 2 full-time workers - Light Duty - 1 LMEO - 3 Temporary Summer Help - 1 Superintendent Administration - Applied for Veterans markers in Washington - Consult with grieving families - Sales - graves, veterans’ foundations, veterans’ flag holder, brick, cremated remains table rental, columbarium - Transfers of lot ownership - Genealogical searches - Adopt a Veteran – processing requests - Attending DPW managers meetings - Working on keeping graves in specifications - Fencing on Mt. Elam side of cemetery installed - Working on new cemetery software – contacted five companies – funding approved - Conference call scheduled with software company – informational gathering - Projecting budget FY17 spending - Ordered markers for expansion - Ordered new grave boards - Ordered new sets of greens - Met with ground penetrating radar company – informational only - Working with Engineering on expansion in section P – additional 25 graves – Engineering staking graves - Inventory of graves left in section P – 14 graves - Working with Administrative Aide to the Mayor Joan David and the Boys and Girls Club to have a student work on database free of charge from June 26th – August 4th - The Arc of Opportunity requested placement for individual summer months – gives a globally delayed individual the chance to work in a different environment – no cost to the City of Fitchburg - Setting up a meeting with an Eagle Scout to work on a project in the cemetery Old Business: Laurel Hill Fencing – Iron Fencing – Laurel Hill –Jaquelyn Poirier waiting to have meeting with fence contractor to get more information into the cost of installation of new fencing at Laurel Hill. The fencing should meet the time period of Laurel Hill. Ken Maston, Behind the Lens Photography Workshops – looking for special permit to have group take photographs at Laurel Hill – Judy Perla wrote a letter to Ken Maston no response from him at this point. Crematorium Andrew Hawthorne presented more information including information from vendor (Available upon request) Limit startup cost, working with gas company for installation Projected 1000 to 1200 cases per year Master Plan –Lenny Laakso Commissioner, Nelson Mui Business Manager, Andrew Hawthorne Trustee, Nancy Maynard Trustee, Jaquelyn Poirier Superintendent. Received fee proposal from selected company. The proposal was over way budget, the difference is so great the committee not sure if it will be possible to negotiate without compromising the scope of work. Lenny Laakso will check with purchasing on next step for committee. Mausoleum –Paul Lieneck preparing construction document. Richard Demers with Monty Tech is on hold until 2018, due to construction scheduled at Monty Tech for next school year. Section Q Expansion – In process drainage needs to be installed for water run-off and a fence needs to be installed for safety along Electric Avenue. Gary Withington will continue work on area. Private Family Mausoleum – Committee members Diane Ouellette and Nancy Maynard submitted a written report– (Report available upon request) Committee members met with Mr. Hathaway to gather information on pricing, space needed for placement, materials used in construction, foundations, training for staff in mausoleum entombments. Chair Judith Perla thanked committee for starting the process. Currently our rules do not address private mausoleums allowed. Once all information is gathered this will have to be added to our current rules if Trustees decide to allow. Special meeting scheduled for August 17, 2017 at 9:00 am Fencing – approved by City Council – Perpetual Care Expendable Funding Order 286-16 - $ 5985.00 Surfside Fence – 350’ 4’ galvanized fence along Electric Avenue – waiting on development of area before installation of fence can be completed. Cemetery Software – Jaquelyn Poirier looking at two more software companies, will schedule another demonstration for Board and IT department. Memorial Day Flag Placement Over 2000 flags were placed at Forest Hill – need to work on maps for locations. New software will address this issue. Judith Perla would like more community outreach for next year Aluminum Grave Boards – New aluminum boards are on order New Business: Balloon Release – Christine Saraceno – requesting Trustees to change rules to not allow balloon releases in cemetery. (Letter of Request available upon request) The board has taken letter under advisement to look into matter further Meeting Schedule 2017: September 21, 2017 November 16, 2017 Events: Special meeting for private mausoleum scheduled for Thursday August 17, 2017 at 9:00 am Cemetery Office Next regular meeting scheduled for Thursday September 21, 2017 at 9:00 am – Cemetery Office A motion made at 10:00 am by Nancy Maynard, and seconded by Diane Ouellette to adjourn the meeting. 5 in favor, 0 opposed - Motion passed. Respectfully submitted, Jaquelyn R. Poirier Distribution: Cemetery Trustees Honorable Stephen DiNatale A. J. Tourigny City Clerk Ward 1 Councilor Amy Green Lenny Laakso, DPW Gary Withington, DPW Tricia Chabot Peggy Page