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, September 21, 2017 Call to Order: Chair Judith Perla called the September 21, 2017 meeting to order at 9:00 am Trustee Members Present: Judith Perla, Diane Ouellette, Andrew Hawthorne, Nancy Maynard Trustee Members Absent: David DeMar Minutes of the Meeting: A motion made by Andrew Hawthorne, and seconded by Nancy Maynard to accept the minutes from June 15, 2017. 4 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 - Trimmed frog pond area - Weeded columbaria area - Helped with cleaning DPW, Water Department and Community Development – Helped Library cleaning bathrooms - 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 - Watering flowers and graves – new section Q - Change summer flowers to fall flowers - Painted office porch - Sprayed weeds - Repaired catch basins - Cleaned 7 catch basins – All catch basins cleaned out this year - Installed Veteran markers - Fixed water breaks - Removed Shrubs, loam and seeded - Trimmed trees and hydrangeas - Installed posts and chain for new pit – Electric Avenue – currently using pit - Flagged graves for monuments - Separating flags from the sticks for proper disposal of the flags - Cleaned wash out of dirt from bike path – columbaria area - Installed mulch beds in section P - Fixed pillar in section O - United Day of Caring – cleaning old brick paths, Veteran flag replacement, cleaning Veteran markers, cleaning mausoleum - (31) Funerals since last meeting Laurel Hill - Checked and picked up trash - Grass cutting and trimming - Spraying weeds - Cleaned up broken glass - Cleaned up vandalism - Trimmed trees and limbs - Installed solar light South Street/West Street & Dean Hill & Hartwell - Checked and picked up trash - Grass cutting and trimming 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 - Meeting with family – balance due on grave - Attended Munis training - Finished encumbrances for FY17 - Transfers of lot ownership - Meeting with family on deed issues - Genealogical searches - Meeting with working foreman – fall planning - Completed new planting guide - Adopt a Veteran – processing requests - Attending DPW managers meetings - Working on keeping graves in specifications - Seasonal Temporary Laborers interviews for Cemetery, Parks, and DPW - Meeting with funeral provider – Rules and etiquette in Cemetery - Meeting with funeral provider – Veteran marker application process - Meeting with funeral provider – entombment in mausoleum pre-arrangements – need to order crypt protect - Meeting with funeral provider – Public Assistance cases - Working with Chief of Police – rowdy funeral issues - Working with Police Department with regards to vandalism at Laurel Hill - Coggshall schedule - Worked with Security company – camera at Coggshall not working - Coordinated with contracted plumbing company – fix Coggshall men’s room leaking toilet - Scheduled Coggshall septic to be cleaned out - Fencing on Electric Avenue side of cemetery installed - Coordinating with Community Development - LMEO custodial duties, with schedule - Working on new cemetery software - Attended webinar on computer software - Conference call with Software Company – informational gathering - Projecting budget FY18 spending - Met with Steve Twining – Civil War Veterans - Working with Engineering on expansion in section Q - Met with Fire Chief Roy, and Building Commissioner Mark Barbadora on old office building demolition - Training Summer Intern – database - Meeting with Monument dealer – monument placement rules - Disciplinary meeting with employee - Coordinated with Mayor’s office – United Day of Caring – September 15, 2017 - Helped Leominster Cemetery department with rules and state laws, lot ownership and dis-interments - The Arc of Opportunity 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 – she worked on maintaining our flowers, did an excellent job - Met with Eagle Scout candidate Moises and Scout Master on possible projects– Laurel Hill informational sign - Another Eagle Scout candidate Matt looking to set up meeting to discuss a project - Worked with IT – without printer for a month - Working with Bemis Company on volunteering in cemetery this fall – Late October team of 4 for 2 days - Master Plan – Two proposal received – Phase II master plan - Working with Veterans Commissioner to participate in Veterans Resource Fair to be held November 2, 2017 at the Senior Center - Working on new fencing – Laurel Hill Old Business: Laurel Hill Fencing – Iron Fencing – Laurel Hill –Jaquelyn Poirier met with fence contractor to get information into the cost of installation of new fencing at Laurel Hill. Working with building commissioner on height of fence. The fencing should meet the time period of Laurel Hill. . Crematorium Andrew Hawthorne presented more information from local funeral providers (Available upon request) Master Plan –Lenny Laakso Commissioner, Nelson Mui Business Manager, Andrew Hawthorne Trustee, Nancy Maynard Trustee, Jaquelyn Poirier Superintendent. Received fee proposal from two companies. Committee decided to interview Ray Dunetz, meeting set up for September 27, 2017. Section Q Expansion – In process drainage needs to be installed for water run-off. Gary Withington will continue work on area – Trustees asked about weed prevention - fabric installed and round-up will be applied when necessary Private Family Mausoleum – Committee members Diane Ouellette and Nancy Maynard submitted a written report– (Report available upon request) 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 October 19, 2017 at 9:00 am Cemetery Software – Software Demos scheduled WebCemeteries – September 21, 2017 @ 10:00 Pontem – October 5, 2017 Stone Orchard – October 11, 2017 CemSites – October 12, 2017 CIMS – Reviews from other users not good, Trustees decided not worth the time New Business: Signage Laurel Hill - Replace or Repair sign at Laurel Hill – Jaquelyn Poirier will look into Request for filming – Warner Brothers Television/Bad Robot – (letter available upon request) Judy Perla will check with City Solicitor February nominations of officers WebCemeteries – Software demo Meeting Schedule 2017: November 16, 2017 Events: Next regular meeting scheduled for Thursday November 16, 2017 at 9:00 am – Cemetery Office A motion made at 11:45 am by Nancy Maynard, and seconded by Diane Ouellette to adjourn the meeting. 4 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