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, October 25, 2018 Call to Order: Chair Judith Perla called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Trustee Members Present: Judith A. Perla, Diane R. Ouellette, Andrew J. Hawthorne, Andrienne G. Clark, Nancy Maynard Others Present: Jaquelyn R. Poirier – Cemetery Superintendent, Gary Withington – Superintendent of Streets Approval of Meeting Minutes: A motion was made by Nancy Maynard and seconded by Andrew Hawthorne, to approve the minutes from the board meeting on September 27, 2018. 5 in favor, 0 opposed - Motion passed. Minutes approved. Public Forum: Alex Rajotte, of 59 Vernon St., Warwick, RI, and Victoria Straitt, students at Fitchburg State University, requested permission to use Forest Hill Cemetery to shoot a short scene for a film being made for their Advance Cinema Production class. Shooting would take place on Monday, November 12, 2018, and would include 3 actors and 9 crew members. Only the backs of gravestones would be filmed, with no names visible. A fake gravestone prop may also be used. Mr. Rajotte answered all questions asked by the Trustees and provided contact information for the head of the Film Department, Mary Baker: Mbaker1@FitchburgState.edu if there are any further questions. A motion was made by Nancy Maynard, and seconded by Andrienne Clark, to approve the request to film in the cemetery. 5 in favor, 0 opposed – Motion passed. Superintendent Poirier will issue permit allowing filming to take place. General Discussion of Cemeteries: Judith Perla inquired about the status of the Laurel Hill path sign project done by Eagle Scout Matthew Sadowski, of Troop 41. This project was completed last June. Superintendent Poirier will be attending his Eagle Scout Ceremony on Saturday, October 27, 2018. Judith Perla inquired about the interior repairs on the mausoleum that still need to be done. Monty Tech is not able to schedule at this time. Superintendent Poirier will contact Architect Paul Lieneck to obtain a list of the specific repairs needed to share with the board. Cemetery Department Report 10/25/2018- Progress report given by Jaquelyn Poirier Forest Hill - Cleaned mausoleum - Cleaned office trailer - Helped with cleaning DPW, Wastewater and Water department - Rubbish removal in cemetery and along bike path - Cut/trim grass - Cut and trimmed tree line on Cherry Avenue - Filled sink holes - Installed Veteran markers - Fall seeding of graves - Installed foundation - Removed shrubs - Picked up downed limbs - Cleaned graves to keep in specification - Equipment and vehicle maintenance - Up righted (54) stones - Fixed stone that was off base - Repointed stone pillar by mausoleum entrance - (15) Funerals since last meeting Laurel Hill - Cleaned up downed limbs - Removed downed tree - Cut/trim grass South Street/West Street & Dean Hill & Hartwell - Cleaned up downed limbs - Cut/trim grass Cemetery Staff - 3 full-time worker (1 leaving promoted to General Foreman of Streets) - Light Duty - 1 LMEO – 1 1/2 days a week - 2 Temporary Help - 1 Superintendent Administration - Applied for Veterans markers in Washington - Met with families at need and pre-need for burials; consult with grieving families - Sales - graves, veterans’ foundations, veterans’ flag holder, brick, cremated remains table rental, columbarium - Genealogical searches - Attended DPW managers meetings - Working with Commissioner, and Superintendent of Streets on interviews for department - Completed employee reviews - Coggshall schedule Page 2 of 4 - Working on specifications for new software - Master Plan meeting with Ray Dunetz – reviewing master plan with Council December 4, 2018 - Test Pits with Engineering in columbaria area – high water table – need to install a drainage pipe into culvert to divert water - Ordered new water pump for graves - Worked on Cemetery/Park FEMA numbers for Business Manager - Completed Cemetery department input for Green Communities report to the Chief of Staff - Working with Purchasing on trailer lease - Meeting with Caretaker Coggshall – schedule changes and supplies needed - Approved work from Munitech at Forest Hill and Laurel Hill - Forest Hill new fence fasteners will be replaced to a heavier grade Old Business: Cemetery Rules & Regulations update Trustees reviewed final revisions to the Cemetery Rules and Regulations. A motion was made by Nancy Maynard, and seconded by Andrienne Clark, to approve the revisions. 5 in favor, 0 opposed – Motion passed. The revised rules will be forwarded to the City Council for approval. Forest Hill Master Plan B Phase 2 Update Trustees reviewed the final version of the Master Plan, Phase Two. (Report available upon request). Ray Dunetz will present the plan to the City Council on December 4, 2018. Software Update and Funding Superintendent Poirier is working on specifications for the new software. The RFP will be submitted to purchasing once the city’s free cash is certified and the funding becomes available. Cemetery Trailer Update Bids returned for a new office trailer did not meet the specifications required. Superintendent Poirier will meet with the purchasing agent to discuss options. Historical Tours Update The Tour Subcommittee, Judith Perla and Andrienne Clark met at 10:00 am on October 4, 2018 to formulate preliminary plans for a tour in Forest Hill Cemetery. Judith Perla presented a written outline, (copy available upon request) of topics for consideration in planning the tour. The goal of the tour is to educate the citizens of Fitchburg about the historically important people buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, the importance of our only active cemetery, and the future plans for expansion of the cemetery. A tentative date of Saturday, September 21, 2019 was chosen as the date for the tour, with a rain date of Saturday, September 28, 2019. Work on the tour plans will continue at future meetings. New Business: Re-appointments in January 2019 The terms for two members of the board, Chair Judith A. Perla and Andrew J. Hawthorne are due to expire on January 1, 2019. The process to request re-appointment was reviewed. Page 3 of 4 Remarks and Comments from Trustees: Diane Ouellette suggested that we set the meeting calendar for 2019. (Meeting dates below). Events: The next regular meeting will be held on Thursday, November 15, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. at the Cemetery Office. Meeting Schedule 2018: There is no meeting in December 2018. Meeting Schedule 2019: January 17, 2019 February 21, 2019 March 21, 2019 April 18, 2019 May 16, 2019 June 20, 2019 September 19, 2019 October 17, 2019 November 28, 2019 Adjournment: A motion was made by Nancy Maynard, and seconded by Andrew Hawthorne, to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed, 5 in favor, 0 opposed. The meeting was adjourned at 11:09 a.m. Respectfully submitted, Diane R. Ouellette Clerk, Trustees of Public Burial Grounds Distribution: Cemetery Trustees A.J. Tourigny, Mayor’s Chief of Staff Jaquelyn R. Poirier, Cemetery Superintendent Anna M. Farrell, City Clerk Lenny Laakso, Commissioner of Public Works Amy Green, Ward 1 Councilor Gary Withington, Superintendent of Streets Tricia Chabot Honorable Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale Peggy Page Page 4 of 4