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 19, 2019 Call to Order: Chair Judith A. Perla called the meeting to order at 9:01 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, Nicolas H. Bosonetto, DPW Commissioner, Gary Withington – Superintendent of Streets, DPW, Ryan Killeen – Jr. Engineer, DPW Approval of Meeting Minutes: A motion was made by Nancy Maynard and seconded by Andrienne Clark to approve the minutes from the board meeting held on June 20, 2019. 5 in favor, 0 opposed - Motion passed. Minutes approved. Public Forum: No one was present wishing to speak. Staff Reports: Cemetery Department Report 9/19/2019- Progress report given by Jaquelyn Poirier Forest Hill - Cleaned mausoleum, office trailer - Helped with cleaning DPW, Wastewater and Water department - Rubbish removal in cemetery, along bike path, and across the street on Electric Avenue - Planted fall flowers for the season - Watering and weeding flower beds - On-going training of new LMEO - Raised structure from culvert in section Q- loamed and seeded area - Picked up and installed bricks for walkway - Cutting and trimming grass - Aerated Forest Hill - Seeded summer graves - Cleaned graves to keep in specification - Installed Veteran markers - Fixed faucet - Repaired wooden fence around bike path - Equipment and vehicle maintenance - Painted white posts - Additional 26 Veteran flag holders were added to Section 1 and 2 INTERMENTS 22 UP RIGHTED MONUMENTS 26 UNCOVERED FLAT MONUMENTS 66 MONUMENT FOUNDATION MARKING 19 CATCH BASIN REPAIR 2 FILLED SINK HOLES 2 TRIMMED TREES 35 TRIMMED SHRUBS 59 MEETINGS WITH FAMILIES 56 PAYMENTS - INVOICED/PROCESSED 78 FAMILY GENEALOGY 35 Laurel Hill - Cutting and trimming grass - Picked up trash from fireworks - Sprayed wasp nest South Street/West Street & Dean Hill & Hartwell - Cleaned up downed limbs and debris, cutting and trimming grass Cemetery Staff - 3 full-time workers - Light Duty - 1 LMEO – 1 1/2 days a week - (1) Temporary Summer Help – working on GPS - 1 Superintendent Administration - Applied for Veterans markers in Washington - Met with families at need and pre-need for burials; consult with grieving families, ownership rights of lots, transfer of graves, collection calls - Arranged for Military honors for family services at Forest Hill - Sales - graves, veterans’ foundations, veterans’ flag holder, brick, cremated remains table rental, columbarium - Completed end of fiscal year paperwork - Completed FMLA paperwork - Working with Veterans department – family looking to honor WWI decorated Veteran with marker, gathering paperwork needed - Genealogical searches - Helped Leominster and Templeton cemetery departments with procedures - Meeting with funeral director transitional assistance - Coggshall schedule – including scheduling and schedule changes with recreation department, ordering supplies, alarm issues, BOH trash issues, ordered bee spray, ordered trash pickers -Working with Purchasing - final details of trailer contract Page 2 of 5 - Coordinated Boy Scout Troop # 41 removal of flags and replacement of any damaged flags in holders - Help with onboarding new Parks employee - Working with Engineering in columbaria area – high water table –monitoring wells – with help from the DPW installed a second drainage pipe into culvert to divert water. Engineering will continue to monitor wells and will have a clear picture in the spring if the water table is low enough to support graves - Working on building leaks at Mausoleum –Found that exterior limestone block wall needs repointing – water is getting through gaps in mortar. Mason is scheduled in October for the repairs - DPW Commissioner and Engineering working on GIS map of potential cemetery sites. Identifying 10 + acre lots – in process - working on criteria – access to lots, any wetland issues, grades of land - Meeting with CompuTemps – working to have access database converted to accept GIS mapping - Working with Engineering GIS mapping at Forest Hill in process - Updated Veteran location maps for flag placement - RFP for cemetery software in purchasing department - Memorial Guard is holding up to the lawn mower and trimming - Working with Councilor Kaddy to schedule stone repair training at Laurel Hill - Met with vendor on phase II fencing at Laurel Hill - Working with FSU – Service Project September 28th - United Way – Day of Caring project September 20th - Veteran markers - Working with IT printer issues - Meeting with consultant on cemetery forms - Met with Trustee and Joe Bowen from the Cultural Council discussed grant - New Equipment – Frost remover, aerator, seeder, infant and cremated remains lowering device Boy Scout Troop # 41 Drainage pipe installation Old Business: Veterans Markers – Forest Hill Cemetery A total of 125 Veteran flag holders were needed for Sections 1 and 2, including 26 newly found Veterans in these sections. A motion was made by Andrew Hawthorne, and seconded by Nancy Maynard, to approve funding for these flag holders from the Revolving account, the cost being $1647.62, not to exceed $1700.00 when shipping costs are added. 5 in favor, 0 opposed - Motion passed. Page 3 of 5 Updates for Fiscal Year Budget The Trustees reviewed the cemetery accounts. RFP for Cemetery Software The RFP for Cemetery software is currently in process with the Purchasing Department. The bid will be advertised on September 23rd. Questions are due by October 9th, and all proposals are due on October 15, 2019. Forest Hill Master Plan B – Phase 2 Update Ryan Killeen presented information on two potential cemetery sites within the city, highlighting the pros and cons of both sites. At this point, Commissioner Bosonetto excused himself from the meeting as he had another city meeting to attend. Discussion of potential sites continued. Engineering will continue working to identify additional sites that will meet the required criteria, but also include sites that are 7+ acres. Trustees discussed the difficulties they are facing in moving forward with the cemetery expansion and would like to invite State Representative Stephen Hay and Senator Dean Tran to the next board meeting to get different perspectives on the issue. New Business: Rosa Brown Trust Fund Trustees discussed the guidelines for uses of the Rosa Brown Trust fund within Laurel Hill Cemetery. It can only be used for her family lot, or for improvements in the vicinity of the lot. Report on Cultural Council Andrienne Clark and Superintendent Poirier met with Joe Bowen of the Cultural Council on August 2, 2019 to discuss eligibility guidelines for grants from the Cultural Council. Andrienne read a summary of that discussion and explained the different situations within our cemeteries that might be eligible for grants. Diane Ouellette stated that several gravestones and lots within Laurel Hill cemetery may fit the criteria for these grants. Ben Haley, Preservation Planner/National Register Assistant Judith Perla contacted Ben Haley at the Massachusetts Historical Commission to determine the status of an application that was filed with them in 2000 for Laurel Hill Cemetery to be listed in the State Register of Historic Places. She summarized his responses to her questions. Although the cemetery is listed in their state inventory, Laurel Hill was never designated as a historic place. The Trustees discussed the pros and cons of having the city’s older cemeteries seek this designation. Due to another commitment, Andrew Hawthorne excused himself from the meeting at this point. Discussion continued. A motion was made by Nancy Maynard, and seconded by Andrienne Clark, to seek historic status for the city’s oldest cemeteries. 4 in favor, 0 opposed - Motion passed. Page 4 of 5 Fencing for Laurel Hill Superintendent Poirier met with the vendor for phase II of the fencing at Laurel Hill. This fence would replace the old wooden fence along South Avenue, leading into the cemetery from the Franklin St. entrance. It will match the fence that was installed on the Laurel St. side in 2018. Cost will be $13, 885.00. A motion was made by Nancy Maynard, and seconded by Andrienne Clark, to approve funding for the fence from the Perpetual Care Account. 4 in favor, 0 opposed - Motion passed. Events: The next regular meeting will be held on Thursday, October 17, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. at the Cemetery Office. Adjournment: A motion was made by Nancy Maynard and seconded by Andrienne Clark to adjourn the meeting. The motion passed, 4 in favor, 0 opposed and the meeting was adjourned at 10:59 a.m. Meeting Schedule 2019: October 17, 2019 November 21, 2019 Respectfully submitted, Diane R. Ouellette Clerk, Trustees of Public Burial Grounds Distribution: Cemetery Trustees Anna M. Farrell, City Clerk Jaquelyn R. Poirier, Cemetery Superintendent Susan A. Davis, Director of Human Resources Nicolas H. Bosonetto, Commissioner of Public Works Amy Green, Ward 1 Councilor Gary Withington, Superintendent of Streets Tricia Chabot Honorable Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale Peggy Page A.J. Tourigny, Mayor’s Chief of Staff Page 5 of 5