Trustees of Public Burial Grounds

FITCHBURG CITY CLERK Oct 20 2022 11:42 am City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts TRUSTEES OF PUBLIC BURIAL GROUNDS 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 15 2022 The Cemetery Trustee Board meeting was held in the West Meeting Room, 1st Floor at City Hall, 718 Main St. An online link and phone number were provided for those who wished to participate remotely. Call to Order: Chair Judith A. Perla called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Trustee Members Present: Judith A. Perla, Diane R. Ouellette, Andrew J. Hawthorne, Michelle Sciabarrasi Others Present: Jaquelyn R. Poirier – Cemetery Superintendent, Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale, Natalia L. Oliver, Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Patricia Chabot and Leo J. Ouellette, Jr., Laurel Hill Inventory Committee, Russell Karlstad, Facilities Director Others Present Remotely: Courtney Lamoureux, DPW Business Manager Public Forum: No one was present, either in person or remotely, wishing to speak. Review and Approval of Meeting Minutes: A motion was made by Andrew Hawthorne and seconded by Diane Ouellette to approve the minutes from the board meeting held on June 16, 2022. Vote was unanimous. The motion passed, and the minutes were approved. Presentation of Citation to the Laurel Hill Inventory Committee: Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale presented citations to the members of the Laurel Hill Inventory Committee recognizing the dedicated work they have done over the past 15 years to preserve the history of the people who are buried in that cemetery. The members of the Committee are Patricia Chabot, Diane Ouellette and Leo Ouellette. Superintendent Poirier and the Trustees thanked the Committee for their continuing efforts. Staff Report: Cemetery Department Report 9/15/2022- Progress report given by Jaquelyn Poirier Forest Hill Routine maintenance of grounds - Cleaned graves to comply with specifications - Pick up down limbs from all cemeteries - Maintenance – lawn mowers, equipment, backhoe and trucks  - Clean trash from bike path and Forest Hill - Watering of graves and flowers - Weed control – Forest Hill – Laurel Hill - Organized garage for fall - Cleaned Veteran and stones on the tour - Installed Veteran markers and Memorial Guards - Weeded columbaria area and mulch beds - Painted white posts and Forest Hill street signs - Fixed broken fence along bike path - Rebuilt catch basins - Painted leaf box - Fixed broken water spigots - Repaired water line – expansion drainage INTERMENTS 12 INURNMENTS 12 UP RIGHTED MONUMENTS 84 UNCOVERED FLAT MONUMENTS 15 MONUMENT FOUNDATION 22 MARKING/PHOTOS CATCH BASIN REPAIR/CLEAN 3 FILLED SINK HOLES 8 TRIMMED TREES 25 TRIMMED SHRUBS 4 PHONE/OUTSIDE MEETINGS WITH FAMILIES 116 PAYMENTS - INVOICED/PROCESSED 136 FAMILY GENEALOGY 52 Laurel Hill, South Street, West Street & Dean Hill & Hartwell Cutting and trimming Cemetery Staff - 4 Full-Time Workers - 1 Superintendent Administration Routine administration tasks - Cemetery Software – meetings with CompuTemps – data base additions and edits - Columbaria area – meeting with Commissioner and Engineering expansion project – DPW working on expansion wall - Collection calls - Completed end of year FY22 paperwork – Opened FY23 paperwork - Meeting with Trustee – Laurel Hill data - 138 graves left for sale in Forest Hill - Working with Eagle Scout – selection process - Filed MA State paperwork – verification victim compensation - Coordinated with Business Manager – Purchase of new vehicle for department – 8/31/2022 Page 2 of 6 - Personnel issues - T27 accident with paperwork for insurance company - Meeting with Sally Cragin – Tour logistics - Designed new work order - Working on fence – Laurel Hill phase IV - Meeting with VA in Washington – name change of Veteran - Researching shoring devices for new section CEMETERY ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE FY22 MONTH OPEN LAND PERP REV TOTAL July $2,050.00 $2,160.00 $1,850.00 $170.00 $6,230.00 August $7,915.00 $2,975.00 $2,350.00 $135.00 $13,375.00 September $2,875.00 $2,125.00 $1,850.00 $80.00 $6,930.00 October $6,000.00 $5,630.00 $5,335.00 $1,746.50 $18,711.50 November $8,875.00 $8,150.00 $8,820.00 $500.00 $26,345.00 December $5,375.00 $4,505.00 $4,110.00 $180.00 $14,170.00 January $3,350.00 $2,965.00 $3,650.00 $732.00 $10,697.00 February $7,375.00 $6,960.00 $4,975.00 $2,230.00 $21,540.00 March $3,200.00 $4,276.56 $3,103.44 $1,710.00 $12,290.00 April $3,550.00 $5,786.64 $5,833.36 $470.00 $15,640.00 May $2,050.00 $2,925.00 $3,470.00 $1,141.00 $9,586.00 June $3,700.00 $5,951.64 $6,058.36 $865.00 $16,575.00 TOTALS $56,315.00 $54,409.84 $51,405.16 $9,959.50 $172,089.50 2022 Ford Explorer Page 3 of 6 Laurel Hill clean up Chasing the Fire Tour 9.10.2022 Page 4 of 6 Expansion - Grading 9.14.2022 At the end of the Superintendent’s report there was a discussion on the need to fund the next phase of fencing at Laurel Hill Cemetery, and the need to purchase another columbarium at Forest Hill Cemetery. Video Presentation – Russell Karlstad: Mr. Karlstad explained the reasoning behind not moving forward with the video presentation that the Trustees had planned to bring before the City Council to highlight the importance of funding repairs to the mausoleum. Funding for architect design services, estimated to be approximately $100,000, needs to be in place before submitting the RFQ. The information used in the presentation will be incorporated into the RFQ when funding is secured. Stratton Players Performance: The performance of “Still Chasing the Fire”, a salute to the memory of Civil War Veterans who later became Fitchburg Firefighters, was held on the morning of September 10th at Forest Hill Cemetery. The performance was well attended. Conflict of Interest Meeting – Sally Cragin: Chair Perla met with Sally Cragin regarding the Trustees’ concerns about a Conflict of Interest and other issues regarding the Stratton Players’ use of the cemeteries for performances. In the future, Susan Navarre, Executive Director of the Fitchburg Historical Society, will present proposals for historical programs held within the Fitchburg Cemeteries to the board for approval. New Business: A member of Laurelwood Garden Club has contacted Chair Perla with questions about the possibility of planting flowers at the gravesite of Eleanor Norcross in Laurel Hill Cemetery. This will be taken up at the next meeting. Events: The next regular meeting will be held on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 9 A.M. in the West Meeting Room at City Hall, 718 Main St. Page 5 of 6 Adjournment: There being no further business, Andrew Hawthorne made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Diane Ouellette seconded the motion. Vote was unanimous and Chair Judith Perla adjourned the meeting at 10:12 A.M. Meeting Schedule 2022: October 20th November 17th NO MEETING in December Respectfully submitted, Diane R. Ouellette Clerk, Trustees of Public Burial Grounds Distribution: Cemetery Trustees Jaquelyn R. Poirier, Cemetery Superintendent Nicholas J. Erickson, P.E., Commissioner of Public Works & City Engineer Gary Withington, Superintendent of Streets Honorable Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale Natalia Oliver, Mayor’s Chief of Staff Joan David, Administrative Aide to the Mayor Joanna Bilotta-Simeone, City Clerk Bernard J. Schultz, Ward 1 Councilor Amy L. Green, Councilor-At-Large Tricia Chabot Page 6 of 6