Trustees of Public Burial Grounds

FITCHBURG CITY CLERK Apr 20 2023 2:32 pm 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, February 16, 2023 The Cemetery Trustee Board meeting was held in the West Meeting Room, 1st Floor at City Hall, 718 Main Street. An online link and phone number were provided for those who wished to participate remotely. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Perla called the meeting to order at 8:59 am. Trustees Present: J. Perla, A. Hawthorne, M. Sciabarrasi Others Present: N. Erickson, DPW Commissioner Present Remotely: J. Poirier, Cemetery Superintendent Public Forum: No one was present, either in person or remotely, wishing to speak. Review and Approval of Meeting Minutes: Michelle Sciabarrasi made a motion to approve the meeting minutes of January 19, 2023… seconded by A. Hawthorne. All 3 in favor to approve minutes. Motion passed. Cemetery Department Report 2/16/2023- 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 - Plowed and shoveled - Fixed plow and lights T-26 - Cleared catch basins for drainage - Picked up broken curbing around Forest Hill - Helped DPW with large tree down at corner Electric & Mt. Elam - Training employee – backhoe for burials - Inventoried and restocked materials for water pipes INTERMENTS 2 INURNMENTS 1  UP RIGHTED MONUMENTS UNCOVERED FLAT MONUMENTS MONUMENT FOUNDATION MARKING/PHOTOS 3 CATCH BASIN REPAIR/CLEAN FILLED SINK HOLES TRIMMED TREES TRIMMED SHRUBS PHONE/OUTSIDE MEETINGS WITH FAMILIES 5 PAYMENTS - INVOICED/PROCESSED 14 FAMILY GENEALOGY 16 Laurel Hill, South Street, West Street & Dean Hill & Hartwell Clean-up downed limbs Cemetery Staff - 4 Full-Time Workers - 1 Superintendent Administration Routine administration tasks - Cemetery Software – meeting with CompuTemps – data base upgrades - 122 graves left for sale in Forest Hill - Laurel Hill Fencing # 261 – 22 - (2) bids received - Meeting with Funeral Provider – grave issues - FY24 Budget Superintendent's Report was approved. Superintendent Poirier informed the Trustees the Laurel Hill Fencing #261-22 had two bids come in. One from Built Well Fencing Company and one from Surfside Fencing Co. Built Well Fencing Company was awarded the bid at $33,595. The initial money for the fencing was $32,000. Trustee Hawthorne made a motion to approve the difference of $1,595.00 to be withdrawn from the cemetery budget/buildings and grounds account. The motion was 2nd by Trustee Sciabarrasi. All 3 Trustees approved. Motion passed. Trustees, Superintendent Poirier and DPW Commissioner Erickson review the FY24 Budget before it is sent to the Mayor. Commissioner Erickson will draft a letter to Rep Kushmerek for funding for the Cemetery needs going forward. Trustees will review the draft before it is sent out. Review of Rules & Regulations, Review of Cemetery Price List and Sale of Lots/Payments Schedule & Time Frame was tabled until March meeting. Motion was made by Trustee Sciabarrasi and 2nd by Trustee Perla…all in favor…motion passed. Mulch for Military- discussions are on going as the Superintendent and the Trustees along with DPW Commissioner have questions for this group. Chair Perla will invite one of the sponsors to our March meeting to go over the proposal. Events: The next regular meeting will be held on Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 9 AM in the West Meeting Room at City Hall, 718 Main Street, Fitchburg, MA 01420. Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 10:45 AM. Minutes of this and all other meetings can be view on the City of Fitchburg website under http://www.ci.fitchburg.ma.us Government - Meetings and Agendas - Trustees of Public Burial Grounds Respectfully submitted, Judith A. Perla Chair/Clerk, Trustees of Public Burial Grounds