Trustees of Public Burial Grounds

FITCHBURG CITY CLERK Oct 13 2023 8:36 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 SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 The Cemetery Trustee Board meeting was held in the East 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 9:04 am. Trustees Present: J. Perla, M. Sciabarrasi,G Mirijanian. A. Hawthorn. Others Present: Russell Karlstad Director of Facilities for Fitchburg, Nick Erickson, DPW Commissioner, Jaquelyn Poirier, Cemetery Superintendent. Public Forum: No one was present, either in person or remotely, wishing to speak. #1. Review and Approval of Meeting Minutes: A Hawthorn made motion to accepted the meeting minutes of June 22, 2023 M. Sciabarrasi seconded the motion. All in favor to approve the minutes. Motion passed. #2. Cemetery Department Report 9/14/2023 - 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 – storm 7.16.2023 - Maintenance – lawn mowers, equipment, backhoe and trucks - Assembled water trailer - Installed Veteran flag holders, markers and memorial guards - Installed memorial bricks – Columbarium area - Removed shrubs - Fertilized Forest Hill - Painted shed door - Fixed water spigot - Watering new graves INTERMENTS 10  INURNMENTS 12 UP RIGHTED MONUMENTS UNCOVERED FLAT MONUMENTS MONUMENT FOUNDATION 43 MARKING/PHOTOS CATCH BASIN REPAIR/CLEAN FILLED SINK HOLES 4 TRIMMED TREES TRIMMED SHRUBS PHONE/OUTSIDE MEETINGS WITH 128 FAMILIES PAYMENTS - INVOICED/PROCESSED 90 FAMILY GENEALOGY 51 Cemetery Staff - 4 Full-Time Workers - 1 Superintendent - Laurel Hill -Laurel Hill – employee out for 11 days – workers compensation - Interview Monty Tech student for co-op job Administration Routine administration tasks - Cemetery Software Weekly meetings with CompuTemps Mausoleum data update (packet available upon request) Working on lot/grave project - Met with Builtwell Fence at Laurel Hill – damaged fence replacement - End of fiscal year/beginning of fiscal year procedures - Collection calls/letters (one sent to Attorney) - Transfer graves – Reservation graves - Filed paperwork – Pickup truck accident – police report filed - Working with consultant – rules/price list regarding additional interment rights in grave - Working with Funeral Provider to dis-inter baby from 1974 - Memorial Gardens  Selling graves Waiting on paving Engineering also working on how we track available graves (maps) Podium – Memorial Gardens ordered - Mausoleum Meeting with Facilities manager and project manager for mausoleum Meeting with Facilities manager – history information needed 4 of 6 drains stolen – filed police report – Facilities manager working on Reviewed designer proposals Attended designer interviews and selection meeting - Meeting with Treasurer and IT – credit card payments – point of use payments, payment plans - Coordinating with Monument dealer – benches - Communication with Funeral Provider – pricing and rules - Meetings with Lunenburg Trustee and Superintendent – rules, MA State Law, burial issues, vandalism Digging a grave in Section Q 8.7.2023 Mausoleum drains stolen 8.9.2023 Mausoleum drains stolen 8.9.2023 Mausoleum damage 9.8.2023 FY OPEN LAND PERP REV TOTAL $ FY12 46,385.00 $ 21,710.00 $ 22,750.00 $ 8,518.00 $ 99,363.00 $ FY13 41,100.00 $ 17,415.00 $ 25,325.00 $ 15,727.38 $ 99,567.38 $ FY14 47,025.00 $ 19,275.00 $ 16,775.00 $ 10,226.00 $ 93,301.00 $ FY15 40,550.00 $ 24,301.00 $ 24,800.00 $ 7,107.00 $ 96,758.00 $ FY16 46,184.00 $ 27,855.00 $ 28,200.00 $ 10,784.00 $ 113,023.00 $ FY17 36,975.00 $ 26,425.00 $ 19,590.00 $ 5,882.00 $ 88,872.00 $ FY18 42,300.00 $ 33,360.00 $ 32,940.00 $ 8,590.17 $ 117,190.17  $ FY19 54,700.00 $ 34,035.00 $ 36,820.00 $ 14,022.80 $ 139,577.80 $ FY20 45,802.00 $ 25,695.00 $ 31,948.00 $ 6,433.24 $ 109,878.24 $ FY21 56,700.00 $ 55,660.00 $ 54,440.00 $ 8,511.52 $ 175,311.52 $ FY22 56,315.00 $ 54,409.84 $ 51,405.16 $ 9,959.50 $ 172,089.50 $ FY23 44,675.00 $ 43,461.10 $ 50,578.90 $ 10,450.10 $ 149,165.10 Accounts Receivable $200,000.00 $180,000.00 $160,000.00 $140,000.00 $120,000.00 $100,000.00 $80,000.00 $60,000.00 $40,000.00 $20,000.00 $- FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 OPEN LAND PERP REV TOTAL • Price increase 2018 on grave costs. 2022 price increase on opening and other services (urns, flag holder, trees of remembrance)not on grave costs. • Superintendent Poirier indicated on 7/16/2023 there was storm damaged to one of the big oak trees and Flagg Tree Service was called in to remove the damaged tree at a cost of $9,000. Hopefully this charge will be reimbursed to the Cemetery Department by the City of Fitchburg. • • • Superintendent Poirier also provided the Trustees with a Mausoleum Resident Count Report which is available upon request from the Cemetery Office. The Mausoleum data base has been completed. Work will continue on the data base in the older section of the Forest Hill cemetery. • #3. Russell Karlstad, Facilities Director, updated the Trustees on the progress with the OPM ANSER on the Mausoleum (Forest Hill Abbey) Three (3) firms were interviewed and Spencer Preservation Group has been chosen as the Architects going forward. References can be view upon request at the Cemetery Department. • #4. Update on the Podium request/purchased. The podium is on order. • #5. Revised Rules, regulations and price list has been put on hold for now. Supt.Poirier is still working with the IT Department and the City Treasurer. • Events: The next meeting will be held on Thursday October 19, 2023 at 9:00 AM in the West Meeting Room at City Hall, 718 Main Street, Fitchburg MA. 01420 • Adjournment: Meeting adjourned at 10:30 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 • •