Oakland Cemetery Commission

K L A A N D Oakland Cemetery Commission Meeting Agenda Thursday, May 22, 2014 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers Conference Room, on the 2nd Floor, 203 South Commerce, Russellville, AR 72801 Welcome Welcome Commissioner Rebecca Howell Gosnell Old Business: 1. A request to review and approve minutes of the April 15, 2014 Cemetery Regular Meeting. 2. Financial Report – Finance Director Jerry McKaughan 3. A request to approve the request presented by Claude Allen Hughes Family requesting to disinter and reinter Claude Hughes, Jr. and wife Mary Hughes. City Attorney Trey Smith 4. 4a. A request to discuss the City’s liability of repairing monuments. Garland Steuber, City Attorney Trey Smith. 4b. A request to discuss going through the cemetery and identifying monuments that need to be straightened and repaired. 5. A request by Mayor Eaton requesting clarification from last month’s meeting whether pets should be excluded from the cemetery, or if being walked by their owners or running loose in the cemetery owner is responsible for cleaning up behind them. (See attached email) 6. Review the active projects from the Oakland Cemetery Project List. (See attached list). New Business 1. Discuss items not on the agenda. 2. Prepare items for handoff to City Council for its June 19, 2014 meeting. Adjourn.  Russellville Oakland Cemetery Commission Minutes May 22, 2014 The Russellville Oakland Cemetery Commission met on Thursday, May 22, 2014, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers Conference Room for the regular monthly meeting. Attending: Vice Chairman John Harris, Commissioner Patricia Petray, Commissioner Rebecca Howell Gosnell, Commissioner /Secretary Mindy Hudson, Director Lequitta A. Jones, Mayor Bill Eaton, Finance Director Jerry McKaughan, City Attorney Trey Smith, and visitor Jim Sparks. Absent: Chairman / Alderman Garland Stueber, Commissioner Donna Eubanks, Commissioner Anna Fields, and Alderman Harris. The meeting was called to order by Vice Chairman John Harris at 5:30 p.m. Old Business: (Note –order of items on the agenda was switched to accommodate those present) The First Order of Business was the approval of the minutes from the April 15, 2014, Cemetery Regular Meeting. Commissioner Petray made a motion to approve the minutes. The motion was seconded by Vice Chairman John Harris and was passed unanimously. The Second Order of Business was the financial report. Finance Director McKaughan presented the report. Director Jones asked if we received regular statements on the $80,000 account. Finance Director McKaughan replied that only a yearly report is sent out, which is usual for a fixed annuity. Commissioner Hudson made a motion to accept the report. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Petray, and was unanimously passed. The Third Order of Business was to address Mayor Eaton's request for clarification in the matter of dogs in the cemetery. There was some varied discussion about the matter, including the point of whether people would follow signs requesting they pick up after their pets. Most generally agreed this type of sign would be a good first step to address the issue. Vice Chairman Harris made the motion to adopt the policy and ask the mayor to put up signs stating that dogs must be on a leash and owners must clean up after them. Commissioner Petray seconded the motion, and this was unanimously passed. The Fourth Order of Business concerned the development for use of a .11 tract and a 2.11 tract of property, both acquired in 2011. The Mayor requested Director Jones and the Commission look into and begin the process to prepare these areas for use and sale. This will start with permission from the cemetery board. City Attorney Smith will initiate the process. The Fifth Order of Business concerned the disinterment issue for the Claude Allen Hughes Family. The director of Moore's Chapel has pulled the permits needed and will be the director on site while Larry Motley performs the transfer. Arkansas Vault Company will also have a representative present. City Attorney Trey Smith feels that the commission needs a form from Moore's Chapel and Arkansas Vault to show proof of insurance. He advised that we also need from Ms. Hughes a release of liability in the case of an accident to the vault during the procedure. The Sixth Order of Business was to discuss the identifying of monuments in need of repair or straightening, and to ask City Attorney Smith about liability for any monuments damaged during repairs. As a perpetual care cemetery, we are required to keep up the grounds and keep all graves marked. If a marker is destroyed, it would need to be replaced. The discussion of monument repair and straightening was tabled until the next meeting. The Seventh Order of Business was to review the list of active projects from the Oakland Cemetery Project List. Besides the development of the new acres discussed earlier, Director Jones gave an update on the Russellville School mapping project. This is ongoing, although some setbacks due to loss of computer data have occurred. The tree project, including the trimming of three trees and the removal of a cherry tree to be done by Albert's Curbside Service is still active. Other active projects include the Hughes Family disinterment / reinterment, monument repair, and posting of signs about dogs in the cemetery. New Business No new business was discussed. Vice Chairman John Harris declared the meeting adjourned. Secretary Mindy Hudson