Oakland Cemetery Commission

Russellville Oakland Cemetery Commission Minutes October 17, 2017 The Russellville Oakland Cemetery Commission met for the regular meeting on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, at 5:30 p.m. in the 1st Floor Conference Room. Attending: Director Stephanie Warwick, City Attorney Trey Smith, Chairwoman/Commissioner Mindy Hudson, Commissioner/Secretary Rebecca Howell, Commissioner Cindy Hlass, Commissioner Patricia Petray, Commissioner Cecelia Slone, City Council Liaison Mark Tripp, City Council Liaison Eric Westcott, Mayor Randy Horton, and visitor Sean Ingram from The Courier. Absent: City Finance Director Jerry McKaughan and Vice Chairman/Commissioner David Lee The meeting was called to order by Chairwoman Mindy Hudson at 5:30 p.m. Old Business: The First Order of Business was to review and approve the minutes from the September 19, 2017, Cemetery Regular Meeting. The motion to approve the minutes was made by Liaison Westcott and seconded by Commissioner Slone. The minutes were unanimously approved. The Second Order of Business was a presentation of the Financial Report. Finance Director McKaughan was unable to attend. City Attorney Smith noted the $1,014.88 increase in value of the Schwab account for September, giving an ending value of $139,971.12 at 9/30/17. For 2017, the increase in value has been $11,924.00.The cemetery is able to use dividends and interest from this account for the maintenance and care of Oakland Cemetery, and the total for January through September is $2,095.85. Commissioner Petray made a motion to accept the report as read, Commissioner Hlass seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously. The Third Order of Business was not addressed. This had been planned as a time to open the floor to the public to address concerns/suggestions; however, there were no visitors in attendance. The Fourth Order of Business was the monthly Operations Report given by Director Warwick. 1. Overall operations have been normal for the month. 2. Final preparations are being made for the Dia de los Muertos event with the Traveling Arts Fiesta group to be held October 28. A parade to the cemetery will be led by the Chinelos Morelenses Unidos En Arkansas at about 4:30 during Russellville Fall Fest. 3. So far in 2017 there have been 23 regular cemetery plots sold and one niche. The Fifth Order of Business was an in-depth discussion about the makeup of fees for purchases of traditional and cremation grave plots. A point in question is whether or not too much money is being paid into the perpetual care system with the State of Arkansas. Twenty percent (20%) of each traditional and cremation grave purchase goes into the Oakland Cemetery trust fund ( Schwab account) for perpetual care. The Genworth account is also part of Oakland's trust fund for perpetual care, and this account is valued at around $96,360. Perpetual care will only step in to provide cemetery maintenance (mowing) and care if the City of Russellville is unable to pay, and Liaison Westcott sees this possibility as almost zero. Oakland joined the perpetual care system around 2001, according to City Attorney Smith. Liaison Tripp explained that there are two issues: (1) fees breakout and (2) price. City Attorney Smith reported that plots next to each other (adjacent) have to remain the same price, in accordance with Arkansas Cemetery Board rules. New plots could have new prices. About 480 plots will be available in the future in the new Memorial Addition of Russellville Oakland Cemetery. Handouts with detailed examples of the proposed new fees were provided by both Director Warwick and Liaison Westcott. Basically, a grave purchase will be made up of land (plot) cost, perpetual care based on 20% (or 16%) of plot cost, grounds maintenance (cemetery can use this and not send it to the state), deed fee, and court/admin. /transaction fees. Under Mr. Westcott's proposal, lowering the plot cost to $50.00 (currently $750.00) means less perpetual care money to the state; instead, collecting a grounds maintenance fee keeps the money for Oakland to spend on mowing and other care. Director Warwick's proposal has a 16% maint./perpetual care fee going into the trust fund. In either proposal the prices go up - from the current $750.00 traditional grave purchase to $995.00 (Director Warwick) or $1,000.00 (Liaison Westcott.) Mr. Westcott made a motion to apply the new rates to undeveloped portions of the cemetery, that is, the Memorial Addition. Then Mayor Horton suggested looking into the cost of the acres in the new addition and dividing by the future number of plots, to arrive at a land cost basis per plot. At this suggestion Liaison Westcott withdrew the above motion, and it was seconded by Liaison Tripp. It passed unanimously, and is tabled for the November 21 meeting. New Business: There was no new business. Following Liaison Westcott's motion to adjourn, seconded by Commissioner Slone, Chairwoman Hudson declared the meeting adjourned at about 6:48 p.m.