Cemetery Board – Special Meeting

Village of South Amherst Board of Cemetery Trustees Meeting 12/14/2022 Rosemary Leshinski called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm Board Members present: Rosemary Leshinski, Marilyn Makruski Village Council Liaison: Not Present Visitors: Mayor Leshinski, Emil Ruth of GoGreen Landscaping,461 E. Lorain St., Oberlin, OH Agenda Rosemary Leshinski asked if there were any additions to the agenda. These items were added: Damage to entrance sign; Client request to place cross at gravesite; Gravestone damage; Newsletter items; Live streaming board meetings over the internet. Marylin Makruski moved to approve the agenda. Rosemary Leshinski seconded. The roll was called in favor. Visitors GoGreen – Emil Ruth presented a new contract for 2023. The original called for each mow to be billed at $780. This contract states that each mow will be billed at $705.00. Current contract price is at $570 per mow and has not been changed since 2018. Reference Exhibit C for more details. Meeting Minutes Rosemary Leshinski moved to accept the minutes from the November 9, 2022. Marylin Makruski seconded. The roll was called in favor. Reporting – Financial and Other UAN Financial Reports for October 2022 were presented for review. Ref. Exhibit A. Paula Knodel presented the current list of burials and lot sales for 2022. Ref Exhibit B. Rosemary Leshinski moved to accept the presentation of these reports. Marylin Makruski seconded. The roll was called in favor. Old Business 2023 GoGreen Landscaping Contract – Th Board discussed the new contract proposed by GoGreen. It was decided that the Village Worker would now be responsible for garbage pickup at the cemetery. The total net 11% price increase for 2023 amounts to $2,314. This is the first price increase since 2018. Rosemary Leshinski moved to accept the proposed contract. Marylin Makruski seconded the motion. The roll was called in favor. A second GoGreen contract for gravesite work was reviewed. Marilyn Makruski moved to accept the contract. Rosemary Leshinski seconded the motion. The roll was called in favor. Columbarium Project – Contract discussion with Franklin Monument will be discussed in January 2023. Sign Designs – Bulletin Boards and Walkway Entrance - Will be discussed at the January meeting. Cemetery Webpage Development - Scott Jones is working with Laurie Beran on improving the cemetery portion of the village website. This will be ongoing until early in 2023. Cemetery Bylaws – The 2023 Bylaws were approved by the Village Council. Paula Knodel will proceed with the appropriate distribution. Main Entrance Pothole Repair – This was accomplished. Is a temporary fix that needs to be addressed in 2023. Tree Removal at Pioneer Cemetery – The trees were removed on November 29, 2022, by Bob’s Tree Service. RFPs for 2023 Projects – Bramhall Engineering estimated a price of between three and four thousand dollars to develop an RFP for the new entrance road project. Emil Ruth of GoGreen presented a proposal for the new road and walkway construction. It was determined that Emil needs to revise his proposal based on the new driveway coming in next to the group home on route 113. He will present final proposal at January’s meeting. The Board will then consider if Bramhall needs to be hired to develop an RFP or if they can work with what Emil develops. Cemetery Maps – Andrew Johnson took the cemetery maps home for review and they need to be returned to Town Hall. He was not present at tonight’s meeting. Mayor Leshinski will follow up and bring them back. New Business Elect 2023 Chairperson – Postponed until January meeting since all board members are not present. Snow Shovel – One is needed for the cemetery grounds. Rosemary motioned to approve the purchase of a snow shovel at a cost no more than $100. Marilyn Makruski seconded the motion. The roll was called in favor. December 12 Village Council Meeting – Paula Knodel gave an overview of Monday’s meeting. The 2023 Bylaws were approved. The new 80% Operating / 20% Perpetual Fund split on income (changed from 90%/20%) was approved by Council. The proposed landscaping contract was discussed. Vaughn Funeral – Infant casket/vault combination was buried at cremation pricing. No special reporting needs to happen for this. Consider adding language to the 2024 bylaws regarding infant burials. Communications with GoGreen in 2023 – The Board discussed a protocol to be used in communications with GoGreen in 2023. It was decided to leave it on an informal basis for the time being. Wharton Lot Transfer – Gary and Sherry Wharton purchased a lot in Section L when it was the only section available for sale. It was understood that they would be able to transfer their ownership to a lot in a different section should it be opened up for sale. They have chosen a lot in Section K and are asking that the $50 recording fee be waived. Rosemary motioned to wave the $50 fee. Marilyn Makruski seconded the motion. The roll was called in favor. Cross Placement Request - Mayor Leshinski showed the board a photo of a large wooden cross that someone requested to have placed in the cemetery. The board voted to veto this request. Cemetery Entrance Sign – The Evergreen Cemetery entrance sign was badly damaged by Diggers of Ohio. They were coming in to open a grave and had not lowered the equipment properly. The sign was hit, and it fell to the ground. Diggers workers moved the sign to their workplace. Special Note: The sign was fixed and replaced by Diggers shortly after this meeting. It is in good condition for the holiday visitors. Live Streaming Cemetery Board Meetings – The Board discussed the possibility of live streaming their future meetings just as Village Council now does. Rosemary Leshinski made a motion to not live stream the Cemetery Board meetings. Marilyn Makruski seconded the motion. The roll was called in favor. Gravestone Damage – Mayor Leshinski reported that a complaint had been made to the police department about a monument at the cemetery. Upon inspection, someone had taped over a name on the monument. No permanent damage done. Report was completed. Marylin Makruski moved to adjourn. Rosemary Leshinski seconded. The roll was called with all in favor Respectfully Submitted Paula S Knodel, Cemetery Clerk