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Minutes 03-25-03 CEMETERY BOARD MEETING HELD IN THE SENTOR CENTER CONFERENCE ROOM BOYNTON BEACH, FLORIDA ON TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2003 AT 7:00 P.M. Present David Nyquist, Chairman John Tined, Vice Chairman Teresa Frazier Marilyn Huckle Tereesa Padgett Janet Prainito John Wildner, Deputy Recreation 8, Parks Director Chris Roberts, Asst. Public Works Glenda Hall, Parks Manager I. Call to Order Chair Nyquist presided and called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. II, Roll The roll was called and no absences were noted. A quorum was present. III. Agenda Approval Ms. Padgett stated that the January 28, 2003 minutes had been tabled and that she was not able to find them in the agenda packet. Ms. Prainito agreed and apologized for the oversight. The minutes were in the previous meeting's agenda packet. The approval of the January 28, 2003 minutes will be put on the next meeting agenda. Motion Ms. Huckle moved to approve the agenda with the notation that the January 28, 2003 minutes will be put on the agenda for approval at the Board's next meeting. Ms. Prainito seconded the motion that carried unanimously. IV. Approval of Minutes - February 25, 2003 Ms. Padgett requested that the minutes be changed on page 4, in the next to the last paragraph, first line, to reflect that she had only requested the verbatim comments of Mr. Bressner and not the entire minutes. She also felt that it would only be fair for the new Board member, Ms. Lynn Huckle, to hear exactly what Mr. Bressner had said pertaining to the responsibilities of the Cemetery Board. Ms. Prainito offered to allow a non-City-employee to sit at the desk of one of the Meeting Minutes Cemetery Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 25, 2003 Recording Secretaries and transcribe Mr. Bressner's remarks from the cassette tape. Ms. Prainito and Ms. Padgett will confirm a mutually agreeable time for this to take place. Notion Vice Chair Tineri moved to approve the minutes of February 25, amended. Ms. Padgett seconded the motion that carried unanimously. 2003 as V. Receipt of Revenue/Expense Sheets - February 2003 Notion Ms. Padgett moved to place the Revenue/Expense Sheets from February 2003 on file. Vice Chair Tineri seconded the motion that passed unanimously. VT. Receipt of Sales Reports - February 2003 The Board discussed this report, noting that at approximately 200 lot sales a year, the Cemetery had about four years left before it would be filled. Mr. Wildner pointed out that some of the lots that appeared to be available might have been pre-sold. The Board asked Ms. Prainito to provide a breakdown that would show the number of lots available and the number of lots that were sold pre-need and Ms. Prainito agreed to do so. Notion Vice Chair Tineri moved to accept the February 2003 Sales Reports and place them on file. Ms. Huckle seconded the motion that carried unanimously. Vz]. Unfinished Business A, Public Works Department Report Ms. Glenda Hall distributed overlay representations of a modified "Circle" at the Boynton Beach Memorial Cemetery. l~t was recognized that emergency vehicles had to be able to get around the circle, preferably without driving over the grass to do so. It was also recognized that some kind of barrier was desirable to help prevent visitors from speeding. The Board's preference seemed to be to make the existing area larger, to place a tree or memorial bush within the circle, and to widen the roadway by using some of the lawn from the existing circle and some from the grass that abuts the current roadway. Ms. Hall indicated that staff would do some research regarding the exact location where the burials ended in order to take some of the lawn for the roadway. 2 Meeting Minutes Cemetery Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 25, 2003 Motion Ms. Huckle moved to direct staff to look into the possibility of widening the roadways by using some of the existing circle and some of the lawn that abuts the roadway currently and to reduce the height of the curbing if possible. Ms. Padgett seconded the motion that passed unanimously. D. Discussion of Entranceway Circle (heard out of agenda order) Vice Chair Tineri asked if there were any plans in process to return plants to this area that was now covered in mulch. Ms. Hall mentioned that at one time, staff had recommended bromeliads for the area but that the project was dropped since the cost was too high. After discussion, it became evident that staff had gotten prices from a plant supplier in Homestead for a large number of plants. The Board requested that staff look into the prices at local plant suppliers like Home Depot and Lowes and consider using a smaller number of plants. It was felt that even if the plants were more widely spaced, they would soon grow to cover the area and make a nice ground cover. Ms. Padgett offered the excess bromeliads in her backyard and this option was discussed as well. Ms. Hall said the plants would have to be dug up and brought to the Cemetery since City workers are prohibited from going on private property. Ms. Hall will investigate the current cost and telephone the Board members to seek their approval. If the price is right and the Board members agree on the telephone, Ms. Hall will be able to proceed immediately rather than wait for the next quarterly meeting. Motion Ms. Huckle moved to direct staff to investigate the possibility of getting some prices on bromeliads for this area, using Ms. Padgett's bromeliads if necessary. Staff will contact the Board members for their approval when the prices are available. Ms. Padgett seconded the motion that carried unanimously. B. Reports on Cemetery Areas Assigned to Members Vice Chair Tineri remarked that the inside of Sara Sims looked good but that the area outside around the fence was heavily littered with garbage, bottles, and trash. Ms. Hall stated that when the area is cleaned up in the morning of one day, it looks the same way by the morning of the next day. Ms. Roberts asked Ms. Hall if the area were cleaned on a regular schedule and Ms. Hall will investigate that. Ms. Huckle suggested putting a sign up stating that littering, or something to that effect, was against the law. Ms. Roberts stated that they would ensure that this area is included in the maintenance schedule. Ms. Hall noted that the litter at Sara Sims was an aggregate of the users of the convenience store, the users of the park, and the individuals who walk by the 3 Meeting Minutes Cemetery Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 25, 2003 park. Ms. Huckle confirmed that the City does provide trash receptacles at this location. Ms. Padgett wanted to see flowers around the base of the monument in the children's section. Ms. Hall thought that flowering heather might be suitable and offered to look into it. Discussion of Draft of Letter to Brady Osborne Ms. Prainito provided each of the Board members with a draft copy of a letter written in response to an incident where Mr. Osborne refused to allow a committal service in the Chapel because an individual had not purchased space within the Chapel building. Mr. Bressner directed the City Attorney to review the matter and the draft reflects Legal's interpretation. The Board agreed with the content of the letter; however, a discussion ensued about the signature that should appear on the letter. Mrs. Prainito offered to change the letter to show the Chairman's signature. The Board members unanimously agreed that the letter should contain the City Manager's signature because of the authority associated with it. Chairman Nyquist agreed to sign the letter along with the City Manager. Mrs. Prainito agreed to forward the Board's recommendation to the City Manager. Discussion of Status of Cemeterv's Recommendation to Exoand Ms. Huckle asked about the status of this item. Ms. Roberts explained that the Board's recommendation had been forwarded to the City Commission and was on their Future Agenda ~[tems. The issue is currently tabled pending a joint meeting between the City Manager, the City Commission, and the Cemetery Board to be held during the summer to discuss the options. C. Review Cemetery Rules and Regulations Ms. Roberts stated that the Board was going to look at the existing rules and regulations for the Cemetery and make recommendations for changes. Staff will put the Board's recommendations into draft format and bring it back to the Board for approval. The final recommendations will be forwarded to the City Commission for approval by Resolution. The Board discussed Regulation #18 pertaining to the type of flowers that are permitted. Ms. Huckle strongly believed that artificial flowers should be allowed in the Mausoleum, in keeping with the policy of allowing them elsewhere in the Cemetery. The Board decided to change the wording of the first two sentences of item #18 as follows: 4 Meeting Minutes Cemetery Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 25, 2003 Fresh flowers, artificial flowers, and potted plants are permitted (omitting reference to three days). One vase or plant per crypt/niche will be allowed. The rest of item #18 will remain the same. The Board discussed the Rules and Regulations but decided to defer action until the next meeting since they wanted to take the Rules and Regulations home and consider them at length. :[rem #3 was discussed. The item now reads, 'Tn addition to the grave marker, there wi//be a #mit of three items placed on a grave site." Ms. Roberts indicated that people often leave more than three items on a gravesite and that it was a problem for the Cemetery Crew Leader, who has to remove the excess items. Although the Cemetery crew tries to be lenient in the year after a funeral and during the holidays, there were many times when it was necessary to remove things. After discussing various options, the Board decided that Mr. Aniki should notify the family by letter that there were too many items on the grave and ask for their directions about what to remove. The letters should be kept on file and could be produced if someone wanted to know what kind of attempt had been made to contact them. Everyone agreed that some kind of log of telephone calls and/or letters should be kept also. Ms. Prainito pointed out that item #23 called for notification of the Boynton Beach Mausoleum, :[nc. by certified mail of proposed changes to the Rules and Regulations at the same time that any Commission action is sought regarding the rules. :[t was felt that the Rules and Regulations needed to be posted in a prominent place so that Cemetery visitors would remember them. VIII. New Business None IX. Other Ms. Padgett inquired about whether the brick panels in the front wall at the main cemetery could be cleaned. Chair Nyquist remarked that Mr. Aniki had gotten a product from Texas for cleaning and believed that it was going to be tested out on the fence that faces south. Meeting Minutes Cemetery Board Boynton Beach, Florida March 25, 2003 Ms. Padgett inquired about the pump also. Ms. Roberts stated that the pump was still being repaired and that staff was working with Facilities Management to find a way to hide it once it gets totally back in service. Ms. Roberts will follow through on this. Vice Chair Tineri asked about the office that the Board wanted to erect for Mr. Aniki in the garage. Ms. Roberts stated that the City had required the Public Works Department to make budget cuts and this was one of the items that was cut. Ms. Roberts announced that the budget process would start in April and they could resubmit the request if the Board so desired. Chair Nyquist asked if a Board member could participate in the budget discussions and Ms. Roberts said that they could. Chair Nyquist will attend and represent the Board. Quarterly Meetings The Board discussed the idea of quarterly meetings. The consensus was that the Board wanted to have the monthly reports sent to them in the mail. Motion Ms. Huckle moved that the Cemetery Board have quarterly meetings from now on. Vice Tined seconded the motion that carried unanimously. X. Adjournment Since there was no further business before the Board, the meeting was duly adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Collins Recording Secretary (032603) 6