Loading...
Minutes 08-26-04MINUTES OF THE CEMETERY BOARD SPECTAL MEETING HELD AT THE ART CENTER, 125 SE 2ND AVENUE, BOYNTON BEACH, FLORTDA, ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 2004 AT 7:00 P.M. Present: Michael Enkoff, Chairman .lanet Prainito, Secretary Karilyn Norem Hohner Susan Morrison 3ohn Wildner, Deputy Recreation & Parks Director Absent: Teresa Frazier, Vice Chair I. Call to Order Chairman Enkoff called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Parks Supervisor, Tom Balfe. Mr. Balfe is the outside maintenance at all the other parks, including the Cemetery. Mr. Wildner introduced the supervisor in charge of II:. Attendance Secretary Prainito called the roll and declared that a quorum was present. III. Agenda Approval There were no additions, deletions, or changes to the agenda. Motion Ms. Morrison moved to approve the agenda as presented. the motion that passed unanimously. Secretary Prainito seconded IV. Approval of Minutes - 3uly 2004 There were no changes to the minutes. Motion Ms. Morrison moved to approve the minutes of the July 2004 meeting as presented. Ms. Hohner seconded the motion that passed unanimously. Meeting Minutes Cemetery Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 26, 2004 V. Receipt of Revenue/Expense Sheets - 3uly 2004 Chair Enkoff asked how the Cemetery workers were paid. Mr. Wildner responded that they were paid from a separate fund for cemetery workers within the Cemetery Fund using budgeted money approved by the City Commission. Motion Ms. Morrison moved to place the Revenue/Expense Sheets from .]uly 2004 on file. Ms. Hohner seconded the motion that passed unanimously. Receipt of Sales Reports - 3uly 2004 There were no questions on the Sales Reports for .]uly 2004. Motion Ms. Morrison moved to place the Receipt of Sales Reports from .July 2004 on file as presented. Secretary Prainito seconded the motion that passed unanimously. VII. Unfinished Business A. Parks Division Report Mr. Wildner reported that there had been a total of 3! funerals: 17 in ground, 13 in the mausoleum, and ! with cremains in ground. Chair Enkoff asked about whether staff had considered the special lowering equipment he had recommended at the previous meeting. Mr. Wildner commented that staff had looked into it and would like to obtain one. Chair Enkoff directed staff to obtain prices for this equipment. B. Review and Discussion of Possible Cemetery Rate Increases Secretary Prainito noted that this had been discussed at the Board's previous meeting. Mr. Wildner stated that if the Board recommended the changes, they would be forwarded to the City Commission for review and approval. Part of the recommendation should be when the new rates would take effect. The Board reviewed and discussed the proposed changes and felt they were appropriate. Motion Ms. Morrison moved to approve the suggested increases in Cemetery Rates. Ms. Hohner seconded the motion that passed unanimously. The changes are as detailed in a chart attached to the minutes and will be made part of a formal recommendation to the City Commission. 2 Meeting Minutes Cemetery Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 26, 2004 C. Report on Cemetery Survey Mr. Wildner reported that Timothy M. Smith Land Surveying, Inc. had produced a special-purpose survey of the Cemetery at the request of the Board. The Cemetery Board wanted to see how many grave spaces could be gained by eliminating certain roads and pathways in the Cemetery. It was felt that the roads on both sides of Block L (the Children's Section) could be eliminated. The space taken up by the roads would be divided between spaces for the Children's Section and for the Adult Section. Specifically, between Block L and M, twenty-two 5 x 9 plots or 44 spaces could be gained by eliminating the two roads. Two grave spaces equal one plot. Staff believed that the existing infant graves were too big at 4' x 6' and that more graves could be gained if they were 3' x 3' instead. Mr. Balfe stated that two rows of plots would create 72 spaces at the 3' x 3' size. It was agreed that the use of the 3' x 3' space would be based on size and not age. If the plot size were kept at 4' x 6', the number of grave spaces gained would be less than 40% of the figure given. An alternative was to use the replat sections, which were roads that had been closed previously. They had used this area for infants recently since there were no more infant spaces and they were 3' x 5' spaces. These spaces could accommodate a larger container. If they wanted to continue allowing larger containers to be placed in the replat for children, that would be another option. Chair Enkoff thought that changing the child space from 4' x 6' to 3' x 3' was a good idea. He was not in favor of using the replat section for children in the future. There was another roadway between Blocks ] and I that would provide 22 plots with 44 spaces if the roadway were eliminated. It was thought that the roadway between Blocks ! and H should be retained to allow easy exiting from the Cemetery. :If removed, this driveway between ! & H could yield 22 plots or 44 spaces. There was a small section next to the wall that might have potential for cremains. All together, they could obtain 88 5' x 9' spaces between ! and .1 and M and L and 72 3' x 3' spaces in the Children's Section. ]:f driveway #4, Plat Book 21, Page 8 were eliminated, they would gain 110 grave spaces or 55 plots size 5'x 9.' 3 Meeting Minutes Cemetery Board Boynton Beach~ Florida August 26~ 2004 The unplatted section next to Woolbright was mentioned and it was thought that this should be retained for use in the future for cremains, a mausoleum, or similar uses. The potential was for 120 spaces or 60 plots for this type of interment. The Board strongly felt that it would have to see the Cemetery in person to make a final recommendation to the City Commission. The Board decided to meet at the Cemetery at 5:30 p.m. on September 23 and tour it prior to the regular Board meeting. Secretary Prainito will do a telephone survey with the members and the day and time of this meeting may be changed according to the convenience of the members. D. Proposed Rule Change Regarding Protective Caskets A situation that arose during a disinterment from the mausoleum in the recent past led the Cemetery Board to research the Cemetery Rules. The Board wanted to answer the question of whether an interment in the mausoleum could include only a Ziegler case and not a sealed metal casket. Secretary Prainito researched the matter and found that prior to 1996 there was a Cemetery Rule calling for sealed metal caskets in the mausoleum. In 1996, the rule changed and there was no longer any reference to the rule requiring sealed metal caskets. The City Commission had acted on some rule changes recommended by the Cemetery Board, but there was no mention in the Cemetery minutes or the City Commission minutes of why the rule was omitted in 1996. Chair Enkoff spoke to the Mausoleum Manager, Brady Osborne, who did not recall the reason for the rule change. He did, however, feel that requiring a sealed metal casket would increase the City's liability in case a casket failed. He believed that a casket manufacturer could claim that they were not liable since they had provided a casket to the specifications of the City. After discussion, the Board decided to seek the advice of the City Attorney on this matter. Chair Enkoff stated that the Mausoleum that Mr. Osborne managed in Boca Raton required the sealed metal casket and to his knowledge, there were very few indoor mausoleums that did not require it. Chair Enkoff believed that the rule should be reinstituted. Secretary Prainito will forward the question to the City Attorney and bring his response to the Board when she receives it. VIII. New Business None 4 Meeting Minutes Cemetery Board Boynton Beach, Florida August 26, 2004 :[X. Other Discussion ensued about O~ober meeting. No decision was made. Since the November meeting would conflict with Thanksgiving, the date of the meeting was changed to November 18th. The December meeting will be held on December 16t~. X. Adjournment Since there was no further business before the Board, the meeting was duly adjourned at 8:16 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Susan Collins Recording Secretary (083004) NOTE: THE SEPTEMBER MEET]:NG HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO WEDNESDAY~ SEPTEMBER 22ND. PLEASE MEET AT BOYNTON BEACH MEMOR]:AL PARK AT S:30 P.M. FOR A TOUR OF THE CEMETERY. THE REGULAR MEETTNG WTLL TAKE PLACE AT THE ART CENTER TMMEDTATELY FOLLOW]:NG THE TOUR.