CEMETERY COMMITTEE MINUTES

MAY 22, 2008

3:00 pm

ROOM B

AUDREY P. BECK BUILDING

Present: Isabelle Atwood (Chair), Barry Burnham, Rudy Favretti, Winston Hawkins, Mary Landeck, Ethel Larkin, Joyce Passmore

Staff present: Lon Hultgren, Mary Stanton, Carolyn Stearns

• Maintenance -  Mr. Hultgren reported that the bees in Pink Cemetery are currently under control and that the letters to the contractors have been sent.  Ms. Landeck reported that a large branch is caught up in the hemlocks in Mansfield Cemetery.  Mr. Hultgren will look at it prior to Memorial Day.  Sexton Stearns noted that deer in the area most probably caused the damage reported by Jane Blanshard, but to make sure Ms. Atwood will remind the contractors to be careful.  Mr. Burnham will let Ms. Atwood know what level of maintenance will be appropriate for the Barrow Cemetery.  Ms. Landeck will ask her husband to “bomb” the woodchucks in the Mansfield Center Cemetery.
• Restoration – Ms. Atwood and Mr. Favretti will contact Mr. Davis to fix the brownstone monolith in the Mansfield Center Cemetery.  Ms. Atwood, Sexton Stearns and the Town Clerk will revisit the cemeteries to update the repair list.  Mr. Favretti will check the status of the Woodland Road cemetery.
• Gurleyville – Mr. Hultgren reported that the areas to be cleared have been flagged and work is scheduled to begin this summer.  He will contact the adjacent landowner for permission to gain temporary access to the site.
• Sexton Report – Ms. Stearns reported a request for a “natural burial”, a shroud and a pine box.  The consensus of the Committee was not to allow these types of burials.  The current regulations for the Town require a vault for burial.  By consensus the Committee agreed to authorize the buying back of plots for their original purchase price.  The Committee did not authorize the placement of a second bench in Pink Ravine.  The consensus was that if it were approved it would be setting a precedence.  They are, however, open to discussing the issue again.  The Sexton reported on the activity of a local Eagle Scout candidate who is attempting to identify every veteran buried in Mansfield. The Committee thought it to be a worthwhile but daunting task. It was agreed by consensus to approve the use of aisles for oversize burials.  The Town Clerk will review the Mansfield Center Cemetery map for information on the dimensions and availability of plat for indigent residents.
• Cremation Areas – In addition to the new cremation areas to be available in the Gurleyville Cemetery, Ms. Passmore announce the Storrs Cemetery now has a cremation area available for 165 burials.

The next meeting of the Committee will be scheduled for midsummer.

The meeting adjourned at 4:40 P M

Mary Stanton, Town Clerk