Good afternoon. This is the Cemetery Commission meeting, Wednesday, July 15th, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. We're meeting at the Town Hall conference room number two. This meeting is being held pursuant to chapter two,
Acts of 2023. Uh format, it's a hybrid meeting. In the event of a closure of Town Hall due to inclement weather, any other changes, the emergency hybrid format shall switch to remote meeting only for the posted meeting.
Attendance. Chair, Jean Theroux, present. Norm? >> Here. >> Here. >> Present. Here. Sexton? >> Here. >> And Darcy Rock is excused. We have a quorum.
We have uh minutes from the last three three meetings. We have November 1st, excuse me, November 14th, 2024, uh as well as Thursday,
uh August 28th, 2025, and Thursday, Uh we we have three of them. November 14th, 2024, uh January 6th, 2025, and Thursday, August 28th, 2025. Hear a motion to accept the minutes
written and distributed, Norm. >> Yes. >> I second the uh >> Second it. >> Any discussion on the minutes, Norm? >> No. >> No. >> Um make a motion make a motion to ex- um
Approve minutes or We'll approve the minutes. Norm? >> Yeah. >> You have a motion? >> I'm I'm going to make a motion to accept them. >> Second. All in favor. I. >> I.
>> The last three minutes of the Cemetery Commission are approved as printed and distributed. I don't think we have anybody on with us. >> Nope. There's no public comment. >> No public comments. Um
reorganization of the board I think the meeting is chair and members Darcy Rock and Norman Bouchard. Sexton reports. >> So, what do we have? We're really busy.
So, we're selling a lot of a lot of um property. Um nine is getting um good. Um we're selling that. And then we have um
Bill Booth selling. And then I got locked in downstairs. 23, 24, 25. We'll skip that and I'll I'll give it to you at the end. >> Yeah. >> Um but we have we're busy with um cremations.
We got caught up um from the burials um from the spring. Um winter was pretty uh the winter months were really icy. So, I think people waited um
but like if you had a funeral, they normally would have buried them in the winter in like January, but they hesitated because we had a lot of ice storms and um the roads were really icy and we couldn't get them cleaned fast enough. >> So that was for full burials?
>> Full burials, yeah. >> So where were the bodies stored? >> We still did the full burials. I'm sorry, these were cremations. So the creamate all the all the full bodies were buried in the wintertime no matter what the weather and then the cremations um people just just decided
to wait um instead. Um because don't forget they have elderly family members and if it was your spouse that died then you know to bring you out they just said my dad's not doing good and we're just going to wait till spring. So we we got caught up with all those in the spring.
Um And the trees the trees in section eight came down um and then the new section next to eight is actually going to be like it would be section 11. So that um had three two big trees pine trees those
also came down and then we ended up this spring um just a couple months ago um grabbing the um Don Forlani um who does stump grinding did a fabulous job um getting rid of all
those stumps and then we redid the whole section where the flowers are where those trees were and just revamped it. >> Yeah, I saw you go in there working. >> Yep, I went and got the plants um put them where I wanted them and then he came in he said he was going to work
Saturday and maybe Sunday and he'd get most of them in the ground and then they'll put the um mulch back on but we you know because of those big trees a lot of the plants that we had planted there with the acid from the pine trees
kind of killed them and they weren't able to get the sun they needed so we went and got new ones um it looks it looks gorgeous. >> Yeah. Um I might want to be buried over in that new space. >> It will last forever.
>> Yeah, all right. Um, but so those those got done and then remember the trees that came down over by the shed by the garage on the side of the shed, there's some stumps there. Um, he's come he came back um
this month in July and um finished doing those ones. So that was over by the memorial, kind of the backside of the memorial down the hill by the fence. So um we cleaned up um that. Um
So that that looks good. Evan's going to walk them um probably this season um this summer. Um he'll he'll come back and they'll walk the old cemetery. >> Yeah. >> Um and he's going to come and do at least the ones along the roadside all
the way to the fence, any trees that were taken out, and grind all those down um just so it looks much better and then Evan can put dirt there and try to grow grass. So probably this fall we'll be in the position of trying to
see if what we can do over there for grass seed. Uh cuz we want good grass growing to keep those stones upright cuz that helps. Um but uh and then probably this fall we'll be
able to go get some more trees and put them where we want them. Like you know, where where I say he's going to take the grinding out of where those are, but there's other trees that we could plant there that will only get 20 ft tall and not so wide and that we it won't make a mess.
>> And small root structure. >> Yep. Yeah, that's a that's a big thing right there. Um so we'll finally get that. We'll start working on the old cemetery probably late summer this fall.
And then um by next year it'll it'll we'll be in a I got to I got to see if Terry from Heritage Lawn, he goes in he does all our chemicals. Yeah. Not chemicals, but he will put kill the the weeds. And then he'll also
All right. He'll do that in the fall and in the spring. And then um it's killed all the weeds that we have in section B and B1. The the grass looks really good now. And then Evan's been doing going back to
all the graves in the past because they didn't really always put grass seed down. So now he's raking it, he's putting new dirt down, putting grass seed down, and then putting straw on top. And that's been helping it grow
a lot faster and a lot thicker. So um >> Yeah, that's that stuff works well. >> Yeah. >> Oh, it's nice about it is this stuff is biodegradable, so it's good. >> Exactly. And it just and then as you mow it, it chomps over it. It's not a real big issue. Um
So that's pretty much updated for everything there. He's still going to try and do the uh the little drive, you know, where we park our cars when we first come in. >> Yeah. >> Right there by the shed. >> Yeah. >> He's still going to try to get um millings from from highway cuz they
always have them at the dump. So he's going to try and get some millings dropped there and then do it. Uh and then have the um telephone pole in front. So it No one's going to be able to go forward. You're going to have to back up and get out. And that's just going to keep everyone
from going on that lawn because we haven't really taken care of that right there by the memorial, by the shed. We haven't really planted seed there because everyone's always driving on it for all the functions and everything. So, >> I like the signs there about
>> Keep off the lawn? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah, we had to buy those because with the funeral homes, uh they they they were just people and I don't think the funeral homes are directing them to go on the lawn, but I
think they think everybody's got to go around them and it's not too wide. >> Yeah. >> For two cars in in the roadway. So, I think instead of just parking on the roadway, your whole car, they're parking on the grass and then Evans
like constantly redoing the grass seed and everything and he's like, "This is like >> crazy." >> It is cuz you're doing the same thing over and over and over again every every couple weeks because people don't get it. So, he's like, "I'm just going to put these signs here and there and see I
go, "All right. See if they don't run over your sign." Um we haven't seen the dog the guy with the dog, so he's he's kind of stopped coming, I think. Either that or he >> They're early early in the morning.
>> Early early early in the morning. But, you know, there's only one guy that comes with a dog. The other lady comes with it, but she's in it's in her car with the window rolled down while she's weeding. Um the other guy, he walks it throughout the
whole summer hearing. And he pees and poops everywhere and >> He's got an old Honda uh >> Yeah. >> square box van. >> Yeah. Yeah, we looked on the camera, we got it. We got the license plate, went to the police, they said they couldn't find
it find them cuz it was a it's not his plate, it was a not a farm plate, but it was some other plate. >> New York plate or >> Like kind of like a dealer's plate and then they finally found out they must have found found it at some point cuz it
was up on Granville Road. And that's where he was, and they went and talked to him, and I don't think we've had an issue since. Evan hasn't complained. Um maybe he's picking up his poop, I don't know. But we really shouldn't allow We have
signs that say no dogs allowed at all. It's like I'm not >> Unfortunately, many people think rules are made to be broken. >> Right. Exactly. >> Yeah. >> Um >> And or they just don't apply to them. >> Yeah. >> Right. They make their own rules.
So, you want to go to the new business? >> Sure. >> Um the RFP is almost done. I just have to um double-check a few um totals, and then I'll bring it to you guys. So, we'll probably meet in September. You guys can I'll I'll get
that RFP to you before then. That way you can look it over and catch maybe something I didn't um put in there. Um I found a um Midwest somebody a church put one in, and so I'm I'm going
off of theirs, and I'm just not reinventing the wheel. I'm just critiquing it to South Wick. Um but they were pretty you know, adamant about their process. >> the Yeah. >> Yeah, very specific. So, it's it's kind
of hard to make it go with ours. >> Do you have any photos of what they're looking at or >> Just that one that you gave me a a few years ago. I still have that one, and that one was from Washington State, I believe. >> Yeah. >> And that's the one I like cuz it's just
square. It's very simple. Um and I think we're going to I'd like to try to get two of them cuz it holds 48 in each one. And then we could at least place the two there, and then every couple years see
how we're selling it, and then go get two more. >> What kind of pricing would we be thinking about for those columbariums? >> So, did I put that on there? Um So,
how I figured it out was it's going to pay for itself once the all 48 of them are sold. >> Yeah. >> So, if we make the price I think we were going to we we have to have it 300 and maybe 30 or let's say 350. That
would pay for itself. times 48 one But, you don't want to just do that because we still have to pay Evan to um open and close it, even though it's just a box. He still has to put the table out
in the heart section for when they do the cremation um ceremony um for the funeral part. So, he'd still have to do that. So, that's time consuming. That's still doing mostly what he's doing. The only thing he isn't doing is digging a hole.
>> And the other thing is is that the company inscription on the door on the funeral home. >> Right. So, that label we'd have to include that price, which I think um Dean Brothers we we would just bring them that plate, and they would use
whatever um photo type um letter type that we want. So, we would have to pick one of those, what letter type you want the words to be inscribed by. Like, you know, what Arial and whatever, rain Roman.
That type of thing. >> Yeah. So, what happens if um you know, they got to adhere that plate onto the door, and then for some strange reason they decide to move those cremains and leave. Do we have to replace the door, or is the owner going to take that piece off
and put a different one in? >> Um that would be a question for um the RFP when we get when we're um getting it, you're allowed to ask questions. So, you could email everybody involved,
anyone that's putting that in, and that could be one of the questions that we want to ask. >> Versus have a >> Versus do are you going to give us let's say 20 extra extras or 10 extras or do we just call you and get them or or do does that not come with a plate?
Do you know what I mean? >> Yeah, well some and some of them >> Do we get our own plates? >> Some of them uh well, they have them. They provide you extra doors. >> Right. >> So, they could be sandblasted to put the inscription on the granite door.
>> Right. So, I kind of like the plate instead because the plate you can always just change a plate. If you're sandblasting on the cement part, you're that's that's forever on the granite. I don't think I I would want that. Cuz then you can't you can't make a
mistake. Means leaves no room for oh, I I we're moving and we want to take our ashes with us. Do you know what I mean? >> Well, that's where you have the extra doors. >> Yeah, I guess you would. We'd have to ask that question. That's a
I'll make sure I write that down so I remember. >> That was a process I made and they provided an extra door so that >> one? Or no? >> No, for the columbarium. So, that um they put a door
and extra doors and >> and plates. Let's just ask that question. Okay. Um Yeah. That's an interesting question. Well, we'll have to think of some other questions if we have them.
>> Yeah. >> Um I think it's going to be a good thing. We're still going to get cremations in the ground. Like if you already have your grandmother there and you want to be cremated and go on top of her, that's still going to be allowed. This is just
to not sell another empty plot, a 4 by 8 plot, wasting it and not having a full body go in the ground. >> Yeah, cuz we're trying to conserve >> the land. >> Yeah, yeah. >> Yeah. So, right now we're on section nine. We still have nine and 10 to do,
and then Evan's pretty much got section 11, which is next to eight, pretty flat, but we have to bring in he'll have to grab some more sand and top it off, and then at the end when he gets it leveled, then he'll be able to uh
add some more topsoil. And then >> Seed it. >> seed it really nice, and then we'll be mowing over there instead of weeds. But then we have to figure out the roadway around that. Because now we're um section B is a circle,
and section B1 goes over that way. >> Yeah. >> Um over bar where remember that grave where all the truck drivers used to go right over on that corner? Well, now that's just grass. That whole road going all the way back is just going to be grass. Because it's
easier to mow than it is to take care of that, and it's going to be cheaper if we don't because how many how many graves are people are going to be buried in those old in that old section back there? Not a lot. We We probably I've been here
six, seven years, and I probably haven't seen maybe but one or two in the back part. Um there may be some available, but most of the all the family members now are being cremated in those spots. So, it's a lot easier.
So, it's easy for like a funeral car to go around there on the grass. They're not going to damage the grass. You know what I mean? We won't let everybody drive around there, but we will let the funeral home drive around there on the grass. That's not a big
deal. Um for for for the time that they're on there. It just looks It just looks better being grass than it does And then we don't have to tar it. So, that's saving us money. But then we will have to tar around
where the new part got tarred 8, 9, and 10 to go toward like Do we want to tar that to go over the next three sections? Cuz we have to get rid of that big sand pile. That's We've got to get I
I I want to kick myself every time I think about it because Pressly wanted it so bad, but the town gave him such a hard time about weighing every piece of sand there that it was just He was going to give it
us money off of what it cost him to to do all the paving, and it would have been sweet. We would have been done with that pile. Now we got to try to get rid of that huge pile that's been there for 50 years, and now trees are growing off of it, and
it's just a an eyesore, but we we need that out of there so that then we can put a fence up. Once that's moved, we can put a fence up, and then on the other side of the fence would be our piles of >> gravel
>> gravel. All that stuff would be behind there. Um So, and then and then nobody you wouldn't see it. And that's the same thing as here's section eight, here's section the new section 11 right there where you see
where we do our brush further down, we would put probably a nice fence there going all the way and just leave one entrance to the um, old cemetery. Right. You know. We might have to cut down a couple of
the trees over by that section by the old cemetery. If you're looking at the entrance of the old cemetery, there's a couple big trees on the left before as you go into the gate and then there's a couple right there in front of the gate on the right. If we got rid of
those, we could literally make like a parking lot for four cars. So that when people come to go in the old cemetery, they just park right there and we could just do milling there and not not have to worry about paving that. You know.
Kind of. We I don't think you want to pave the old cemetery. >> No. No, I wouldn't. >> It wouldn't pay because we can't get around there. There's no way for them to back up. That's why we put the gate up. You know. >> Okay.
>> So I >> Oh, plus we put the gate up there to keep people from driving in there and driving down rows and >> Right. Damaging stuff and then building people. Right. Exactly. Yeah. >> Of course if having a key and
if we need to go in there then we can move whatever we need in there and then lock it behind us so that no one comes in behind us. >> Yeah. Yeah, I know that's been working out great cuz like I said Evan just gets the mower out of the new shed and it's all
right there. That's that was a godsend putting that shed there. I mean now we can just put a table in there at some point. And then get the broken stones out of the old shed. >> Yeah, we'll we'll talk about that in a
couple of minutes. >> All right. So that's about that. So we'll we'll do another meeting um in in September to go over the columbariums. >> I think they ain't hard to come by. It's like those cabinets.
It's like you we've been wanting them for quite a while. >> Yeah, it takes time because you have to write a RFP for them. You have to go out for bid. There's only a couple companies that actually make them. Um there's really not I think there's a guy
in Hartford that said he could get it from Canada. But then I'm like, well why do I go through you? I can just go Canada. Why do I need a middleman? Do you know what I mean? I'll have to pay you something. >> Yeah. >> So why wouldn't I just, you know, [clears throat] >> Yeah.
>> I don't know. So um I gave Jean um some paperwork on new fees to go up on our fees just to recoup some money. >> Yeah. >> Um I'll let you guys I'll I'll get a copy for you Norm before you leave. And then you guys look at it and then in
September if we want to we agree to it um then we can just up our fees. >> Yeah, so pretty much I'll let you know Norm. Full burial plot um $550,
cremation plot $300, columbarium vault $600, opening and closing full burial that's contracted out it's $700, $600 to the contractor, $300 to
the cemetery account. Cremation burial, $400. $300 to full-timer, $100 to cemetery account. Columbarium, $400, $300 to full-timer, $100 to cemetery account.
Stone installation, $300 bucks, $200 to full-timer, and $100 goes into the cemetery account. So, when you're speaking of the cemetery or the uh stone installation, >> Yeah. >> specifically what are you speaking about there?
>> So, that's when someone's buying a stone and they order it not from a monument place. >> So, they'll do the foundation, is that what you're talking >> Um Evan just does what he normally does. The you know, goes 6 in down, does all
the trap rock and stuff like that, levels it. >> The foundation. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, that's like if somebody doesn't go through a monument place, but it's a What is it? 4-in stone? >> Yeah, you got to go down enough so that
>> I think it's like 6 or 8 in I think it might be only >> 8 in. >> down pretty far. Um >> I would probably recommend adding something to what that is, you know, specifically recommend that cemetery place,
you know, company and about doing the foundation. >> So, now we're getting some monument places that don't have their um Like let's say you have a monument place and you don't have your guy anymore to and do the the flat stones.
Now they call and they ask Evan if he can do it. So, he's like, "Yeah, I can, but >> Yeah. >> How do How are we doing this, you know?" >> Yeah, well, who's paying? >> Right, exactly. So, I think people are now just finding out that the
they're doing uprights and they're not I don't know older people were old and they don't do it anymore. >> Yeah, cuz there was a company in Springfield that I forgot. Had some guy come out. He was older, but I haven't seen him in a long time. >> No, it was I think it was
um Those videos that you know, our particular cemetery might have one of these others that you know, I deal with. Yeah. The stone wall, that's what it was. It was at the um Parker Park where I put stone in there.
>> Yeah. >> They ordered a stone from a from a guy. >> Yeah. >> And he doesn't do foundations. >> Oh. >> So. >> Oh, okay. So, maybe that's why we're getting some of them. So, they're they're ordering the stone, but there's no one there to do the
foundation. >> do the foundation. >> Gotcha. >> They just do the stone, they get it engraved, then deliver it. >> And now Evan still has to do the um veteran stone. >> Yeah. >> Cuz they're all ordering just the top
marker and the the government isn't giving us the cement anymore. >> No. >> So, now he has to he has a plate that he does and he figured it out and now he >> Yeah, he's mixing up the >> Yeah, cement. >> Mixing it. >> Yeah. >> Put down the form. >> Yeah. Doing the form, so that's a lot of
work. >> You sick. Terrific. >> Yeah. >> Just like that. Same principle for bases of the uh snap base stones and burial ground, which is
>> Right. >> And we got a lot of bases I don't know if we're going to at some point we need to make and it's kind of nice if we have a strong bull other than Evan or you know, that we have one of our volunteers I know in a veterans tax exemption program.
>> Yeah, we don't have anyone working that office here. >> Do we? >> Are you? You're still working it out. Yeah. Yeah. >> Like I do a new paperwork. Yeah, we got to do >> You already did. >> For 2027?
>> Yes. Well, we already did it for 26 into starts July 1st, 2026. Yeah. >> Well, >> So you're in the new new new fiscal year ended in >> June, right? >> Yeah. >> Our fiscal year started 1 July. So we're
into 2027. >> Yeah. >> But I mean we didn't change the dates on the form. >> Right. >> Let me have the form. I'll get you the form. But I think pretty much on the old business we we covered everything that you had on the agenda.
>> Yep. And wreaths across America is December 19th this year. Put it in your calendars. We'll be looking for that and then I'll be starting to do donations. Donation letters will go out next week. I usually do it in July
to all the big banks and companies and that type of thing. Uh we're not that far off actually. I think we only need a couple hundred left. Yeah. So between the Legion um dinner and I think is October.
Um we usually get a good thousand from them and then the Lions Club usually gives us something and then a bunch of donations, we should be good. >> Yeah, the last thing I'm going to say on the old bearing ground. Um we'll have to
set up a time with with Evan to reset those two fallen ones. We're not going to do that while it's hot. >> No. I mean we're going to wait till September. >> Yeah. >> Are those the only two that fell? >> Yeah. Yeah, there's liners we got to set them
up. So it's fine. >> Right, but those are the ones that fell. >> Yeah. Okay. You know. So, we'll we'll do a journ if you don't have anything else. I have a motion to adjourn now. You second it. Yeah, you make it. Oh, I
got to make a motion to adjourn and second cuz I cannot make the I have a vote. All in favor. Yeah, thanks so you all for participating in this material commission meeting. Yeah.