OnFocus – After loved one’s cherished personal items were cleared from gravesites for the first time in decades last fall, City of Marshfield staff are seeking approval of updated Hillside Cemetery rules.
At the March Parks & Recreation Committee meeting, a draft of updated rules was distributed. A final set of rules that implements requested changes and suggestions will be presented at Thursday’s meeting.
The updated rules hope to clarify dates for clean-up and what is expected, along with what is and isn’t acceptable for decorating gravesites. They will also replace what is listed on the website and what is currently distributed with every space sale, in addition to permanent signage at the entrance.
The proposed rules are as follows:
Hillside Cemetery Rules
- Cemetery decorating and clean-up dates:
- Spring/Summer Decorations
- April 11th – Decorations may be placed on or in line with (to the side of) headstones starting April 11th and must not cause an obstruction for maintenance.
- September 30th – Decorations must be removed by September 30th for fall clean-up.
- Fall/Winter Decorations
- October 11th – Decorations may be placed on or in line with (to the side of) headstones starting October 11th and must not cause an obstruction for maintenance.
- March 30th – Decorations must be removed by March 30th for spring clean-up.
2. Staff will discard all remaining decorations after designated dates above.
3. Anything other than monument-mounted vases, grave saddles or items affixed to the headstone are considered a decoration and must be removed for the fall/winter decoration season.
4. No solar lights, shepherd hooks, loose trinkets, etc. are allowed during fall/winter decoration season.
5. Veteran medallions/flag holders are allowed at all times. Tattered, torn or soiled flags must be repaired, replaced or removed.
6. No decorations may be left on or in the ground around the mausoleums or columbaria.
7. Statues will be permitted in line with (to the side of) headstones as long as they are placed on a concrete foundation and not encroaching on neighboring spaces.
8. Prohibited items include, but are not limited to:
- Glass, marbles, stones, rocks, beads, balls, gravel or anything that could become a projectile.
- Barbed wire or any other items that may cause injury to staff/visitors or damage equipment.
- Fencing or edging of any kind.
- Arborvitae, hedges or other plantings. Maintenance to existing trees and shrubs is the responsibility of the lot holder. Items that are neglected, overgrown, dead or a hazard may be removed by staff without notice.
9. Cemetery must authorize all interments.
10. Cemetery will not be responsible or liable for any lost or stolen items or damage to property.
11. If any items/decorations are of great monetary or emotional value, please protect those items in a safe place outside of the cemetery where they cannot be lost, stolen, damaged or removed for any reason.
12. A cemetery deed grants only burial rights, not the ownership of land or structures. The ownership of all cemetery land and structures remains with the cemetery. Cemetery reserves the right to remove any items that don’t comply with rules. PLEASE check with staff if you are unsure.
Cemetery reserves the right to remove any items that don’t comply with rules. PLEASE check with staff if you are unsure.
Full meeting agenda and packet is available here.
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Author: News Desk
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