Following a brief discussion late Tuesday night, Cadiz City Council members were assigned a bit of homework by Mayor Todd King — in a task that needs to be completed before they next convene in May.
The task: gather as much information as possible regarding the pros and cons of having future interment fees at East End Cemetery — the city’s hallowed resting place along Main Street.
Common in most cities across the country, the payment is typically incurred for the opening and closing of a grave, and the money usually goes to cover the cost of replace sod, finishing paperwork, and the general maintenance of the plot — be that everything from gasoline for a mower, to the mower and its operator altogether.
As caretaker for Lawrence Cemetery, and his family lineage, Councilman Craig Stallons brought the point to order.
It’s not a charge the previously existed, and since it wouldn’t be retroactive if approved, Councilman Bob Noel inquired about how many plots actually remained for sale at East End Cemetery.
To which Public Works Director Craig Oakley said “many.”
Oakley added that of those 750 or so lots, three have already been sold to families.
King said he had some preliminary discussions on costs earlier Tuesday, but still wanted the conversation tabled until more research had been collected.
Across the country, it’s not uncommon for interment fees to run anywhere between $300 and $1,500, and at private cemeteries, it is far higher.
According to the City of Murray statutes, an interment fee of $125 is charged for the Murray City Cemetery. It, too, is collected by the funeral home, paid no later than the funeral bill, and then those funeral homes remit payments back to the city on a quarterly basis.
In other council news:
— Councilwoman Susie Hendricks applauded the efforts of Parks & Recreation, as well as others, for the improvements to the West Cadiz Park playground. During a visit earlier this week, she said there must have been “at least 100 children, all playing together and getting along” on the new equipment.
— Councilwoman Brenda Price brought up the fact that the crews hired by David Chestnut and other associates have completed their work on the crumbling wall opposite the County Clerk’s Office and old Trigg County Farmer’s Bank and Integra Bank building.
Where architects and lifts once toiled now has a nice laid sod, and a new green space has arrived in downtown Cadiz.
After the meeting, Councilwoman Susan Bryant noted the restorative effort “likely saved the rest of the building” and its structural integrity.
— And while he didn’t give a timetable for completion, Oakley confirmed that work continues on the water and sewer line project along the walking trail behind Lafayette Street.
Mowing in this area, he added, was set to begin this week, before the forecast washed away those plans.
