DRAFT Cemetery Trustee Minutes 03.18.2024

Review of minutes of meeting of February 26, 2024. Ethel moved for approval of minutes and Jan seconded.  Motion passed unanimously.

Officer election. Motion by Jan Hicks to elect Ethel as Chair and Bridget as Secretary.  Ethel seconds. Motion passed unanimously.

Motion by Ethel to send to Select Board a request to approve Polly as alternate and request to approve continuation of Meg as alternate.  Motion seconded by Jan and unanimously approved. Letter to Select Board as to Polly was signed by Jan,Polly and Bridget.  Bridget, per Jamie, can email request to Select Board as to Meg.

At the 2024 Town Meeting on March 16, 2025 the warrant article to appropriate money for the new shed passed by voice vote.

We understand the warrant articles allow authorize up to $15,000 for completion of project. $5,000 from Cemetery Maintenance Trust Fund and $10,000 from town facilities fund.

We need drawing and better yet cardboard model.  For model we need dimensions.  Width (across) we think should be 16 feet across and 8 feet in depth.  Ethel will bring drawings to next meeting.  We are thinking 3 doors at this point. 1 for refuse, 1 for memorial decorations we have removed and 1 for cemetery committee and sexton tools and misc. (e.g. old cemetery markers).

We understand we  need bids for construction or purchase of prefab building from 2 bidders under law due to size of project. Do not need publication of request for proposal. However,  discrete parts of project under statutory amount  are not subject to bid rule (eg removal of structure, tree work, preparation of foundation/base (eg bed of gravel, possibly.

Effie has talked to Jamie about volunteer removal of building with volunteers signing waivers. After discussion, general consensus was we should use paid contractors, but with caveat to retain the beam if we can either sell, repurpose or donate.  One advantage of hiring out is otherwise Cemetery Commission will bear burden of renting removal bin, finding facility that accepts the shingles, clapboards, etc.

Discussed preliminary estimates (pre-drawing) by Larry Kullgren , who had 18 foot width in his estimate. For demo and removal : $2,500.  For new building: $10,000/Likely it does not include foundation work.  Note that Larry included rehab option which Commission voted against in previous meeting.

Note taking two bids is required and Larry’s is not a bid since drawing not available to him.

Ethel has company in mind for prefab option-Vermont company.  They have delivery fee of $500.

We need estimate for tree work. We usually use Andy Grant. May need tree work done before demo work.

Action items for next monthly meeting (April 9):  Meg will solicit estimates from Francestown Sand and Gravel and D.H. Hardwick & Sons for foundation work and removal/demolish work.  Ethel will bring drawing ( 16 feet width) of proposed shed.

Bridget notes we need to decide issues relating to annex property across from Cemetery no 3 and burials in current cemetery.  Bridget reviewed at home materials from NH Land Trust Coalition on partnering with conservancy and green burials. She will contact Betsy Hardwick of Conservation Commission on her thoughts. 

ADDITIONAL BUSINESS

Working session on Maps will be held March 27, 2024.

We will have regulation monthly meetings:  second Tuesday of every month at 9:30 a.m.  Next regular meeting will be April 9, 2024.