HomeMy Public PortalAboutCemetery Commission -- 2019-06-21 Minutes Brewster Cemetery Commission
June 21, 2019 Minutes
Present : Members ; Sophia Sayigh , James Jones, Tom Rogers
1 . Open meeting : Meeting called to order at 1 : 00pm .
2 . Approval of 5/ 17/2019 Minutes : Tom Rogers motioned to approve the minutes, James Jones
seconded , all in favor of approving minutes .
3 . DPW Report : checked grass at Pine Grove and mowed .
4 . Budget review : James Jones has not yet reached out to O' Reilly to lay out Area C but will .
5 . Sales : None . A burial is scheduled for 6/29 .
6 . Review of research on green cemeteries in MA : Sophia reported that she called other municipal
cemeteries in MA who allow green burial . They have not experienced any issues or problems .
One is going to start prohibiting embalming other than with saline only in all cemeteries .
7 . Report on research of excavating companies re : green burial : Sophia reports that Century Vault
is willing to dig for green burials in Brewster Memorial .
8 . Review of the green burial steps from death to interment : Sophia Sayigh moved to add language
explicitly stating a body must be kept cool , and that the container must be free of visible bodily
fluids for burial in Area C . James Jones seconded . All in favor .
9 . Review of revision of BCC Rules and Regulations : The draft of the revision of rules and
regulations was reviewed . Changes include : deleting " Brewster Memorial Cemetery" from
cover; adding names of all town cemeteries to Section 1 ; revising language in Section XII to
mirror the language in Section IV and to add explicit language regarding footstones ( Sophia
Sayigh noted that the proposed language is actually not from Dennis and she' s not sure where
she found it) , in Section X add "or family representative of the deceased " and replace " burial "
with "disposition " ; add to Section IV guidance on transporting the body from the vehicle to the
gravesite , and hiring a funeral director to oversee procedures at the cemetery . Sophia Sayigh
opined that in an ideal world , we would not need a funeral director, but given the reality on the
ground in Brewster, which is that we do not have anyone from the town overseeing burials,
having a funeral director there fills that gap . If in the future it is deemed unnecessary, rules can
be revised . Sophia Sayigh moved to revise the rules as discussed to be reviewed at the next
meeting . James Jones seconded . All in favor .
10 . Scheduling a time to go to Select Board with Rules edits : James Jones moved to table scheduling
a time until our next meeting when we expect to have final edits in place . . We can electronically
submit the changes to Robin prior to the meeting . Sophia Sayigh seconded , all in favor of waiting
to schedule .
11 . Gravestone repair : Sophia Sayigh confirmed with James Jones the gravestone at Breakwater that
is in need of repair . She will email Kai and ask for an estimate . Kai plans to be in Dennis in July .
James Jones moved to approve this plan , Tom Rogers seconded , all in favor .
12 . Next meeting set for July 19 , 2019 at 1 : OOpm .
11 Meeting adjourned : Tom Rogers motioned , James Jones seconded . All agreed to adjourn .
Meeting adjourned at 2 : 00 pm
Approved July 19 , 2019s All in favor .