HomeMy Public PortalAbout20180419 - Cemetery Commission - Meeting MinutesHopkinton Cemetery Commission
Minutes of Meeting held April 19, 2018
A meeting of the Hopkinton Cemetery Commission was held on April 19, 2018 in the Senior
Center Library. A Notice of Meeting was duly posted. The meeting commenced at 6:05 p.m. In
attendance were Claire Wright, Thomas Pratt, and John Palmer, all the members of the
Commission. Mrs. Wright presided and Mr. Palmer kept the minutes.
The Commission approved the minutes of the meeting held on December 13, 2017. Mr. Palmer
will forward these minutes for posting on the Town’s website.
Mrs. Wright presented a Bills Payable Warrant for signature. The Warrant contained one bill in
the amount of $13,040 for the installation of and for one year’s use of Inception Software. This
software will enable users to access the Town’s cemetery records upon completion of the
ongoing records digitization project. An extensive discussion pursued. On a motion made and
seconded, the Commission unanimously voted to approve the payment and each member signed
the Warrant.
Mrs. Wright provided a brief update on the Commission’s efforts to repair damaged headstones
and monuments at the Mt. Auburn Cemetery. She reported that $10,000 has been made available
from Community Preservation Funds for this purpose, and that Gravestone Services of N.E. is
expected to begin the headstone repairs this year. Also reported was that Louis Monti & Sons,
Inc., the Town’s preferred contractor, will not be available to work on damaged monuments at
the present time because of a pending legal matter.
A discussion took place concerning the alleged damaged chain link fence gate at the Clinton St.
Cemetery. Mr. Palmer provided current photographs of the gate, but there was disagreement as
to whether it was damaged. Mrs. Wright then suggested that a gate at Clinton St. was not
necessary, and that perhaps the present gate could just be removed by the DPW. The
Commission unanimously voted to accept this suggestion.
Mrs. Wright reported that after the last meeting she asked Mike Mansir if he could install an
identification sign for the Bear Hill Cemetery.
The Commission approved the addition of a plaque containing the Gettysburg Address to the
Gettysburg soldier monument at Mt. Auburn Cemetery. The plaque is being donated by Len
Holden, and will be mounted on a stone base and installed by Veterans’ Grave Officer Michael
Whalen.
The Commission continued its ongoing discussion about the propriety of certain unidentified
charges and credits in the Town’s Perpetual Care and Sale of Lots accounts. Mr. Palmer agreed
to investigate the nature of the unknown entries and to report his findings to the Commission.
The next meeting of the Commission will be at the call of the Chair.
The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ John Palmer
John Palmer, Secretary
Minutes approved: May 15, 2018