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HomeMy Public PortalAbout08-24-2017 Minutes HCC Regular MeetingPage 1 of 4 Minutes Cemetery Committee 9 a.m. Aug. 24, 2017 Town Barn, 101 E. Orange St. Present: Chairman Ken Ostrand, Rachel Bowman, Jane Gaede, David McCullough and Lisa Williams Absent: Vice Chairwoman Ashley Campbell and Archivist Bartow Culp Staff: Senior Administrative Support Specialist Jamie Johnson and Public Space Manager Stephanie Trueblood Item 1: Call to order, roll call, and confirmation of quorum Chairman Ken Ostrand called the meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. Public Space Manager Stephanie Trueblood called the roll and confirmed the presence of a quorum. Item 2: Additions to the agenda and agenda adjustment There were no changes or adjustments. Item 3: Approval of minutes from July 27, 2017 Motion: Committee Member Jane Gaede moved to approve the minutes as submitted. Second: Committee Member David McCullough seconded. Vote: Unanimous Item 4: Review draft recommendations and updated map for the Margaret Lane Cemetery master plan Ms. Trueblood reviewed that she would like to include the history of the cemetery, a map and recommendations for site improvements. There is a lot of information for this cemetery, so she is seeking input on what to include. She noted the narrative could be what is on the interpretive sign. Ms. Trueblood also shared a revised map and acknowledged it would make sense to include information from the 2006 research report. Mr. McCullough noted that the information on the sign is newer than the information in the brochure. Chairman Ostrand asked Ms. Trueblood to wait until September to finalize the history component because he has read the old minutes and believes the town intended the land to be a cemetery from the start. Ms. Trueblood answered that next month the committee would see the draft document again and added that the history on the interpretive sign does not go back as far as Chairman Ostrand is referencing. Chairman Ostrand checked that a further ground-penetrating radar study on grave locations is on the list of recommendations as well as purchasing more markers. Ms. Trueblood noted that both are supposed to be on the list. When asked, committee members said the map is appropriate. Page 2 of 4 Item 5: Update on maintenance work orders for Town Cemetery Ms. Trueblood reported that she, Senior Administrative Support Specialist Jamie Johnson and Committee Member Lisa Williams had walked through the Town Cemetery together to identify maintenance needs. Some were items she could take care of right away. Ms. Trueblood immediately asked the contracted grounds maintenance crew to pick up sticks that had been piled up and old flowers that had been mowed over and scattered around. Ms. Johnson shared that some Easter decorations were still present on their recent walk. Ms. Trueblood said she would like to have decorations switched out four times a year, with notifications to family members who may want to reclaim the decorations rather than only removing decorations after Christmas. The artificial flowers and decorations that family members leave at gravestones fade over time. Also, as they deteriorate, they are more likely to blow around and then get mowed over. Ms. Trueblood reported that she intended to have the grounds maintenance crew clear the fence along the west side of the property where trees are damaging the fence by growing through it. Also, she intends to ask the crew to remove invasive plants. Ms. Trueblood said the fountain, which is a central feature at the back of the cemetery, needs some landscaping. In the flowerbed that surrounds the fountain, there is some dead grass and there are two bushes planted too closely. The plan is to reposition the two lorapetalums, add a third lorapetalum and then plant periwinkle because it requires little maintenance. Ms. Trueblood reported that she, Ms. Johnson and Ms. Williams had also identified two places to add benches in the Town Cemetery. Also, the older section of the cemetery has roughly ten areas with no grass growing and erosion is occurring. Ms. Trueblood said these areas need to be lightly tilled before adding compost layers, seed and erosion-control matting. She said she had discussed this possible project with Stormwater and Environmental Services Manager Terry Hackett. Funds generated from the stormwater utility fee may be put toward this project because it is intended to mitigate erosion. Ms. Trueblood and the committee briefly discussed that there is still a list of gravestones to be repaired and Ms. Trueblood agreed to conduct a site visit to refine the list. Also, there is a need to repair the top of the brick wall. When asked, Ms. Trueblood said she had no recommendations at this time to plant trees in the Town Cemetery. Ms. Trueblood said the committee could talk more about that when it creates a master plan for this cemetery. Also, the Tree Board has identified other projects for this fiscal year. Chairman Ostrand expressed interest in replacing the chain-link fence on the cemetery’s western side. Ms. Trueblood suggested that the black aluminum fencing used by some property owners bordering the cemetery’s eastern side might be appropriate. Item 6: Discussion about planting and maintaining cradle graves Ms. Trueblood told the board that she had been informed that Town Attorney Bob Hornik had previously advised the Cemetery Committee not to touch graves that are less than 100 years old. This includes making repairs, planting flowers, using photographs of them in committee brochures and leading tours of them. Therefore, the committee would need to wait until the cradle graves were at least 100 years old. Upon discussion, the committee noted that there are three in the Town Cemetery and none in the Old Town Cemetery. Page 3 of 4 Ms. Trueblood suggested that the committee note in the master plan for the Town Cemetery that the cradle graves could be planted once they reached the age of 100 which will happen in the 2020s. Item 7: Subcommittee reports • Gravestone survey and epigraphy: Lisa Williams — Ms. Williams reported that all of the gravestones have been recorded and that volunteers have rechecked roughly one-third of the inscriptions. The subcommittee has a handwritten form for each gravestone. The next stage will be rechecking more carefully. Ms. Trueblood explained that Ms. Johnson needs the originals and will make copies. There was a debate about when to give the draft documents to Ms. Johnson. Chairman Ostrand would like to give the draft documents to Ms. Johnson for safe keeping. Ms. Williams was concerned about creating too many versions of the documents by submitting the forms before all the rechecks have taken place. On another subject, Chairman Ostrand asked about the gravestone that was supposed to be handed over to the care of the Orange County Historical Museum. It was decided that Ms. Johnson will check the minutes regarding what needs to happen next and will then communicate with the museum director. It was noted that Public Works Director Ken Hines has a gravestone in his care and that Town Manager Eric Peterson has the inscription part of a gravestone in his care or possibly in the cemetery office. Ms. Trueblood and Ms. Johnson said they would gather the three gravestones and place them in the cemetery office. • Signage: David McCullough — Ms. Trueblood said that it is time for this subcommittee to meet. There will likely be money in the budget to fabricate the sign for the Old Town Cemetery in July. Mr. McCullough said the subcommittee would use the brochure as a starting point. Ms. Trueblood asked whether members have any photographs they would like to see on the sign. Board members said they did not. Mr. McCullough offered to reach out to Hillsborough resident and photographer Elizabeth Matheson to ask whether she has photos that would work well for the interpretive sign. Chairman Ostrand suggested placing an ad in the newspaper soliciting photographs. Ms. Trueblood said she would check with Public Information Officer Catherine Wright about how to handle that. • National Register: Ken Ostrand — Chairman Ostrand reported he was working on the application for designation of the Old Town Cemetery on the National Register of Historic Sites and needed some staff assistance, possibly from Planner Justin Snyder who provides staff support for the Historic District Commission. Ms. Trueblood said the Historic District Commission would have to apply for the cemetery to be a standalone property on the National Register. She advised that if the committee desires to pursue this option that they need to reach out to the HDC. Ms. Trueblood explained that usually the Historic District Commission would apply for a Certified Local Government grant and then pay a consultant to put the application together. Ms. Trueblood said she does not recall a formal motion from the Historic District Commission for the Cemetery Committee to pursue the application. Ms. Trueblood suggested that Chairman Ostrand share his draft application and that she and Ms. Johnson will review past minutes to determine whether the commission voted to allow the Cemetery Committee to pursue this status. Item 9: Steward reports • Margaret Lane Cemetery: Bartow Culp — He was absent. Committee members expressed interest in raising the stone markers in the cemetery. Ms. Trueblood said that a volunteer had offered to find the metal stakes with a metal detector to help volunteers locate the stones. The committee identified the last weekend in February as a Page 4 of 4 good time to try to raise the stone markers. Ms. Williams offered to lead that effort but added she would like to wrap up the epigraphy work in the Old Town Cemetery first. • Old Town Cemetery: Ashley Campbell — No report was given. • Town Cemetery: Lisa Williams — No report was given, but the cemetery was discussed earlier in the meeting. Item 9: Updates • Volunteer epigraphy work day Aug. 19 debriefing —Chairman Ostrand reported that this day went smoothly. It was noted that the unmarked graves which were located with ground-penetrating radar are not marked. Ms. Trueblood and Ms. Johnson will find out how much it would cost to mark them. Item 11: Adjourn Motion: Committee Member Rachel Bowman moved to adjourn at 10:27 a.m. Second: Ms. Williams seconded. Vote: Unanimous