Township Mulls New Cemetery Ordinance

There was a healthy discussion following the first reading of White Lake Township's first cemetery ordinance at last week's township board of trustees meeting — with finances for maintenance being the hot-button topic.

According to Treasurer Jay Brendel, the township's three cemeteries need maintenance, with the Oxbow Lake Cemetery leading the project list.

The other township cemeteries are White Lake Cemetery and Granger Cemetery.

The maintenance ranges from grass cutting to tree removal and the removal of poison ivy. The township invited bids for these projects this month, but the board was not pleased with the price estimates it received.

"We only have $5,000 in the cemetery fund for maintenance, and the bids we received were around $15,000 for the the projects we need to get done," Clerk Terry Lilley said.

To try to combat the costs, Lilley and Brendel asked whether the board would consider allowing the township to hire township employees and laid-off township employees to handle some of the maintenance.

The board quickly shot down the idea, citing liability issues and perceived conflict-of-interest issues.

"I'm not saying there is a conflict of interest, but this could very easily create the perception of a conflict of interest if we have employees and elected officials out there being paid to do work," Trustee Carol Burkard said.

Instead, the board directed the administrators to look into volunteer programs or ask the county to see whether prisoners could clean up the cemeteries.

Supervisor Greg Baroni said Friday that he's already contacted the county and will be pursuing volunteers to help with minor projects.

Following the discussion, the first reading of the township's first cemetery ordinance was accepted unanimously.

Prior to this proposed ordinance, the cemetery had only a list of rules and guidelines.

Brendel also serves as the township sexton for the cemeteries. He is currently responsible for coordinating maintenance of the cemeteries and digging the plots when someone passes away.

The township, under the new ordinance, is looking to recoup the funds spent digging plots to help supplement the cemetery maintenance fund.

Both Brendel and Lilley, who helped to draft the ordinance, were asked by the board to look into making a few changes to the proposed ordinance, including stacking for plots – placing one casket on top of another in a single plot – and the number of headstones allowed for cremated remains in a single plot. Current rules allow the cremated remains of up to four people in one plot.

The ordinace must be read a second time, at the next meeting, before it can be adopted.