EAST WINDSOR VETERANS COMMISSION
SPECIAL JOINT MEETING
East Windsor Veterans Commission
and
East Windsor Cemetery Association
MINUTES
for
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Ed Filipone, First Selectman, opened this special meeting at 6:45 P.M. at the East Windsor Town Hall. There were seven East Windsor Veterans Commission members in attendance: Warren Wenz - Chairman, Ernie Teixeira -Vice Chairman, Mark Simmons - Secretary, George Butenkoff, Don Brown, James Barton and Ken Crouch.
Absent: William Abbe Sr., Ron Hwalek - Treasurer, Dave Malo, Nicholas Macsata, Rick Webster and Fred McDermott.
Also present was Dan Burnham, President of the East Windsor Cemetery Association, and three East Windsor Cemetery Association Directors: Mike Burke, Rick Osborn and Craig Arnold. Eleven East Windsor citizens were also in attendance.
East Windsor First Selectman Ed Filipone made some introductory remarks stating this special, joint meeting of the East Windsor Veterans Commission and East Windsor Cemetery Association was called to discuss the issue of seasonal placement and removal of American Flags at East Windsor Veterans’ grave markers. Ed Filipone added that because this was a special, joint meeting no public input would be allowed at this meeting and noted that this special meeting must adjourn prior to 7:30 P.M. because of the Selectman’s meeting scheduled at this time at this location.
The East Windsor Veterans Commission questioned why the veterans’ grave site flags and flag holders were all removed so soon this year after Memorial Day when, for many years, the flags remained in place at the grave sites.
Dan Burnham, President of the E.W. Cemetery Assn., began by explaining that the flags were removed from the grave markers at his direction. Dan Burnham emphasized that it was certainly not his intention to show any disrespect and added that he accepts responsibility for the flags being removed. Dan Burnham said that he received many irate phone calls and complaints over this and knows that people are upset. Dan Burnham explained that his instructions relayed to the maintenance crew over several telephone calls led to a communication break down. The maintenance crew was directed to remove flags and other decorations only from the flush (or flat) grave markers to accommodate the mowing process.
(cont.)
(2)
According to Dan Burnham the maintenance crew was “a little more aggressive than was thought” in removing the flags etc. from the grave markers at this time. Dan Burnham said the removal of the flags and markers still fell within the Rules & Regulations of the East Windsor Cemetery Association. Dan Burnham added that the flags would have been removed after the Forth of July holiday.
Dan Burnham offered several reasons for removal of the grave marker flags saying: The flags and holders present a significant cemetery maintenance issue;
The Cemetery Association’s rules and regulations expressly state that no decorations are allowed at any cemetery monument in order to maintain the dignity and aesthetics of the cemetery; The overall cost of maintenance is increasing every year; The unique “set up” of each cemetery dictates the need to regulate or prohibit grave decorations; The cemetery grave pattern and access roads or “set up” impacts the routine mowing operation and other maintenance vehicles of various sizes that travel within the cemetery.
Warren Wenz, Chairman of the E.W.Veterans Comm., said that earlier today he watched the maintenance crew at the Springdale Cemetery for a short time and noted that the crew did not go near the flag holders with mowing equipment. Warren Wenz said that it appeared to him that the flags and holders do not really pose a mowing problem.
Jim Barton, E.W. Veterans Comm. member, reported that he visited five cemeteries in three area towns yesterday and obtained information on the operations of these cemeteries. Jim Barton said that all of the area cemeteries had maintenance issues, however, all of the cemetery maintenance offices he visited were willing to accommodate the needs of bereaved family members as much as possible. Jim Barton said at the cemeteries he visited potted plants and flags were found at many of the flush grave markers adding that this practice was allowed at these cemeteries. Jim Barton said that to his recollection for as far back as twenty years the East Windsor Cemetery Association has allowed flags with no removal timeline at all veterans’ grave sites.
Jim Barton made the observation that in any large cemetery there will be some type of remembrance event every day at many individual grave sites, i.e. birth date, death anniversary, holiday etc. Jim Barton added that a plan needs to be worked out where there is a balance between the remembrance needs of the families of deceased and the maintenance issues of the East Windsor Cemetery Association.
Ed Filipone, E.W. First Selectman, asked those present for some input for scheduling placement and removal of grave site decorations.
Jim Barton, E.W. Veterans Comm. member, asked what exactly would be allowed in our cemeteries. Dan Burnham, President E.W. Cemetery Assn., said that the metal flag holders are not allowed by their rules and regulations and they were recently removed by the maintenance crews. Dan Burnham explained further that bronze flag holders are specifically prohibited because they are routinely stolen for their scrap value and the theft act is usually associated with collateral damage around the grave site. The Cemetery Association will not permit a metal or plastic flag holder placed at any grave marker in accordance with the directives of their rules and regulations.
(cont.)
(3)
Dan Burnham emphasized that the flags and holders and other decorations are not permitted at grave markers because of the extra maintenance and payroll costs, i.e. removing & replacing the holder, during routine grass mowing. Dan Burnham added that no perennial plants are allowed at all and only annual type plants are allowed near each side of an upright grave marker. Dan Burnham said that his budget restraints and maintenance costs are the driving factors in enforcing current Cemetery Association’s rules & regulations.
Jim Barton inquired about the many previous years that flags had been allowed to remain at all veterans’ grave markers and asked why there was a sudden change in this practice. Dan Burnham, President E.W. Cemetery Assn., said that the cemetery rules and regulations have been poorly or not enforced over the past many years.
Dan Burnham added that now it has become a maintenance and cost issue. Dan Burnham gave a rough, best guess annual cost estimate of about $10,000.00 in additional payroll to remove grave marker flags and replace them during routine grass mowing. Rick Osborn, Cemetery Association Director, added that prior to 1967-1968 the American Legion members were in charge of placing and removing flags from veterans’ graves. Rick Osborn added that when this task became too much for the American Legion to handle a main flag pole was installed at each cemetery around 1967-1968 in lieu of placing a flag at each individual veteran’s grave.
Ken Crouch, Deputy First Selectman and E.W. Veterans Comm. member, asked if it were possible to require a specific placement of a flag at each flush grave marker so that they are all aligned and therefore easier to mow around. Dan Burnham responded that due to the mower’s large size and limited maneuverability even aligned flags at the flush markers would be hit and broken by the mower.
Jim Barton, E.W. Veterans Comm. member, said that he found that other workers in area cemeteries will pick up and replace the potted plants and flags while mowing.
Ken Crouch, Deputy First Selectman and E.W. Veterans Comm. member, added that he felt that every veteran buried in an East Windsor cemetery, at the very least, deserves a flag at his or her grave site.
Rick Osborn, E.W. Cemetery Association Director, said that at our National and State cemeteries flags and other decorations are seasonally placed but not left for extended periods at grave markers. Rick Osborn added that flags left at a grave marker for an extended period of time should be the “all weather” type flag. This would avoid the deterioration effect of non “all weather” type flags.
Jim Barton, E.W. Veterans Comm. member, reported that in his experience our non “all weather” type flags when placed on Memorial Day have lasted for an entire year in good condition until replaced the following Memorial Day. Jim Barton added that our annual task of placing a new flag at a veteran’s grave marker is made much easier when the previous flag is left at the veteran’s grave marker. Jim Barton said a lot of veteran’s graves are not marked as such making it difficult to locate the grave if there is no flag.
(cont.)
(4)
George Butenkoff, E.W. Veterans Comm. member, asked the Cemetery Association members how often the grass is mowed at the cemeteries. Dan Burnham said that the mowing schedule varies based on need during the growth season. Dan Burnham added that mowing can occur on a weekly to ten day schedule to not at all during winter.
The Cemetery Association members were also asked if there were cemetery plot plans available to assist in creating a veterans’ burial plot map. Dan Burnham said that there are plot plans available, however, the size and bulk of these plans would make them difficult, in his opinion, to use for this purpose.
With the allotted time frame for this special meeting running out, the East Windsor Cemetery association members and the East Windsor Veterans Commission members present agreed to discuss this matter further and with a view to develop a flag placement and removal time table plan agreeable to all concerned.
ADJOURNMENT
First Selectman Ed Filipone asked for a motion to adjourn. Ernie Teixeira, E.W. Veterans Comm. member, moved to adjourn this special meeting and this was seconded by Ken Crouch, E.W. Veterans Comm. member. The motion carried unanimously. The meeting closed at 7:20 P.M.
Respectfully submitted,
Mark Simmons, Secretary, E.W.V.C.
Minutes Approved:____/____/_______
| 
