Board of Cemetery Trustees/Board of Trustees of Trust Funds meeting minutes
DATE: April 27, 2011 6 p.m.
LOCATION: Town Office Building
PRESENT: Gil Bliss, Margo Charig Bliss, Jan Moller, trustees; Merrill Villmore, arborist
1. The board voted to approve an investment policy for this year – voting unanimously to maintain the current practice of investing in certificates of deposit at the People’s United (formerly Ocean) Bank.
2. The board signed completed MS-9 forms, prepared by Margo Bliss, for annual reporting to the state Department of Revenue and Department of Justice.
3. A discussion was held with arborist Merrill Villmore on vegetation in the cemeteries. He reported that wrapping bushes in the Greenvale Cemetery was successful in greatly reducing damage from deer feeding. He was encouraged to include some flowering bushes in plantings this season. The large evergreens at the Greenvale south gate were discussed, as one is dying and needs to be trimmed or removed. It was decided to monitor the situation for now, with no action at this time.
4. Whittemore Cemetery was discussed relative to several matters. Merrill will investigate a latch for the new gate installed last season. It was reported that winter damage was unremarkable and we will try to include brush removal and clipping when prisoners from the Hillsborough County jail come this summer. Jan Moller will check on condition of the gravestones.
5. It’s already on the prisoner work list to continue repair of the fence around Old Meetinghouse Cemetery, which sustained significant damage on the end near Sawmill Road and we will check on necessary supplies. A discussion was held on the locked vault at the Francestown Road end and whether it is feasible for any storage purposes.
6. The position of sexton was discussed, along with the possibility of the town doing its own burials next year. A digger who has much past experience in Greenvale is available and Gil Bliss reported that our highway department currently has two employees with cemetery experience. Merrill is available with a post-hole digger for cremation burials.
7. Jan will be updating our current computerized records using burial data from the past five years and we will investigate how to update our Greenvale map without using outside computer help.
8. The board voted to create one lot dedicated to single burials at Greenvale Cemetery, in response to a request earlier this month. A lot was designated and the first grave was sold for $150. Jellison Funeral Home of Peterborough donated granite corner markers for this new lot, as their request generated this move.
9. A discussion was held on funds left in the Sayles Trust Fund, which originally was dedicated to creation of a sportsman’s area off Savage Road, the care of which has lapsed over the past several years. The board will investigate various compatible uses for these funds, possibly including restoration of the original area.
10. Gil reported that the annual town audit of the trust funds went smoothly.
11. Gil will inquire about the status of the water system upgrade at Greenvale Cemetery, including completion of rewiring the pump, which was begun by the previous public works director. Once again, $1500 has been carried over in the budget for this project. Jan and Merrill will check on the condition of the pump and hookups.
The meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Gil Bliss
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