MONSON CEMETERY COMMISSION
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2006
The regular meeting of the Monson Cemetery Commissioners convened at 10:00 a.m. in the office at 32 Wilbraham Road. In attendance were Albert Wilcox, Robert Pease, Paul Lovell, William Plante and Gaylin Bingle. David Martin was not present.
Mr. Pease made a motion to accept the meeting minutes of August 4, 2006. Mr. Wilcox seconded the motion.
OLD BUSINESS:
1. Fence at Bennett Road Cemetery – Paul said the fence along the front of Bennett Road Cemetery is 101 feet with a double gate. Bay State Fence gave Paul a price of $1,775.00 to replace the fence with chain link with a double gate and a price of minus $350.00 without the double gate for a total of $1,425.00. The Commissioners agreed unanimously to have the fence installed on the sides in the front without having a gate installed.
2. Tree in Hillside – DG Tree gave Paul a price of $1,200.00 to take down a large tree in Hillside. Paul said he would speak to him to find out why this tree cost so much more then the others that had a price of $850.00. Paul said he thinks it is due to the fact that this tree is dead and will require the use of a bucket truck.
3. Bethany Road – Mr. Pease suggested installing a fence along the boundary of Bethany Road Cemetery so the abutter couldn’t plant trees and shrubs in the portion owned by the town. Paul said he would speak with the abutter to establish the boundaries and ask him not to mow that section as well. Paul said a fence wouldn’t look right as it is not a straight boundary. To make the fence straight, it would cut across too many graves.
4. Grant For Fence at Main Street Cemetery – Paul said he spoke with Joe from Norcross Wildlife Sanctuary and explained to him the winter is the best time for him to work on grants. Joe told him grants are handed out every three months and that would be fine with him. Paul is currently waiting for estimates from contractors. Randy Pascale submitted a price of $10,000.00 to $13,000.00. Finnegan submitted a price of $18,000.00. Bay State Fence gave a price of $14,979.00 just to straighten the fence or $9,277.00 to replace the two sides leaving the gate and replacing the fence posts. Dennis Swierad told Paul he would like to leave the historic
fence posts in the cemetery, as he has a friend who could repair them. It was explained the fence is bent in many spots and will be replaced with materials identical to what is there now in order to maintain the historic look. The Commissioners agreed to let this sit for a while to see if the Cemetery does get the funding.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Hay – Paul said he was going to have Bill Plante mow and remove the fill piling up as he was willing to do it on his own time with his own equipment for free when Ms. Neggers told him he couldn’t do this as he is employed by the town. The cemetery employees mowed the field with the riding mowers, which took the two seasonal workers all morning to do. He also spoke with John Morrell to see if the Highway could remove the pile of fill and was told by John that he is two years behind in his own work. The Commissioners agreed to have the Cemetery mow the field once or twice a year saving $200.00, which we were paying the Arooth’s.
2. Light Weight Pruner – Paul said he has been doing a lot of pruning in all of the cemeteries and has permission from the Fire Department to use their bucket truck which will reach 30 to 40 feet. Paul said he would like to purchase a smaller saw to help get the work done. He feels he has saved the department thousands of dollars by doing this himself. A small model O20 Stihl saw would cost between $300.00 and $500.00 from Park Saw in Palmer. Mr. Wilcox made a motion for Paul to purchase a small pruning saw with a cost up to $500.00. Mr. Pease seconded the motion.
3. The Commissioners also agreed unanimously to purchase one pair of safety chaps and two safety helmets with shields, as these are needed. Paul said he would get prices on these.
Mr. Pease made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 11:15 a.m. Mr. Wilcox seconded the motion.
Respectfully Submitted,
Gaylin Bingle
Recording Secretary
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