Title
Resolution to Approve New Fees for Fairview Cemetery
Memorandum
The attached resolution proposes to increase the various fees at Fairview Cemetery, including for the sale of new lots and for interment and disinterment costs.
Ordinance No. 17-11 (Cemeteries) was approved by City Council on July 3, 2017, transferring the management of the City cemetery to the City Clerk. At the time of transfer, the existing fees for Fairview Cemetery had not been evaluated or updated since 2008. Over the course of the first year of management of the Cemetery, the Clerk’s Office staff has requested bids for a new sexton contract, evaluated the costs of maintenance and upkeep, and compared the Cemetery’s existing fees with other comparable municipal-owned cemeteries. Fairview Cemetery’s fees are well below other public and private cemeteries in Michigan. In some cases, the sexton charges exceeded the City’s fees for interment or disinterment.
The attached resolution for your consideration and approval proposes the following charges for the sale of new lots:
Full Grave (resident): $750.00
Full Grave (non-resident): $1000.00
Cremation Grave (resident): $375.00
Cremation Grave (non-resident): $500.00
New - Administrative Fee for Lot Transfer: $100.00
All proceeds from the sale of gravesites is deposited into the City’s Cemetery Perpetual Care Fund, which is managed by the City Treasurer as part of the City’s investment pool. The proposed charges are consistent with other municipal cemeteries and well below the cost of a private cemetery.
The current and proposed fees for interment and disinterment are attached. The proposed fees were determined based upon estimated costs of record keeping and sexton costs, as well as benchmarking with other cemeteries. The proposed fees eliminate the resident/non-resident fee, as there is no distinction in cost for these services. The resident discount in the sale of lots remains, as is consistent with other municipal cemeteries’ fee schedules.
Staff requests your approval of the proposed Fairview Cemetery fee schedule.
Staff
Prepared by: Jacqueline Beaudry, City Clerk
Approved by: Howard S. Lazarus, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, Ordinance No. 17-11 (Cemeteries) was approved by City Council on July 3, 2017, transferring the management of the City cemetery to the City Clerk;
Whereas, The existing fees for Fairview Cemetery at the time of transfer had not been evaluated or updated since 2008;
Whereas, The ordinance allows for the price of lots and other services to be set by Resolution of City Council;
Whereas, The City Clerk’s Office has reviewed the existing fees, sexton costs and made comparisons to other municipal cemeteries; and
Whereas, A public hearing on the proposed fee schedule was held on May 7, 2018;
RESOLVED, That the attached fee scheduled be approved and effective July 1, 2018;
Sale of Lots
Full Grave $750.00 (resident) $1000.00 (non-resident)
Cremation $375.00 (resident) $500.00 (non-resident)
Administrative Fee for Lot Transfer $100.00
Interment
Full Grave - Adult - Mon-Fri $750.00
Full Grave - Adult - Saturday $900.00
Cremation - Mon-Fri $400.00
Cremation - Saturday $650.00
Child/Infant $350.00
Disinterment
Full Grave $1,000.00
Cremation $500.00
RESOLVED, That City Council authorizes the City Clerk to take all necessary administrative actions to implement this resolution.