Bluff council reviews draft cemetery ordinance; schedules public hearing Oct. 28

Bluff Town Council members reviewed a working draft of a cemetery ordinance during the Oct. 14 work session, discussing requirements for grave openings and contractor lists, double-depth burials, cremation plots and permanent markers. Council members said the draft will go to the town attorney for legal review and is scheduled for public hearing Oct. 28.

The draft clarifies which cemetery matters are under local control — for example, layout, hours, number of burials and cremations — while noting that some functions, such as issuance of internment permits tied to mortuary licensing, are handled at the county or state level. Council members asked staff to confirm how exhumation and interment permit procedures interact with existing San Juan County practice and Utah-licensed mortuary requirements before finalizing the ordinance.

Key operational items the council discussed include a contractor list for opening and closing graves, a notice standard for contacting the Bluff sexton, and handling of religious or cultural practices that might require faster cemetery access. The draft currently references a 48-hour notice to the sexton for grave opening; council members suggested replacing a fixed timeframe with language such as “as soon as reasonably possible” or “subject to contractor availability” to accommodate differing religious practices.

Council members debated whether to explicitly permit double-depth burials. The draft would allow two caskets in a single plot if the ordinance specifies physical limits; members discussed amending language so the code specifies whether two caskets are permitted and under what conditions rather than prohibiting them by omission. They also discussed whether a grave already containing one casket may be opened later to place a second without disturbing the first.

Cremation plots and markers were also a focus. Planning and zoning staff and council members discussed reserving part of the cemetery for smaller cremation plots — industry examples mentioned included 2-foot-by-2-foot plots (and 1-foot-by-1-foot cremation monument standards were reviewed) — and adjusting the town fee schedule accordingly. The council generally favored allowing smaller, lower-cost cremation plots and asked staff and consultants to confirm typical dimensions and how these fit into the cemetery survey during an upcoming on-site review.

On permanent markers, the draft had required specific materials and sizes; council members recommended removing material restrictions while keeping a requirement that graves have a permanent marker recorded with the town. One proposal would require a permanent marker to be placed within 365 days after interment but not prescribe material, so as to avoid cost or cultural barriers. The draft also includes discretionary review by the cemetery board for monument form and size, and the council discussed setting a maximum monument height (members suggested roughly 3–4 feet as a starting point) and ensuring setbacks so monuments do not intrude on adjacent plots or pedestrian access.

Other sections the council covered included semi-permanent memorial plantings (to be allowed with sexton approval), an animals provision permitting pets and, in rare cases, livestock if under immediate control and confined to drives and walkways, and enforcement language. Council members asked staff to move some paragraphs and repaginate so items like animal rules are clear and to add or confirm the cemetery board’s future bylaws and responsibilities.

The draft references Utah law on abandonment of lots (the staff cited Utah Code 8-5-01), under which an unused lot may be presumed abandoned after many years; council members noted the draft should explicitly require efforts to locate and notify owners before declaring a lot abandoned and asked staff to confirm whether transfers or a re-sale restart the abandonment clock.

Next steps: staff will finalize a clean draft and supporting materials (including forms: cemetery sexton job description, certificate of burial rights, transfer forms, internment permits and a proposed fee schedule) for attorney review. Council members and planning staff plan a cemetery site walk next week to measure existing monuments and identify where cremation plots might be placed. The council set a public hearing on the cemetery ordinance for Oct. 28 and intends to bring the ordinance package back for adoption after attorney review and public comment.

No formal motion or vote was recorded during the work session; the discussion was framed as review and direction to staff to clean up the draft and seek legal review and a public hearing.