County staff told the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 30 that a long‑time Mica resident has offered to assume responsibility for Mica Cemetery — a county‑owned burial ground established in 1883 — and asked whether the board would be willing to consider a transfer once the resident completes required nonprofit formation and licensing steps.

Staff said the county has owned and administered the cemetery since the 1970s and currently has no dedicated cemetery district or perpetual maintenance fund. The presenter said the cemetery is in “a pretty poor state” and that the county relies on volunteer maintenance; staff estimated roughly $25,000 of work would be needed to restore the property to a reasonable state. The presenter described theft and fence damage, road access deterioration and wildlife disturbances.

According to staff, a local contractor and long‑time resident (identified in the transcript as Mr. Folsom) has proposed forming a nonprofit or corporation and applying for tax‑exempt status to acquire the cemetery. Staff outlined prerequisites the resident must meet before a transfer could occur: formation of the organization, state licensing to operate a cemetery, proof of a perpetual care trust and minimum funding levels. The presenter said a trust minimum is required (the presentation noted both a $15,000 and a $25,000 figure during discussion) and that the state licensing process and “a public hearing process” would be required before a final transfer. The presenter said the county would “recommend transferring it for a dollar” if the applicant meets the requirements.

Commissioners asked whether next‑of‑kin or other descendant families must be notified prior to transfer; staff replied that the licensing and trust requirements are the conditions to enable transfer and said the county had not imposed an upfront notice requirement beyond the public‑hearing process. Commissioners discussed alternatives the county had previously pursued, including attempts to form or annex the property into an existing cemetery district; staff said past district formation efforts were not successful because state law requires a high approval threshold (discussed in the hearing as a 60% vote requirement within a boundary) and that other cemetery organizations had declined to take the property.

Several commissioners expressed that the proposed nonprofit appeared to be the most promising option the county has encountered to secure long‑term care. A staff recommendation was that the board indicate conditional support so the resident can proceed with nonprofit formation, licensing and trust formation; staff said no immediate transfer would occur until the applicant completed the prerequisites and public hearing process. No formal vote was recorded during the briefing.