Chilton County approves private family cemetery and creates cemetery rehabilitation authority

The Chilton County Commission voted unanimously on Sept. 23 to allow a private family cemetery and to establish a Cemetery Rehabilitation Authority.

Commissioner Childress introduced a motion on behalf of the Veasey family from Isabella to allow a private cemetery on their property after staff said the family "have met all the regulations that we've required of them." "They have, put this before the commission for approval, and I put that in the form of a motion," Childress said; the motion passed unanimously.

Later in the meeting Commissioner Billingsley moved and Commissioner Hall seconded a resolution to establish a Cemetery Rehabilitation Authority for the county. Commissioners described the authority as a volunteer group that locates and cleans historic cemeteries; the motion included a statement that it is a zero‑funded authority. Commissioner Billingsley thanked Derek Scott for bringing the proposal forward. The commission approved the authority unanimously.

Why it matters: The private cemetery approval allows a landowner to create a family burial site under county rules, and the rehabilitation authority creates a volunteer vehicle for identifying and maintaining historic burial sites without drawing county funds.

Next steps: Staff will record the cemetery approval in county records and proceed with any administrative steps required by county regulations; the newly established authority will coordinate volunteer efforts and report to the commission.