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Danville commissioners pause implementation of new cemetery guidelines after resident concerns
Summary
City commissioners said they would slow rollout of proposed cemetery guidelines after residents raised concerns about spring removals and communication, and staff said the guidelines have not yet been implemented.
Danville City Commissioners voted to pause active implementation of newly proposed cemetery guidelines and asked staff to improve outreach after residents raised concerns about items removed during spring cemetery maintenance.
The move came after commissioners heard from each other and discussed recent social-media complaints and a local resident who sought clarification. “We presented them. They're out there for the public at large. Right. But, we're not doing anything tied to the new guidelines yet,” City Manager Kofi said during the discussion.
Commissioners described the city’s spring practice of clearing items that can interfere with mowing and maintenance, and acknowledged those actions can appear abrupt to families. “Every winter, as we come out of winter, as we get ready for mowing, they do a review of things in the cemetery that have aged and they go through that and remove it prior to the mowing season,” a commissioner explained during the meeting. The commissioner added staff sometimes discovers items that are not clearly associated with a specific burial, which complicates outreach to families.
Officials said they will slow the process of implementing the proposed changes so more public notice and opportunity for input can occur. “Part of our discussion was to slow down the process of trying to implement them till we had a chance to to identify and inform our citizens,” Mayor J. H. Adkins said. Commissioners also said paper copies of the proposed guidelines will be made available at City Hall for residents who prefer hard copies.
City staff and commissioners urged residents with questions about specific plots to contact the city directly so staff can address individual concerns. “That’s opportunities still exist for citizens as well,” a commissioner said, referencing how families can request individual conversations.
The commission did not adopt final changes at the meeting. Staff indicated a public comment period and further discussion would continue; a specific final-adoption date was not set during the session.
