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Council committee moves Arlington cemetery ordinance toward first readings; city aims to sell burial rights starting this fall
Summary
Municipal Policy Committee reported progress on an Arlington Cemetery ordinance that would allow the sale of burial rights for previously unclaimed plots; staff said about 1,100–1,600 plots may be available and the city anticipates opening sales Oct. 1 following outreach and selecting an operator.
Council member Odom Wesley, reporting for the Municipal Policy Committee on May 13, said the committee continued work on an Arlington Cemetery ordinance that would allow the city to sell burial rights for plots it believes are unowned or abandoned.
Wesley said staff presented considerations for selling burial rights and that the ordinance has been discussed multiple times; the item will come to the full council at an informal work session on May 27 and the first reading is scheduled for June 10 with a second reading on June 24.
Wesley said the city intends to procure a private cemetery operator to handle day‑to‑day operations, with the Parks Department to continue grounds maintenance. The committee also plans outreach before declaring plots abandoned so that families who believe they have rights can come forward. Wesley said staff estimates about 1,100 plots (another council member said 1,600 in related remarks) could be made available after outreach and verification.
Wesley said the city intends the fee schedule to recover costs so that sale of burial rights is “self supporting,” and he said an anticipated start date for selling plots is Oct. 1, with an operator contract planned for council consideration in August.
The committee did not take a final vote at this meeting; Wesley said additional review opportunities remain before council readings.
