Council hears plan to reclaim 68 unclaimed lots in Greenwood Cemetery Block A

Chase Ferekes, parks superintendent, updated the Sydney City Council on May 13 about a plan to reclaim unclaimed lots in Greenwood Cemetery’s Block A. He said the city identified 68 lots that appear abandoned and recommended continuing the reclaiming process under the cited state statute 3-906.

Ferekes said the city acquired Greenwood Cemetery from St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in 1920 and that some lots have been vacant since that time. He outlined the notice requirements under the statute: publication once each week for four weeks in a county newspaper, followed by a 15-day claim period after the last publication. The city published notices in the Sun-Telegraph from March 13 through April 3 and posted the notice on the city website and Facebook on March 4.

Ferekes said the city will give individuals one year from the date of publication (March 4) to claim lots; if no claim is filed, records will be changed to show the city as owner on 2026-03-07 and the lots will be available for resale at current prices. He thanked staff members Kim Phillips and Chad Radke for the records and field work that reduced the initial list of candidate lots.

Council members asked questions about the block's location, prior similar actions and whether anyone had contacted city staff; staff reported two contacts but no claims meeting the required proof standards. Ferekes recommended moving forward with the reclaiming process and provided the City Hall phone number for inquiries.