Board approves draft green-burial regulation for public hearing, sets $250 application fee

The Town of Yarmouth Board of Health on April 7 voted to accept a draft regulation governing green burials on private property and to advance the draft to a public hearing. Board members also voted to adopt a $250 application fee for green-home burial permits and asked staff to draft an application form for review at the next meeting.

Members noted a typographic omission in the draft: the sentence in the first paragraph should read, "Each green burial must first and finally be reviewed and approved by DEP," and the board directed staff to correct that wording before public distribution. "Each green burial must first and finally be reviewed by DEP," a board member said, noting the insertion of the single word "must."

The board clarified process and next steps: staff will prepare an application and fee schedule and circulate drafts to board members before the next meeting so the public hearing can be scheduled. The board discussed timing and agreed to aim for the next packet cycle; members noted the public hearing can be scheduled after application materials and the fee are set.

A motion to accept the draft regulation (with the edit) passed on voice vote; a later separate motion to set the application fee at $250 also passed. The chair directed staff to circulate the proposed application and bring a final version for a quick vote at the next meeting so the regulation can be posted for public comment. The board indicated its expectation that site-visit and application review work could require staff time and possible site inspections, which informed the fee decision.

Ending note: The regulation will proceed to public hearing after staff finalizes the application and posts the corrected draft.