Paducah commissioners introduce ordinance to clarify Oak Grove Cemetery rules, add grave-opening fees

The City of Paducah Board of Commissioners on March 11 introduced an ordinance to amend Chapter 26 (Cemeteries) of the city code to update language on maintenance, hours of operation and other operational rules for Oak Grove Cemetery.

City staff said the changes are intended to clarify long-standing practices and make the ordinance consistent with the city’s operational procedures. “One thing that we have added is grave fees related to opening and closing for graves,” said Amy, a cemetery staff member. She said the city staffs all burials and needs fees for services other than graveside burials. “We updated language related to late fees for services concluding after 2 p.m. … our staff get off at 3, so we have just changed that to 2 p.m. to allow them time at the end of the day,” Amy added.

Why it matters: The revision combines administrative clarifications with fee changes that affect funeral providers and families who use Oak Grove Cemetery. Staff said the ordinance will give clearer guidance on what is allowed on lots and when enforcement will occur.

Key changes summarized by staff: - New fee category for opening and closing graves; existing sale of plots and typical day-to-day decoration rules are not changing, staff said. - The late-service cutoff was changed from 3 p.m. to 2 p.m. to give staff time to finish the day. - Seasonal‑cleanup language was removed in favor of “remove upon discovery” so nonpermitted items are removed when found rather than only during a seasonal cleanup. - Benches are not permitted to be replaced once removed; benches currently on site are grandfathered but may not be reinstalled. - Monument language was clarified: each grave lot may have one headstone or upright monument; footstones are allowed and the ordinance was clarified for multiple burials/cremains on a lot. - Saddles (metal frames that sit on top of headstones for flowers) will be allowed under the revised rules; previously they were not permitted.

City staff said they will not begin enforcing the new ordinance until April 1, after a required second reading and after staff notifies local funeral homes. “This will require a second reading, so we will not plan on enforcing any policies until April 1 and that’ll give us some time to reach out to all the funeral homes that we work with on a regular basis and make sure that they’re aware,” Amy said. She added that the city’s policies and procedures documents have been updated to mirror the ordinance and will be provided to funeral directors.

Financial and operational context: Amy provided operating figures for cemetery maintenance. She said fiscal 2024 cemetery operations cost about $335,000 for salaries, fuel and related expenses, and the city is on track for about $370,000 in the current year, with most of the increase due to additional full‑time and temporary labor. Sales revenue from plot sales, she said, is about $25,000, which the presenter characterized as far below operating costs.

Next steps: The ordinance was introduced and will return for a second reading at a later meeting. Staff told the commission they will call funeral homes directly and publish the updated fees and procedures before enforcement begins.

The introduction motion was made at the March 11 meeting; the ordinance text was summarized at that time and staff answered commissioners’ procedural questions about outreach and timing.