Council approves cemetery equipment purchase after debate over $193,000 water bill and long-term options

The Woodland City Council voted 5-0 to adopt the consent calendar, including funding to purchase six electric lawnmowers and a support truck for cemetery maintenance, after an extended discussion about the cemetery's long-term operating costs and alternative management models.

The vote came after Mayor Landsberg moved to adopt the consent calendar and the motion carried unanimously. Council discussion focused on the cemetery's rising annual cost — reported by staff as roughly $593,000 in total operations, including about $193,000 for water — and whether buying the mowers would simply perpetuate the current maintenance model.

Mayor Pro Tem Tom Stallard said he would “vote no on the lawnmowers” if the items were considered separately, adding that the council needs “to be really serious about what we’re spending at the cemetery.” Stallard pointed to a staff memo showing the $593,000 operating figure and told colleagues that $193,000 of that is for water.

City Manager Ken Hyatt and Community Services Director Christine Engle told the council the gas-powered mowers currently in use are “at end of life” and spend substantial time in repair, and that electric mowers would cost less to operate. Engle described operational reasons for the six-unit request: different deck widths and maneuvering needs across the cemetery, and long recharge times for the equipment. She said the city could repurpose the mowers for other parks and facilities or make them available to contractors.

Council members pressed staff for alternatives. Stallard said some cities are transitioning cemeteries into independent cemetery districts and noted staff had consulted the legal firm Bess & Krieger about that option; Hyatt confirmed a transition to a cemetery district is an option but “not a straightforward or quick process.” Hyatt also said the cemetery’s endowment currently generates about $37,000 annually to offset maintenance.

Several council members asked for a fuller review of cost-containment measures before proceeding with the entire purchase. Council Member Vega said she would support buying fewer mowers now (she referenced the four mowers proposed in a prior agenda) and asked staff to include a community-engagement component in any cemetery study. Council Member Garcia Cadena and others asked for more information about irrigation and water rates; staff said the cemetery pays the same rates as other public open spaces and that irrigation scheduling and drought-tolerant plantings could reduce water costs.

Hyatt warned the council that pausing the mower purchase could jeopardize roughly $45,000 in rebates the city had pursued for the electric mowers. Council members balanced that point against requests for a thorough review. Hyatt said staff would return with a comprehensive report and options by November to allow the council to consider cost-containment strategies, possible district models, and whether to proceed with the full equipment purchase.

Public commenters who addressed the consent item urged conservation and better contract oversight; one commenter called the $193,000 water figure “quenching a thirst” and urged the city to “conserve” and explore alternatives.

The formal action recorded in the minutes was the adoption of the consent calendar (items 3–10) by a 5-0 vote. Council direction accompanying that action included staff’s commitment to return by November with a comprehensive set of options for cemetery cost containment and management.

Background: Staff said the electric mowers would be smaller, specialized pieces of equipment suitable for cemetery aisles, and that purchased equipment could be repurposed for other city maintenance tasks if future operational models change. The council discussed, but did not adopt, bifurcating the consent item to separate the truck purchase from the mowers.

What’s next: Staff will prepare a cemetery cost-containment report and options for council consideration by November, including analysis of potential cemetery-district transfer, irrigation and landscape alternatives to lower water use, and procurement options that address the rebate timeline.