Council amends cemetery rules to allow contained lava rock on plots

The City Council adopted Ordinance O-12-2025 on July 14 amending the city’s cemetery code (section 15-11b) to permit lava rock on graves so long as it is contained within the cemetery’s existing concrete-border specification and maintained level with the ground. Community Services Board members had reviewed complaints and requests following spring cleanup work and recommended allowing existing lava-rock installations to remain and permitting future use if they meet containment and maintenance rules. Staff said the concrete ribbon requirement already appears in the ordinance and clarified the amendment would simply permit lava rock inside that concrete border under the same dimensional rules set by the code. Councilmember discussion referenced maintenance concerns (rocks becoming missile hazards when mowed or weed-eaten) and the parks department’s capacity to maintain cemetery grounds. The ordinance passed with no recorded opposition in the meeting minutes. Staff will apply existing cemetery-border standards to any new lava-rock installations and continue routine maintenance and enforcement.