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Council considers spending from Boswell Road cemetery fund; solicitor to review allowable uses
Summary
Council members discussed proposals to use part of a large restricted fund for Boswell Road cemetery maintenance and equipment purchases; the village solicitor will confirm whether the proposed uses and reimbursements for staff time comply with donor restrictions and legal constraints.
Village officials discussed using a restricted fund established for Boswell Road cemetery to purchase equipment and reimburse staff time, but the council did not take final action and directed the solicitor to review allowable uses.
Mayor Rick Ellis reported the village has a substantial balance in the cemetery fund and said he would like to spend about $125,000 immediately for equipment and site work, citing proposed purchases such as a mower, paving for an access road, a new sign and possibly a mini excavator to assist with grave digging. Ellis told the council additional money from the original donor family could increase the fund, but stressed the money must be spent consistent with the donor’s restrictions.
Solicitor Jeff (last name not transcribed) told the council he would check the legal constraints and report back. Council members asked whether time spent by village employees on cemetery work (for example, burials and maintenance performed by Tim and Peg) could be documented and charged to the restricted fund and then reimbursed to the general fund; the solicitor was asked to confirm whether that practice would be permitted under the fund’s restrictions. No formal expenditure was authorized at the meeting; the discussion ended with direction to the solicitor and staff to develop a permissible spending plan for council review.
The council emphasized the objective of using the restricted money for on-site needs rather than transferring it to unrelated programs, and asked staff to prepare an itemized list of equipment and costs for formal consideration at a subsequent meeting.
