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Town manager asks council to consider policy for 45 town‑owned cemetery lots and to solicit municipal attorney proposals
Summary
Town Manager Mr. Sturgis told the council that the cemetery commission cares for town lots and that the town owns about 45 unallocated cemetery lots; he also reported that Jensen Baird is leaving municipal practice and recommended issuing an RFP for legal services, a step councilors supported.
Town Manager Mr. Sturgis briefed the Cumberland Town Council on April 28, 2025, about two items he said may require future council direction: establishing a policy for the town’s roughly 45 unallocated cemetery lots and whether to issue a request for proposals (RFP) for municipal legal services after the town’s current firm exits municipal practice.
Sturgis said he attended the cemetery commission’s annual meeting and reported that the commission is “quite healthy” in terms of finances and active in maintenance. He told the council the town owns about 45 lots and suggested the council should consider a formal policy to define whether and how those lots could be sold or transferred, and the process for doing so.
On municipal legal services, Sturgis said Jensen Baird is “getting out of the municipal attorney business.” He reported that Ben McCall — currently one of the town’s attorneys — has moved to Drummond Woodson and that firm has municipal practice capacity, but recommended the town consider an RFP to identify options and pricing. Sturgis said he would draft an RFP and work with council members to review responses and interview firms before returning with a recommendation.
Why it matters: A town policy on disposition of public cemetery lots would set the rules and procedure for use, sale or transfer of town property; an RFP for municipal counsel would determine future legal advice, fees and continuity on matters such as TIFs, HR and land‑use work.
Council response and next steps: Councilors expressed support for issuing an RFP as due diligence to taxpayers; one councilor said staff already has a draft RFP nearly ready. On the cemetery lots, councilors did not set a deadline but acknowledged the need to discuss policy in a future meeting.
Ending: No formal vote was taken. The manager offered to prepare an RFP and the council agreed to proceed with staff drafting the document and involving council members in the vendor review process.
