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Cedar Hill Cemetery board seeks county help after flooding; pump houses, roads need repair
Summary
Cedar Hill Cemetery leaders told commissioners flood damage, failing pump houses and gravel‑loss on access roads have strained the cemetery's small budget; commissioners offered to coordinate county assistance and suggested grant and ballot options.
Cedar Hill Cemetery board leaders on Tuesday updated the Ouray County Board of County Commissioners on flood damage, failing irrigation pump houses and road damage that the board says exceeds its small budget.
Cynthia Lacey, president of the Cedar Hill Cemetery board, said the board raised $39,000 toward a new irrigation system but still needs additional work after August flooding set the project back. John Hart, a cemetery committee member, told commissioners a contractor estimate for bringing the cemetery's three pump houses up to code was roughly $15,000 per pump house and that the pump‑house electrical installations are dangerous and at risk of being red‑tagged.
Hart and other board members said the flood washed away gravel on access roads and that a prior estimate from contractor Blackford was nearly $60,000 to restore road base on the eastern approach. Cemetery leaders said they spent donations on emergency cleanup after the flood and that maintaining equipment and roads has been a recurring financial burden for volunteers.
Commissioners and county staff suggested several short‑ and longer‑term responses. They asked County Manager Connie [surname not specified] to follow up with the county road and bridge department to provide gravel and to coordinate scheduling; Road and Bridge input on equipment access and timing was flagged as a near‑term task. Commissioners also suggested the cemetery pursue grant programs identified during the meeting: the Colorado River District Community Funding Partnership for smaller water‑related projects and a History Colorado preservation grant that can cover fencing and infrastructure for historic cemeteries. Staff suggested the cemetery consider forming a Friends organization (a 501(c)(3)) to apply for grants the cemetery cannot accept directly.
Commissioners discussed the cemetery district's mill levy and the possibility of placing a ballot measure to increase local funding, noting the mill levy has been low historically. County staff described how past debrucing under TABOR (the Taxpayer Bill of Rights) has affected the district's levy and said any levy increase would require voter approval. Commissioners also mentioned a longer‑term option—consolidation or shared services among nearby cemetery districts—to reduce duplication of effort, though they said consolidation would be politically and administratively complex.
Cemetery leaders said the cemetery averages about 16 burials a year and that the board has provided indigent burials when needed. Commissioners offered to provide letters of support for grants and to work with the county manager on short‑term materials and scheduling. No formal county appropriation was approved at the meeting; commissioners instructed the county manager to coordinate with Road and Bridge on gravel and to assist where possible in grant outreach and application advice.
The cemetery presentation concluded with commissioners offering specific next steps: county coordination on gravel delivery and Road and Bridge scheduling, county staff support for grant preparation if requested, and cemetery pursuit of a Friends group and potential ballot measure for additional local funding.
