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Coppell council debates future role, pricing and possible privatization of Rolling Oaks Memorial Center
Summary
City staff told the council Rolling Oaks has roughly 8,000 burial rights (about 960 unsold burial options; roughly 200 are in-ground plots). Council directed staff to return with policy options that would prioritize Coppell residents, show pricing adjustments and model what privatization would look like.
City staff presented options for the future operation of Rolling Oaks Memorial Center on Jan. 14, asking the Coppell City Council to clarify whether the facility should remain a community-focused cemetery or continue operating as a regional amenity.
Miss Belmont, speaking for cemetery staff, told council that Rolling Oaks currently has about 8,000 burial rights overall and an estimated 960 remaining options, of which roughly 200 are in-ground burial plots. She said 26% of burial rights are owned by Coppell residents and 74% by nonresidents, and she summarized consultant Doug Miller’s recommendations from a prior Johnson Consulting Group report the council had received.
Council members pressed staff on priorities and practical effects. "I would not want to see a citizen that wants to be buried there not have the ability to be buried there," Council member Kevin said, urging a resident-first approach. Council member Ramesh added that if plots are sold to nonresidents the city should account for long-term support costs so the cemetery is not subsidized by residents. Several members, including Jim and Brianna, raised concerns about how the previous approach produced the current 74% nonresident ownership and asked for clearer policy language so future staff turnover would not change practice.
Staff described a range of steps that would follow council guidance: (1) converting the broad philosophy into a written policy that specifies priority groups and limits on bulk purchases; (2) returning with pricing scenarios that compare Coppell resident rates with nonresident rates and with local market prices; and (3) presenting a privatization option that would include financial terms, treatment of funds held in trust for maintenance, and conditions for transferring real property and cemetery assets.
Staff and some council members noted the ability to expand the cemetery over multiple phases. Belmont said a near-term phase could add about 900 in-ground spaces using existing infrastructure; a broader master plan dating from 2018 shows much larger build-out options in undeveloped wooded areas. Belmont cautioned, however, that any shift in policy and pricing would take time to change the current residency ratio.
No formal action or ordinance change was adopted at the meeting. Council asked staff to return with a written policy proposal, pricing scenarios, an analysis of residency and group-owned plots, and an option analysis for privatization or sale that includes maintenance-trust protections and estimated fiscal impacts.
Councilmember and staff next steps set a timeline for staff to prepare the policy and financial scenarios for a future meeting where council can compare retaining municipal management with privatization offers.
