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Hooper Council considers adding $50 perpetual fund to cemetery fee schedule
Summary
Council members discussed adding a $50 perpetual-fund contribution to cemetery plot sales, and agreed to include the change in the fee schedule for budget-year review. Staff will monitor whether cemetery revenues cover maintenance costs.
Hooper City Council work-session — Council members and staff discussed proposed changes to the city’s consolidated fee schedule, including creating a perpetual fund for cemetery maintenance funded by a surcharge on new plot sales.
Staff described a proposal — originating in budget discussions — to add a one-time perpetual-fund contribution to the cemetery plot fee so the city would have an ongoing revenue source for long-term cemetery maintenance and potential future land purchases. Council members described the idea as a way to generate funds over time without charging existing plot owners a retroactive fee.
At the meeting staff and council discussed current plot pricing and potential contribution amounts. Council members proposed taking $50 from the existing $300 plot fee and directing that $50 to a perpetual cemetery fund for maintenance and irrigation; some participants also discussed alternative amounts such as $15 or $100 as possibilities to review during the budget process. One staff member noted the city recently began tracking cemetery costs separately (rather than lumping cemetery maintenance into general parks costs), which will let the city evaluate whether the cemetery is covering its costs under current pricing.
Other fee-schedule items: staff reported updates to the civil enforcement fines and zoning enforcement schedule (class C violations, secondary-dwelling violations) and confirmed that the consolidated fee schedule will be reviewed annually during the budget season.
Council direction and next steps: staff said they will incorporate the $50 perpetual-fund line into the draft consolidated fee schedule and review actual cemetery revenue and expense data during the next budget cycle to determine whether the fund and fee levels are adequate. No formal vote was taken at the work session.
