Augusta council approves ordinance tightening cemetery rules, adds columbarium fees

Augusta City Council on Tuesday approved Ordinance 22-50, a package of changes to Chapter 12, Article 5 of the Augusta City Code that updates rules for burial spaces, monuments, and columbarium niches.

Council members voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance after staff described the changes and answered questions about implementation and forms. The ordinance amends the code to specify how lots are transferred after an owner's death, clarifies when a deed holder may authorize an interment, increases allowed cremations per space in some locations, sets foundation and monument specifications, formalizes notice and scheduling requirements for burial services, and establishes fees and procedures for the city's newly ordered columbariums.

City staff said the changes largely document practices already in use and add provisions recommended by local funeral directors and cemetery staff. "We're already doing this, but it just wasn't indicated in the code," the presenting staff member said when introducing the transfer-of-lot language. The ordinance adds explicit language about an affidavit of heirship and a separate form that a deed holder can use to grant permission for another person to be interred in the space.

Key provisions include: - Transfers and heirs: The code will reference an affidavit-of-heirship process that staff said the city has used for years; the city also is working on a revised form intended to make the process less onerous for families while protecting the city from disputes. - Burials per space: Where room exists, the ordinance allows one full-body burial plus two cremations, or up to three cremations in a grave, expanding capacity compared with current written limits. Staff noted some older grave layouts may physically preclude a third cremation. - Monuments and foundations: Foundation sizes will be specified by cemetery section; staff will require a six-inch clearance around foundations so mowing and equipment can operate safely. Markers in full-ground-cover plots will generally be limited to a single marker, with any secondary markers required to be flush with the ground. - Scheduling and overtime limits: Funeral homes must notify the city sexton at least two business days before a service (by noon) so cemetery staff can schedule operations and limit overtime. The ordinance clarifies arrival and end times: services must arrive by 2 p.m. Monday–Friday and depart by 4 p.m.; Saturday services must arrive by noon and depart by 1 p.m. where those rules apply. - Monument permits and VA markers: The ordinance clarifies that permits are issued by the sexton, not the city clerk, and recommends waiving the monument permit fee when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs supplies a headstone or marker, per funeral home recommendation. - Columbarium niches and fees: The city has ordered two columbarium units expected for December delivery. The ordinance allows single and double occupancy niches; staff proposed a one-time price of $1,700 for a single niche and $2,500 for a double niche. Those fees are intended to cover niche cost, engraving (three lines by default: name and birth/death dates), opening and closing, and to place remaining funds in an endowment for maintenance and future purchases. Staff said engraving operating costs will flow to the general fund and the remainder will be reserved.

The ordinance discussion also covered long-standing practical issues: many older plots date to the 19th century and have complex heirship lines, making affidavit-of-heirship work difficult for families. Staff said probate is an option but often impractical because legal costs for probate can exceed the value of a space.

The council approved Ordinance 22-50 by roll call vote. Council members voting yes were Martin, Burke, Bailey, Scott, Richardson, Davis and Marr. No council member voted against the ordinance.

Implementation steps described by staff include publishing the new forms, posting the columbarium fees in the fee schedule resolution to be considered that night, and finalizing the columbarium site and engraving procedures before delivery.

The ordinance codifies several operational limits and fees intended to extend available burial capacity and reduce staff overtime while giving funeral directors clearer expectations about scheduling and monument requirements.