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Council clarifies cemetery 'mow strip' dimensions in ordinance 13F-111 to avoid monument encroachment
Summary
North Logan adopted an amendment to ordinance 13F-111 clarifying allowable mow-strip width around grave markers so larger monuments cannot encroach on adjacent plots; the change passed unanimously Sept. 3.
The North Logan City Council on Sept. 3 adopted updates to ordinance 13F-111 to clarify allowable mow-strip widths around grave markers and to prevent monument encroachment onto adjacent plots.
City Sexton and staff explained the change as a clarification to existing language that previously required a mow strip extend at least 6 inches but not more than 10 inches without explaining how that limit interacts with larger monument sizes. Alan (city staff) told the council the intent is to prevent a full-size headstone from creating a mow strip that would cross into the next gravesite.
Staff noted typical grave-plot dimensions used by the cemetery—4 feet wide by roughly 10 feet deep—and said that a stone sized at or near the maximal permitted dimensions could, under the prior wording, have an improperly sized mow strip that encroached on adjacent gravesites. The amended language ties the mow strip allowance to the monument size so the total dimensions do not exceed the plot.
Councilmembers asked practical questions about mower damage and minimum buffer widths. One councilmember observed that a 6-inch buffer around a headstone could be hit by a mower and suggested considering plot-size limits; staff responded the 6-inch measurement is a minimum extension beyond the stone in current language and the amendment clarifies how maximums apply so adjacent plots are protected.
Councilmember Emily moved to approve the ordinance update; Joanie seconded. The council voted unanimously to adopt the change.
Ending: Staff said the change is precautionary—no immediate incidents precipitated the amendment—and aimed to remove ambiguity for staff and residents ordering monuments.
