Tulare Public Cemetery District trustees approve bylaws, banking authorizations and staffing transitions in unanimous votes

Trustees of the Tulare Public Cemetery District unanimously approved a slate of administrative actions on July 8, 2025, including amended district bylaws, authorization for county disbursement procedures, designation of bank signers and the rescission of an earlier resolution about withdrawing funds from the county treasury.

The board — sitting as the Tulare Public Cemetery District and chaired at the start of the meeting by Supervisor McCarty — opened the session by electing its chair and vice chair for the 2025 term (motion by Supervisor MacCary; second by Supervisor Valero). The motion passed unanimously.

The board then appointed a board secretary and nominated the Chief Clerk of the Board of Supervisors as the Clerk of the District under the district bylaws. Both motions passed unanimously after staff and county counsel explained the authorities that permit the appointments.

In the untimed portion of the agenda trustees unanimously approved proposed substantive amendments to the Tulare Public Cemetery District bylaws effective July 8, 2025. County counsel told the board the revisions remove any language that purported to allow trustee removal by the board and add procedures mirroring the board’s normal operations, including rules for public comment and meeting scheduling.

Trustees also adopted a resolution authorizing the chair, vice chair or a designated designee to sign and submit any special district orders and other documents required by the County Auditor to facilitate disbursement of funds to the district. A separate motion designated authorized signers on the District’s Bank of Sierra checking account and appointed an account administrator consistent with the bank’s procedures; trustees removed prior signers and added the chair, vice chair and the board secretary as authorized signers.

Separately, the board moved to rescind Resolution 24-25-2, which had sought withdrawal of district funds from the control of the County Treasury after the prior board approved a transfer. Presenters said the rescission was required because county procedures made it impossible to withdraw only the single operating sub-account originally intended; the County continued processing payments via the PBQ (payment request) process while the matter was being resolved. That rescission passed unanimously.

Several routine consent items were approved. The board accepted the May 22, 2025 meeting minutes (the minutes reflect a brief open-and-close meeting called to order and adjourned at 5:33 p.m.) and asked staff to return the April meeting minutes at the next meeting.

All recorded motions on the July 8 agenda passed by unanimous vote. Where recorded, motions were moved and seconded by members of the Board of Supervisors sitting as trustees, and staff confirmed each action’s procedural basis in county counsel’s presentation.

What this means: the board has now (1) adopted updated bylaws intended to clarify meeting and public-comment procedures, (2) restored routine county-to-district financial procedures via PBQs and (3) aligned the District’s bank account signers and administrator with Bank of Sierra requirements. Trustees said they expected follow-up items — notably financial statements and policy drafts — to return to the board for further review.

Votes at a glance

- Election of chair and vice chair (2025 term). Motion to retain current makeup and appoint chair and vice chair. Mover: Supervisor MacCary. Second: Supervisor Valero. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Appointment of board secretary. Motion to appoint board secretary per Health and Safety Code provision. Mover: Supervisor MacCary. Second: Supervisor Valero. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Appointment of Clerk of the Board to the Public Cemetery District. Motion to nominate the Chief Clerk of the Board of Supervisors as the District Clerk. Mover: Supervisor Townsend. Second: Supervisor McCarty. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Approval of consent calendar (items 5–8) with item 5 pulled and considered separately; May 22, 2025 minutes approved as brief open-and-close meeting. Mover: Supervisor MacCary. Second: Supervisor Townsend. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Approval of amended District bylaws, effective 07/08/2025. Mover: Supervisor MacCary. Second: Supervisor Townsend. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Resolution authorizing chair/vice chair/designee to sign and submit documents required by the County Auditor to disperse funds. Mover: Supervisor Mercari. Second: Supervisor Shuckling. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Resolution designating authorized signers on the District Bank of Sierra checking account and appointing an account administrator (Bank of Sierra requires the administrator be an authorized signer). Mover: Supervisor MacCary. Second: Supervisor Valero. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

- Rescind Resolution 24-25-2 regarding withdrawal of funds from control of the County Treasury. Mover: Supervisor Mercari. Second: Supervisor Townsend. Outcome: approved (unanimous).

Actions recorded in the minutes do not show any dissenting votes on motions on this agenda. Several public commenters asked that the board preserve public records and financial transparency and that financial questions be addressed in follow-up reports.

Ending: Trustees directed staff to return with outstanding meeting minutes (April) and with additional financial materials at the next meeting; the board also asked staff and county departments to coordinate on follow-up work on banking, PBQ procedures and policies for trustee compensation and plot-buyback practices.