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Residents press Sebring officials over Lakeside Cemetery upkeep after volunteer cleaning dispute
Summary
Washington Heights residents told the City of Sebring they want permission to clean and maintain unclaimed graves at Lakeside Cemetery; city staff said private plots limit what public works can do and explained existing maintenance contracts and code enforcement exceptions.
Sebring residents from the Washington Heights neighborhood raised concerns at the May 20 City Council meeting about the condition of Lakeside Cemetery and a recent volunteer-led cleaning that included painting at least one vault.
At issue is who may perform maintenance on individual burial plots. Residents said volunteers have been cleaning and flagging veterans' graves ahead of Memorial Day and asked the city to allow volunteers to clean areas with no known family. “We just want to make our area just look more presentable,” resident Ada (no last name provided) said. “We ain't trying to break no rules or regulation … Just take the handcuffs off.”
Public Works Director Steve Kramer told the council the city oversees cemetery maintenance but generally cannot authorize work on private plots without family permission. “The challenge is it's private property,” Kramer said. He described a 2023 contract (purchase order 230338) with Cross and Payne for about $18,000 to address tree work and stump grinding and said the Public Works Department has completed 384 work orders for Lakeside and Pinecrest cemeteries since 2024, including replacing roughly 75 sprinkler heads.
Residents described uneven conditions across the grounds, citing overgrown vegetation, fallen limbs and headstones that have sunk or been obscured by turf. Theresa Hall, one of the residents who spoke, said older trees are displacing headstones and that aisles can be littered with branches. Nancy Curran said she was upset when a volunteer group painted her grandfather's vault without her family’s permission and that she had intended to preserve the existing biological growth for study: “I was devastated … I would have told them no.”
City staff explained the city's approach and its limits. Kramer said mowing is performed by a private contractor under Public Works direction and that the city documents daily maintenance with work orders and photos. Staff noted an exception: the city may remove items or otherwise act on a plot without family permission if a clear code violation exists, for example unauthorized solar lights or other prohibited items. The city also said families who purchase plots are provided the cemetery rules and regulations at time of sale.
Councilmembers and staff urged residents to document permissions in writing if volunteers receive family consent to perform work on private plots and suggested volunteers focus on tasks the city allows without entering private plots, such as pulling surface weeds or brushing off tombstones without using ladders or pressure washers. The council did not adopt a new policy or vote on staff action during the meeting.
The discussion included a request from residents for clearer city guidance about how volunteers can help and requests that staff investigate whether some overgrown areas are within private plots or in city-maintained turf. Kramer said Public Works will continue inspections and handle violations according to the ordinance. Residents asked that the city be more proactive about visible debris and agreed to obtain written permission from families when volunteers clean private plots.
The council meeting record shows a longstanding maintenance program and recent investments; residents requested clearer operational guidance and more proactive cleanup of city-owned portions of the cemetery moving into Memorial Day.
