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Council schedules public hearing after county meeting on Bluff Summit Cemetery ownership and grant options
Summary
After a county meeting identified unclear ownership and dissolved cemetery board terms, Bluff council agreed to set a public hearing to gather resident input and explore transferring cemetery responsibility from San Juan County to the town and to pursue preservation grant options (limited in scope).
Bluff — Bluff Town Council members said on April 15 they will schedule a public hearing to get community input and to explore how responsibility for the Bluff Summit Cemetery might move from San Juan County to the town.
The council reported that meetings with county commissioners and local surveyors found multiple ownership and governance questions. Council members said portions of the burial ground involve distinct entities including the county, a private entity (Southwest Heritage / Hole in the Rock Foundation was discussed), and records that suggest a cemetery district transfer may be flawed or incomplete.
Why it matters: The cemetery has had burials in recent years while the cemetery board that historically managed some plots appears inactive. Council members said they want community input before accepting responsibility for oversight and liability.
What the council heard and will do
- A meeting with San Juan County officials and local surveyors confirmed that the cemetery oversight arrangement is unclear. The council reported the terms for two local trustees (Robin Bond and Bill Davis) expired in 2003 and no replacements were recorded.
- The county expressed willingness to let Bluff take over the part of the burial ground considered Bluff Cemetery, but the town will first hold a public hearing to gauge community preference and to identify transfer mechanisms (the council discussed a transfer via resolution and follow-up at the state level).
- State cemetery grant guidance was raised during the county meeting. Town staff later contacted Amy Berry at the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and learned that the SHPO cemetery grant window runs annually (February 1 through May) but that the grant cannot be used for routine maintenance or beautification. Acceptable uses noted included digitization/GIS work, preservation and certain types of restoration. Town staff said they will follow up with SHPO on whether a town or county must apply and whether towns are eligible in their own right.
- The council stressed it will not assume legal responsibility for the cemetery until ownership, special service district authority and liability issues are clarified and formal transfer steps are complete.
Quotes
“Somebody has to have oversight. People are being buried there,” said a council member summarizing the need for clarified governance.
“The grant cannot be used for maintenance or beautification projects, but you can use it for digitization, preservation, and some types of restoration,” the town manager reported after speaking with SHPO.
Ending
Town staff will identify a public hearing date and continue follow-up with county officials and SHPO. The council asked residents who have interest in working on the cemetery to make themselves known and to participate in the public hearing process.
