Fairfield Cemetery Board approves signage, plans open house and IT fixes as ordinance review continues

The Fairfield Cemetery Board on March 4 voted to move forward with new cemetery signs that will include a QR code linking to the cemetery’s web page, and discussed next steps for an open house, updates to the online cemetery map, and stalled ordinance revisions now with the town attorney.

Board members said staff recently reset the cemetery email and temporary password and that town staff will need to complete a number of website and back‑office tasks before sales and public-facing features are widely advertised.

The vote on the signs came after the board reviewed design and installation options. The signs will display cemetery rules and standards on either side of a central plaque; a QR code at the bottom will link directly to the cemetery page where visitors can view the plot map, who is buried in each plot, and purchase or reserve plots if the online payment path is working. The board approved the signage by voice vote; the transcript records multiple “aye” responses but individual votes were not recorded.

Why it matters: the signs and website link are intended to make information about plots, rules, and veteran burials easier to find on site and online. Board members emphasized that the web tools and the town’s administrative workflow must be corrected before promoting online purchases or broad public access.

What the board asked staff to do - Ask town staff member Stephanie to attend the April meeting prepared to demonstrate the cemetery purchase and certificate workflows end-to-end, including a “dummy” purchase and a certificate issuance so the board can identify any problems in the process. - Have Stephanie and/or the town provide written procedures for how the cemetery office manages certificates, map uploads, and payments; the board said it wants procedures written by town staff rather than drafted by the cemetery board. - Assign responsibility for notifying Harmony (the plot-mapping service) when burials or plot status change to board members Chance or David, with Stephanie remaining the person who uploads the updated map to the town website.

Website, payments and the back end The board discussed that the town’s online payment and permit platform (referred to in the meeting as HeyGov) currently only allows the burial/purchase flow to reach the receipt stage from someone already logged into the back end; the credit‑card / payment submission path was reported as not functioning for outside users. Stephanie was asked to run a complete dummy transaction from an outside email before the next meeting so the board can see what fails and what needs permission changes or configuration.

Ordinance and legal review Board members reported that draft ordinance revisions the board submitted have been sent to town staff and the town attorney but remained with the attorney and had not been returned with edits. The board repeatedly described the ordinance work as “dead in the water” until the attorney responds; they said an existing ordinance remains in effect and the board can use it for near‑term needs while awaiting the attorney’s revisions.

Historic preservation and veterans The board also discussed pursuing historic‑register recognition for the cemetery as a pioneer cemetery and arranging an on‑site meeting in May with a state historical consultant who can advise on procedures and headstone preservation. Members reviewed a veterans list to ensure military interments are identified correctly; they discussed using Find a Grave to confirm service details for some burials not currently flagged as veterans.

Cleanup, geocoding and grants The board set a cemetery cleanup for the Wednesday before Memorial Day (May 21) and discussed doing headstone scans and geocoding when the weather warms. Members mentioned possible state grant programs that could match local funds (the board said the state match could double a hypothetical $10,000 local budget), noting the board missed the current grant cycle and would pursue it next year.

Next steps and timeline The board scheduled its next meeting for April 1 at 7:00 p.m. and asked Stephanie to come prepared with the documented procedures and to have run the dummy transactions. The board also asked Chance to contact the historical consultant about a May site visit, and assigned Vernon to lead the May 21 cleanup.

Votes at a glance - Motion to move forward with cemetery signs (designs, QR code linking to cemetery web page, and proceed to order): approved by voice vote; individual votes not recorded in the meeting transcript.

Ending The board adjourned at 7:53 p.m. after confirming assignments and the April meeting date.