Syracuse council to replace cemetery code after monuments damaged; draft ordinance set for April 8 vote

Syracuse City Council on Monday reviewed a proposed repeal and reenactment of cemetery regulations in Syracuse Municipal Code Title 4, Chapter 30 and agreed to place the ordinance on the April 8 meeting for a final vote.

The measure would replace the current ordinance in full, transfer appointment authority for the cemetery sexton from the council to the parks director, and bring the city’s unused-plot procedures into alignment with state statute that requires best-effort notice to heirs and a 50-day response window. The draft also sets a defined season for monument work, authorizes the sexton to adopt operational rules that do not conflict with the ordinance, prohibits driving across unprotected turf or monuments, raises the maximum fine “not to exceed $500,” and…