Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Works And Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Township official asks Grant County to back nonreverting cemetery fund; requests $300,000-$3 million in support
Summary
A township official asked the commissioners to support creation of two nonreverting funds (county and city) to sustain long-term care of a large local cemetery, saying a $3 million endowment would generate interest for ongoing maintenance; commissioners asked for statutory and financial details.
Mrs. Kane, who identified herself as the township trustee responsible for cemetery care, asked the Grant County Board of Commissioners to support a plan to create two nonreverting funds for cemetery upkeep — one on the county side tied to ARPA and one on the city side — so the principal would remain in perpetuity to pay for maintenance.
Kane said her immediate request to the county was for $300,000 to seed a fund but that her "ultimate target" is $3,000,000 to generate interest to sustain ongoing expenses; she said her aspiration would be to grow that fund to $6,000,000 to secure long-term maintenance. She described current problems in the cemetery including fallen mausoleums, displaced headstones, tree removal, road damage and piles of gravel and dirt left near family plots.
Kane said she already manages two other cemeteries, sends monthly and annual financial reports to the state board of accounts, and understands township statutory responsibilities for abandoned or negligently maintained cemeteries. She told the commissioners she had consulted the state board of accounts and the Department of Local Government Finance on how to structure nonreverting funds and said the funds would be restricted to cemetery improvements, maintenance and legal work needed to obtain control of problem properties.
Commissioners asked for clarifications about long-term stewardship and liability and whether the trustee's office would remain responsible; Kane said the nonreverting structure would keep funds dedicated to cemetery care and that township statutes assign responsibility for care and reporting. The board did not take a formal vote on funding at the meeting and directed staff to follow up with statutory citations and drafting of an ordinance if appropriate.
Kane also provided an estimate, from her records, that about 40,050 people are buried in the cemetery she referenced; she characterized that figure as her latest official count and said the cemetery has substantial historical value. Commissioners requested written statutory references and asked staff and legal counsel to review potential county actions before any appropriation.
