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Resident offers $5,000 matching pledge to help restore Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Summary
At the Jan. 5 Chaska City Council meeting, resident Dave Ricky proposed a community-led restoration of Mount Pleasant Cemetery and pledged $5,000 in matching funds toward fundraising; council members thanked him and suggested staff follow up to explore options.
Dave Ricky, a Chaska resident, told the City Council on Jan. 5 that he and his wife would like to help restore Mount Pleasant Cemetery and pledged $5,000 in matching funds toward fundraising efforts. "If there is interest in restoration Janet and I would make a proposal to pledge $5,000 in a matching grant," Ricky said, adding he would serve on a fundraising or information board and left photos of problem areas for staff to review.
Rationale: Ricky framed the request as a community effort to address long-term care for a small, historic cemetery that borders neighborhoods and contains veterans’ graves and early settlers. He said maintenance needs include gravestone repair, tree removal and general restoration and that the funds he proposed would come through matching grants and private sources rather than city dollars.
Council response and next steps: Mayor Hubbard and councilmembers thanked Ricky for his offer and service; they suggested connecting him with city staff and park planners to explore logistics and possible coordination with contractors that specialize in gravestone restoration. A councilmember noted that private firms exist to do restoration work and another attendee described having cleaned a family gravestone, emphasizing that care often falls to volunteers or family members.
What was not decided: The council did not vote or adopt a formal action that night. Council members characterized Ricky’s presentation as a public comment and suggested staff follow up; no funding commitment from the City was made during the meeting.
Context and implications: Mount Pleasant Cemetery is privately discussed as a small, historic site that requires ongoing maintenance. Ricky’s offer is intended to catalyze fundraising and community involvement; council direction was limited to staff follow-up, so any restoration timeline, budget, contractor selection, or official city support remains to be determined.
The council moved on to other business after thanking the presenters; staff were advised to contact Ricky about next steps.
