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Council debates whether to publish cemetery GIS after map discrepancies arise
Summary
Council members discussed discrepancies between a new GIS cemetery map and older plot records, raising concerns about duplicate plot numbers and unmarked graves; they agreed to delay public posting until the maps are reconciled.
Council members spent a substantial portion of the Oct. 2 meeting reviewing a new GIS-based cemetery map and its inconsistencies with the town's older plot records.
Planning and council participants described examples where plot numbering in the new GIS did not match existing certificates and headstones. Speaker 7 warned that posting the new map online before reconciling differences could cause confusion for families: "If we put that map online it might cause confusion for people because..." Council members discussed practical steps such as comparing both maps in a follow-up meeting and verifying physically on-site before publishing.
Members also raised maintenance concerns about animal burrows near headstones. Speakers agreed to trap gophers/prarie-dog activity to protect grave markers and to postpone any public posting until the town consolidates map data with field verification.
Next steps: staff and council members will meet separately to reconcile the GIS and the town's historic plot map, then decide whether an online map is appropriate. No timeline for publication was set at the meeting.
