Council hears reports of people digging cemetery plots; members discuss removal of paver stones and outreach

Council members flagged repeated alterations at the town cemetery and discussed steps to stop the activity.

Speaker 6 reported a “huge rodent problem” at the cemetery and clarified he meant people: “Somebody's been going up and digging around the boundaries of their plots and putting paver stones.” Members said the work had gone deep enough to reach old concrete boundaries. Speaker 6 proposed removing the paver stones and storing them at town hall so staff could restore the plots and make maintenance easier. Speaker 1 agreed removing the stones could constitute vandalism and suggested legal follow-up if responsible parties are identified.

The group reviewed ownership rules: speakers said older graves have different title rules under state code and that, in general, the town retains title while purchasers hold burial rights. Speaker 2 noted ordinances specify headstone size and dimensions and that placing edging or other permanent features can violate those ordinances. The council prepared a draft social media post asking anyone involved to come forward and discussed installing cameras to identify those altering plots.

Why it matters: Alterations that change plot boundaries or create hard edging can obstruct mowing and preservation work and may violate town ordinances; if done without town permission, members said it could amount to vandalism.

Details and next steps: The council discussed sending letters through the town attorney or county, posting a social-media notice, and having staff or volunteers remove unauthorized paver stones to restore the plots. The transcript records no formal vote; the conversation ended with agreement to pursue outreach and potential removal of pavers.