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Residents urge council to restore cemetery arch, question recent signage and costs
Summary
Multiple residents criticized recent cemetery signage as disrespectful, described ongoing maintenance problems, and asked officials for clearer communication and cost accountability for the sign replacement.
Public commenters at the Magna City Council meeting on Sept. 23 pressed the council to address recent changes and perceived neglect at Pleasant Green Cemetery and to restore a community arch removed during a sign replacement project.
Becky Colonna told the council she compiled 85 comments on the new sign and said, “Not 1 positive. The community hates the signage of the cemetery, and we need the arch back.” Several other longtime residents reinforced that view. Roberta Nichols, who said she has lived in Magna for 75 years, called the new fixtures “disrespectful” to gravesites she and her family tend. Megan Olsen disputed earlier staff comments about materials, saying masonry “doesn't rust” and asking why the city paid an ~$8,000 bid rather than accepting a community member’s offer to repair the sign for roughly $1,900.
At least one commenter asked whether the city can recover funds from the contractor; council members present did not provide an immediate answer during public comment but acknowledged the concerns and noted staff would follow up through the city’s response channels. Cemetery board staff later reported one plot sale, two full-body burials, a headstone set and one green burial this month and described pioneer-cemetery rules that limit watering and perpetual-care options.
The complaints extended beyond appearance. Elaine Kovalyk said Magna’s cemetery maintenance trailed smaller nearby jurisdictions and that the new sign looked like “target practice” for vandals. Residents repeatedly asked how to get substantive, timely responses from staff; city staff and MSD representatives later said an IT reporting error had been identified and fixed that had caused some resident emails to disappear from the system.
The council did not take formal action on the sign during the meeting. Staff and council members directed that questions and requests be submitted via the published city contact channels (including a QR code referenced at the meeting) so staff can respond as required.
