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Commission updates on cemeteries, plaques and outreach; plans QR-enabled brochures and walking tours
Summary
Members reported follow-up visits to multiple cemetery sites, discussed plaque inventory and display expectations for designated properties, and proposed posting the designated-properties list online with QR codes for walking tours and audio/video content.
The O'Fallon Historic Preservation Commission used part of its Feb. 3 meeting to review cemetery follow-up work, plaque inventory, and outreach tools such as QR-enabled brochures and walking tours.
Commissioner Hunt told the commission that site visits showed one cemetery discussed previously sits outside O'Fallon city limits, one potential grave near Placamier Drive requires homeowner contact, and the old Welker Klausmeier cemetery was located inside a new Harvest subdivision and is currently fenced by the developer. "Rick and I took a drive and discovered that 1 of the cemeteries was not in city limits of O'Fallon," Hunt said during his update.
Members also discussed an additional cemetery near Walker Cemetery and noted that fencing and maintenance are expected to be the responsibility of the homeowners association under development agreements; staff said planning and zoning would be engaged for follow-up. Commission members agreed to continue verification work before taking further action.
On outreach, commissioners reviewed their plaque inventory and discussed display expectations for designated properties. They debated small incentives for owners who mount plaques — such as a flag or wreath — and discussed whether a property should be removed from the local list if its plaque is not displayed. Staff agreed to work with Communications to post the official list of designated properties on the city website.
The commission also discussed low-cost digital outreach ideas: QR codes attached to plaques or brochures, short audio or video clips for self-guided walking tours, and a brochure with historical photos. One commissioner described a downtown program in Paducah that uses a scan-to-play model and suggested adopting a similar approach in O'Fallon.
Next steps include continued cemetery follow-up, finalizing brochure photos and copy, posting the designated-properties list online, and drafting volunteer and logistics plans for any public walking tours or events.
