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Bluff Council discusses cemetery ordinance, accepts SHPO grant and plans engineering survey
Summary
Mayor Ann K. Leppanen told the council San Juan County did not create the Special Service District Bluff expected; the council agreed to draft a cemetery ordinance, pursue an engineering survey via RFP using a $10,000 SHPO grant (with a $2,500 match), and to clarify deed and conveyance questions involving the Hole in the Rock Foundation.
Mayor Ann K. Leppanen updated the Bluff Town Council on June 10 that San Juan County had not created the Special Service District (SSD) Bluff had believed existed for the proposed cemetery, and the town will draft a cemetery ordinance and form a cemetery board.
Leppanen said the town received a $10,000 grant from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) toward digitizing and documenting burial sites; Bluff requested about $14,000 and discussed a $2,500 local match that could be in‑kind through intern hours. She reported that more than $400,000 of requests had been submitted to a $150,000 grant pool for cemetery digitization programs regionally.
Council discussed next steps: drafting an ordinance that defines a town cemetery and determines whether the recorder/bookkeeper or the cemetery board treasurer will sell lots; issuing an RFP to hire an engineer to survey the site; and having a land‑use attorney review surveys and deeds. Leppanen and Collins were assigned to write the RFP for an engineer to perform the survey and documentation with the goal of completing the work by fall 2025.
The council also addressed a reported comment that San Juan County staff had indicated a county section might be conveyed to the Hole in the Rock Foundation (HITRF) for $1. Leppanen said Bluff has not seen any public notice or had the opportunity to bid and stated the town does not want HITRF plots. Councilmembers discussed coordination with Southwest Heritage and noted that Great House may be conveyed to the town from Southwest Heritage; they also mentioned involving a land‑use lawyer to review deeds.
Why it matters: The cemetery work combines historic‑preservation grant funding, property‑transfer questions and local control over burial lots. The RFP and ordinance will determine how the town documents, manages and sells burial plots and whether any county conveyances affect town plans.
What’s next: Town staff will draft the cemetery ordinance, issue an RFP for an engineering survey, and consult a land‑use lawyer to clarify deed and conveyance options before the council decides on formal board structure and sales authority.
