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Bluff Council discusses creating town cemetery, grant funds and possible conveyance issues
Summary
Council reviewed results of a cemetery public hearing, awarded SHPO grant details, discussed survey and deed needs, and planned an RFP for an engineer to document graves and records; potential conveyance to the Hole in the Rock Foundation and unresolved deed issues were raised.
The Bluff Town Council on June 10 discussed next steps to create a town cemetery after a recent public hearing and reviewed related grant funding, survey and conveyance questions.
Mayor Ann K. Leppanen told the council San Juan County had not created the Special Service District previously described to the town and had not recorded burials for the site Bluff was told was an SSD. Leppanen said the town is drafting a cemetery ordinance and plans to form a cemetery board; the ordinance will define the cemetery and determine whether the town recorder/bookkeeper or the cemetery board treasurer sells lots.
Why it matters: Leppanen said Bluff received a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) grant award of $10,000 (the town had requested about $14,000) to support work on the cemetery. She also said there is a larger $150,000 digitization grant pool for cemetery records but that pool has more than $400,000 in requests; the SHPO award is focused on the area Bluff expected to be part of an SSD. The council discussed that the town may need a deed from San Juan County or from the Hole in the Rock Foundation (HITRF) to proceed.
Key points and next steps: The council agreed staff will prepare a request for proposals (RFP) to hire an engineer to survey and document the cemetery. The goal is to complete the survey and documentation by fall 2025; the town expects to provide a $2,500 match, which can be in-kind through intern hours. Councilmember LuAnne Hook urged formation of a committee including HITRF and Southwest Heritage to coordinate work; Mack McDonald and Jed Lyman participated in conversation about conveyance and survey access. Council discussed hiring a land-use attorney to review surveys and deeds. Hook emphasized inclusive consultation among involved entities.
Unresolved issues: Leppanen reported a statement that San Juan County reportedly told Jed Lyman that the county would convey the SJC section to HITRF for $1; the council noted there has been no open notice for sale and that the town has not had a chance to bid. The council did not take a final vote on cemetery creation at the meeting and identified legal and deed questions that must be resolved before final action.
What’s next: Staff and council will draft the cemetery ordinance, prepare an engineering RFP, consult a land-use attorney to vet deeds and surveys, and coordinate with stakeholder organizations. The council anticipates further action after surveys and legal review.
