Council approves purchase of a columbarium for Riverside Cemetery; pricing and rules to be developed

The Defiance City Council voted on March 10 to authorize purchase of a columbarium for Riverside Cemetery, approving a first order of a smaller, test unit and directing staff to develop rules and pricing before installation.

City staff member Mack told councilors the city has discussed columbaria for multiple budget cycles and staff and the mayor visited other communities to view models. "We do not have rules and regs for columbarium yet," Mack said, and staff said they would develop rules, regulations and pricing between order and installation. During Q&A a councilor asked whether the list price was about $72,000; Mack confirmed the figure. Councilors also discussed an initial order of 20 units and how many niches that configuration would provide; staff said pricing and unit/niche configuration remain under development.

Councilors asked whether a public survey had been conducted; staff apologized and said no firm survey results were available. The council approved the ordinance on first reading; the recorded roll call in the transcript shows 14 yes votes and no recorded no votes or abstentions.

Why it matters: installing a columbarium creates above‑ground cremation niche options in Riverside Cemetery and is intended to address cemetery space constraints. Staff described the purchase as a test to gauge public interest and to allow the city to finalize rules and pricing before wider rollout.

What’s next: staff will develop rules, regulations and pricing; the transcript does not record a final price per niche or a confirmed sales policy.