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Council debates cemetery plot rules, agrees to raise non-resident fee to $3,500
Summary
Staff proposed opening cemetery Sections D-1 (93 full-size plots) and D-2 (cremation) and a buyback; Council reached consensus not to require a death before purchase and to increase non-resident plot fees to $3,500, with formal action to return on the May agenda.
City Manager Justin Lewis presented a revised cemetery map and recommended opening Sections D-1 (93 full-sized burial plots) and D-2 (for cremations) next. Staff proposed a burial-plot buyback program offering $400 or the original purchase price (with proof of purchase) to return unused plots to inventory.
Lewis said Smithfield has limited remaining cemetery space and suggested giving residents preferential pricing (defined as living within city limits and paying property tax or utility bills). Councilmembers debated whether to require a death before allowing plot purchases. Councilmember Todd Orme said the requirement could add burden in a difficult time, while others raised enforceability concerns.
Councilmembers reached consensus not to require a death before purchase and supported higher non-resident fees to discourage speculative purchases. The council agreed on a non-resident plot fee of $3,500 and directed staff to bring the matter back on the May agenda with the opening of Sections D-1 and D-2 and updated fee language.
No formal ordinance or resolution vote was recorded at the meeting; the fee changes and openings were approved by consensus for further action in May.
