Select Board to ask town meeting to accept and maintain 4th Street Cemetery

The Oxford Select Board voted to put a warrant article before the June town meeting asking voters to accept the 4th Street Cemetery and the cemetery group's remaining assets for town maintenance.

At the meeting, a staff member summarized information requested at a prior meeting, saying the site is "about 1 and a quarter acres," that the site's internal count was "approximately 34," and that the group has roughly $3,000 in assets to transfer to the town for upkeep. Another participant reported different figures for available spaces, saying there were "roughly 282 and 70 spaces available and 45, just for cremation," a set of numbers the board noted is inconsistent with the staff's summary and will need clarification before voters decide.

Board members discussed the practical burden of accepting another cemetery. One member said the site is "relatively easy to maintain" and recommended placing the cemetery acceptance on the warrant if the board received a formal letter from the cemetery contact (identified in the meeting as "Mr. Churchill"). The board recorded a motion to include the cemetery article on the warrant and the chair called for the vote; the motion carried on the record.

Staff said that if town meeting accepts the transfer, the cemetery group's assets (about $3,000, per the staff summary) would be transferred to the town and used for ongoing maintenance. The board asked staff to include clearer counts of remaining lots/spaces and a written letter from the cemetery trustees when the warrant materials are posted.

Next steps: staff will place the article on the June town meeting warrant (listed as article 36 in the draft warrant) and return the warrant for signatures at the next meeting. The article will appear on the warrant packet that voters receive prior to the vote.