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Board debates Evergreen Cemetery parking improvements, donors and recordkeeping
Summary
Friends of Evergreen and village staff described donated labor and materials used to build a new parking area at Evergreen Cemetery; board members raised concerns about permitting, drainage, unmarked graves and the need for formal plans and mapping.
A lengthy discussion of recent work at Evergreen Cemetery dominated the meeting as a Friends of Evergreen representative described grants, donations and in-kind labor used to construct a new parking area and trail improvements.
The presenter said the Friends (a private 501(c)(3)) had secured grants and donations — including material donated by the Les Wagner Foundation — and that village DPW equipment and volunteers helped complete construction. “We estimate more than 7,000 people visit Evergreen in a year,” the presenter said to underscore the site’s public use and the rationale for improving parking and access.
Several board members pressed for clearer process, records and technical review. Members said the board had not seen detailed engineering plans before work began and raised specific concerns about marking burial plots, leaving equipment close to headstones and whether drainage studies were performed. One board member suggested engaging a hydrologist to review the hillside drainage and to document the French drain construction; another recommended recording exact materials and locations in the public record for future maintenance.
The presenter and others said the project proceeded rapidly because donated labor, equipment availability and a short construction season made it possible to finish the work without drawing on village funds. The superintendent of public works (present at the discussion) described the constructed French-drain approach and said he would submit a rendering with dimensions for the record.
Board members proposed options for formalizing the work: authorize the department head to finalize the parking project within parameters approved by the board, approve a specific purchase amount or require staff to present a detailed purchase proposal for board approval. The board debated adding language to a motion to authorize the parking area while also directing the superintendent to document materials, drainage and exact locations of work.
The board did not overturn the completed work but asked staff and the Friends of Evergreen to supply formal plans, drainage details and mapping so the village’s records reflect the changes and so that maintenance and future repairs are documented.
