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Committee explores using county cemetery for unclaimed or indigent burials
Summary
Committee members and staff discussed allowing interment in the county cemetery when deceased people have no family or funds; staff will digitize burial records, meet with building services and public works on logistics and report back.
A committee member told the Human Services Committee that coroners raised several instances in 2025 and 2026 of deceased people who lacked family or funds for burial and did not qualify for Department of Social Services assistance. The member said they toured the county cemetery with a coroner (Tim Donahghue) and found available plots and requested permission to use county cemetery space "when there are no other alternative means or funds to respectfully bury a deceased person." (Committee discussion, June 9.)
Staff confirmed cemetery records exist in paper form at the Meadows and will digitize those lists for easier reference. Staff said they will coordinate with Building Services and Public Works to determine whether county equipment (for example, a small excavator) can be used for interment or whether contracting the work will be necessary. The committee supported exploring the option and asked staff to coordinate next steps, including meeting with relevant departments and county historians.
The committee did not adopt a formal policy in this meeting; instead members authorized staff to investigate logistics, costs and legal requirements and to return with a more detailed plan and recommended procedures.
