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Thomaston Cemetery trustees approve FY27 budget items, sign repair and post purchases
Summary
At their Dec. 18, 2025 meeting, the Thomaston Cemetery Board of Trustees reviewed the FY27 budget, approved a sign repair quote and the purchase of 22 avenue posts, and authorized a revision to alternate-member appointment language in the cemetery ordinance; all motions passed by recorded votes.
Thomaston—The Thomaston Cemetery Board of Trustees met Dec. 18, 2025, at the Thomaston Municipal Building and approved several operational items for the 2026–27 fiscal year, including a budget review, sign repairs, and wood purchases for avenue posts.
Kara George and Jodell Benson of the Town Office reviewed the proposed FY27 budget and clarified that any unspent monies can be carried to a reserve for the following year. They reported that revenues are currently behind projections but may increase in the spring. The draft budget includes a $1,392 increase to the Hall’s crematory lease line and proposes drawing $25,000 from the Cemetery Trust Fund, an increase of $900 from the prior year. Chairman Ryan Fitzpatrick asked that the trustees receive the most recent monthly budget for future meetings; trustees agreed to revisit the budget at their next meeting.
Trustees also moved to clarify appointment language for alternate board members in Cemetery Ordinance Section 106.1.1 and to ask the Town Clerk to provide a monthly cemetery activity report. Chairman Ryan Fitzpatrick said he would draft the revision and present it to the board. The motion to pursue the ordinance language change and request monthly reporting passed on a 6–0 vote.
Under project updates, the board reviewed a proposal from Adventure Advertising to update the cemetery sign to include the establishment date, 1802, and 'Dusk to Dawn' wording for a quoted price of $233.96. Trustee Pete Lammert suggested developing two larger informational signs for each entry, noting that larger signs would require Planning Board approval; the trustees approved the Adventure Advertising sign as submitted and directed discussion of additional signage details to continue. That motion passed 6–0.
On avenue posts, the trustees reviewed a design submitted by the prison workshop showing black lettering on a white background. Trustees requested increased spacing between 'AVE' and the number and approved Trustee Lammert to purchase 22 eight‑foot wood posts (to be buried two feet deep). The board voted unanimously to ask the workshop to revise the spacing and to approve the post purchase.
The board recorded approval of corrected Oct. 23, 2025 minutes (corrections included spelling of a member’s name and sign background color); that motion passed with five yes votes and one abstention (Trustee Will Eustis).
The meeting closed with a brief acknowledgment of trustees who led the Elm Grove Cemetery tour on Oct. 25; about 25 people attended across two tours. The board also discussed checking MOCA's website to confirm membership status, since membership cards are not mailed to members.
The trustees set a next meeting date for Jan. 22 (the minutes list the year as 2025, which appears to be a transcription error), and adjourned at 5:29 p.m.
