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Select Board discusses limiting town cemetery plots to Plaistow residents
Summary
The Select Board reviewed a proposal to limit new cemetery plot sales to Plaistow residents to contain costs and demand; members asked staff to draft policy language allowing case‑by‑case exceptions for long‑time former residents and to have the cemetery sexton compare prices with neighboring communities.
Selectmen discussed a proposed change to the town cemetery policy to restrict plot sales to Plaistow residents. A board member who raised the idea framed it as a cost‑containment measure: "It's our land. It should be used for our townspeople," a selectman said, arguing a residents‑only rule would prevent outside buyers from filling plots.
Other selectmen asked for flexibility to accommodate longtime former residents or families with strong ties to Plaistow and requested a mechanism for one‑on‑one consideration. The board asked the cemetery sexton to provide comparative pricing for plots in neighboring towns to inform policy language and directed staff to return a draft regulation for review.
No vote was taken; the discussion produced direction to revise the draft policy and to check current practice and pricing. Selectmen agreed the draft should include a process for exceptions to avoid unintended consequences for families with established local ties.
