Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cemetery district asks for $9,000; trustees describe grant strategy and perpetual-care limits
Summary
Phippsburg Cemetery District asked for $9,000 for FY27, explained grant-seeking efforts and perennial maintenance challenges (marine clay burial sites, perpetual-care legal limits) and said the district hired a grant writer who has submitted 13 applications to date.
The Phippsburg Cemetery District asked the committee to recommend $9,000 for FY27 and described operational pressures including limited perpetual-care flexibility and the need for equipment to reset large stones.
Chiloa Young, who said she has served on the cemetery district for more than a decade, outlined recent changes: the district hired a grant writer and submitted 13 grant applications (two have been denied so far) and raised resident and nonresident lot rates (she recalled about $600 for residents and $1,200 for nonresidents). She noted the district can legally draw down a portion of perpetual care for superintendent duties but that most perpetual-care funds are restricted to ground maintenance. The district projects limited lot sales (roughly 10/year) and has about 100 lots left at one of the cemeteries; officials are also exploring a green cemetery option on town‑owned land.
Members asked whether grant proceeds would offset the request; Young said successful grants would reduce the town allocation and that the district capped the grant-writer fee at $5,000. The committee recommended $9,000 for the cemetery district unanimously.
Next steps: the cemetery district will continue grant outreach and report back on awards; the committee included the recommended amount in the FY27 package.
