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Norwich trustees set new Wesley Chapel cemetery fees as mediation continues
Summary
Trustees adopted a new fee schedule for Wesley Chapel Cemetery effective July 1, 1996, and continued mediation over the disputed "old section" of the cemetery while arranging water-line work and signage.
Durland L. Workman, chairman of the Norwich Township Board of Trustees, said the board voted to set new prices for Wesley Chapel Cemetery at a regular meeting, adopting the schedule effective July 1, 1996.
The board approved a flat grave price of $500 for residents and non-residents, opening and closing charges of $200 for residents and $700 for non-residents, cremation burials at $250, and baby burials at $250. Trustees said indigent burials will be considered on a case-by-case basis. The board voted unanimously to send notices to local funeral directors and post the new prices at the cemetery maintenance building.
The action follows months of discussion and separate litigation over the old section of Wesley Chapel. W.D. Junk, trustee, reported ongoing mediation with the Franklin County Prosecutor’s Office; the matter has had multiple mediation sessions and a judge must resolve related filings before trial scheduling is final. George Speaks of the prosecutor’s office has participated in mediation sessions with township representatives and other interested parties.
Besides pricing, trustees instructed staff to proceed with several related maintenance items: installation of new cemetery benches, procurement of marker posts for a designated "Babyland" area and review of signage and trash-container options. Steve Montgomery, township maintenance staff, was authorized to proceed with purchases and to obtain bids for other cemetery site work. Trustees also asked that any vendor work on cemetery water lines be coordinated with the board and that notices be posted to notify funeral directors of the new fees.
The board emphasized the distinction between ongoing legal mediation — a private-process matter handled with the prosecutor’s office — and the township’s decision to set fees and address maintenance needs. Trustees said the cemetery fee changes were an administrative action the board has authority to take; litigation and title issues remain subject to prosecutor and court processes.
