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Cemetery Committee moves to finish surveys, register maps and pursue legal fixes for boundary disputes
Summary
The Cemetery Committee voted March 19 to obtain quotes to complete surveys of three town cemeteries, register maps with the Somerset County Registry of Deeds, and pursue legal corrections to property lines at North and Malbons Mills cemeteries, all with year‑end deadlines and limited Capital Reserve funding requested from the Select Board.
The Cemetery Committee on March 19 voted to accelerate the town's effort to complete outstanding cemetery surveys, file map records with the Somerset County Registry of Deeds and resolve contested property lines.
Committee member Melvin Burnham summarized a 2018 assessment that listed 10 priorities for the town's eight cemeteries and reported current survey status: Herrin, Southside and East have completed surveys; North and Malbons Mills are partially surveyed; Bloomfield, Larone and Pooler have not been surveyed. Burnham moved, and Kevin Nelson seconded, to solicit individual quotes for the three unfinished surveys with a one‑month response window and a completion deadline of Nov. 30, 2026. The motion carried (yes 5, no 0, abstained 1).
Burnham then moved, with Nelson seconding, that completed survey maps be registered with the Somerset County Registry of Deeds as they become available and that the committee request Select Board authorization to pay registration costs from Capital Reserves, "with a top figure not to exceed $500.00." The motion passed by the same 5–0–1 margin.
The committee also discussed a 2021 survey of North Cemetery that showed burials on land the town did not own. The survey identified two private owners (Clukey and Turner); the committee concluded the matter requires legal correction. Kevin Nelson moved and Skip Young seconded a motion to correct the North Cemetery property lines using legal services and to complete that work by year‑end 2026. The motion carried.
Separately, members approved a motion to finish the Malbons Mills survey and to seek legal services as needed to secure the new property line and protect the cemetery, with completion set for November 2026.
Committee Chair Gene Rouse recorded the votes on the motions; in every recorded motion the tally was five in favor, none opposed, and one abstention. The committee directed staff and the volunteer sub‑group handling follow‑up to return with vendor quotes and funding requests at the April meeting.
The committee left several follow‑up items on the agenda for April 30, including soliciting quotes for Bloomfield, Larone and Pooler; registering maps with the Registry of Deeds by year‑end 2026; and seeking Select Board approval to use capital reserves for registration and necessary legal work.
