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Council reviews columbarium plan at Greensburg Cemetery, holds presale pricing and contract for further review
Summary
City staff presented a phased design to add columbaria at Greensburg Cemetery, proposing a $247,578 maximum phase‑one contract, 208 niches in phase 1, resident/nonresident pricing, and a temporary presale discount through Jan. 31, 2025; council took time for further review and requested follow‑up on soils and finances.
Chrissy Lingenfelter, deputy service director, outlined a phased plan to add columbaria at Greensburg Cemetery and presented a design‑build proposal to council. “Phase 1 would comprise 208 niches,” Lingenfelter said, describing two patios, foundation work and ADA parking included in the initial build.
Lingenfelter told the committee the city’s maximum price proposal for the design‑build contract was $247,578 for phase 1 and that the phase would include foundations, the niche structures and contingency. She said staff had asked the contractor for phasing and that the city has completed or is obtaining soil borings to address concerns about a high water table at the site.
The administration proposed pricing and a temporary presale incentive: a resident columbarium niche at $1,600 and a nonresident niche at $2,500, with a temporary presale reduction to $1,400 (resident) and $2,300 (nonresident) through Jan. 31, 2025. Lingenfelter said the city would include engraving in the purchase price so doors would have a uniform appearance.
Service director (presenting) and council members discussed sales expectations and funding. Lingenfelter said phase 1 sales, including perpetual care fees and assumptions about two openings per niche, would “generate just under $400,000.” The administration said proceeds from niche sales would be used to repay a proposed general‑fund advance into the cemetery fund; the council asked staff to return with a fuller financial analysis.
Council members asked practical questions about how purchases would be assigned and whether buyers could reserve adjacent niches. Lingenfelter said purchases would be assigned to a specific niche within phase 1 and that the city expects to hold presales to help pay down the advance that would fund construction.
The committee also heard that staff is proposing two related ordinances: a temporary price reduction (Resolution 2024‑R37) and an amendment to Chapter 91 of the Codified Ordinances to add columbaria rules, fees and opening/closing charges. After questions about soils, parking, burial‑service logistics and aesthetics, the committee voted to “take time” and return the package to third reading in two weeks for further financial and technical detail.
The committee did not take a final vote on the contract or the ordinance package at this meeting; staff said they would return with soil‑boring results, a detailed revenue projection and any needed clarifications.
