Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cemetery Maintenance And Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cemetery Commission reviews 2025 activity, budgets for repairs and 2026 survey
Summary
The Cemetery Commission reported one burial in 2025, sold 12 plots at New Dow Hill and awarded a survey contract for spring 2026; commissioners said routine maintenance has been satisfactory and identified funds and next steps for monument repairs and owner contact updates.
The Cemetery Commission, represented by Jim Anderson, Cemetery Commissioner; Bobbie Ewels, Cemetery Commissioner; and Carolyn Ewels, Cemetery Commissioner, reviewed the commission’s 2025 activity and discussed budget priorities and projects for 2026 at a meeting Nov. 14 at the Gould House.
Commissioners reported one burial in 2025 — Lloyd Stanley Morrell at New Dow Cemetery — and said the commission sold 12 plots in New Dow Hill this year, leaving about 18 plots available plus eight public plots. The commission said it awarded a contract to Huntley Survey & Design, PLLC of Temple, N.H., to survey New Dow Hill, with work anticipated in spring 2026; commissioners estimated about $1,800 would be available after the survey to help mark rows.
Routine grounds maintenance has improved under the commission’s new contractor, the commission said, and commissioners plan to request an updated annual quote from True Nature Gardens for routine maintenance. Commissioners also discussed estimating costs for non‑routine work such as monument restoration, sign replacement and bringing in loam for lawn repairs; the commission expects roughly $1,000 on hand for some of those needs but noted additional funds may be necessary after winter and that reserve funds are a possible source.
Monument repairs were carried out this year at Robb, New Dow Hill and New Town cemeteries; commissioners said work at New Town was paid from the Emerson McCourt Trust Fund. The commission expressed appreciation for students from JFES who placed flags on veterans’ graves for Memorial Day.
Looking ahead to 2026–27, commissioners said they will: review town and historical records for other cemeteries and consider creating an electronic database for older sites; organize paper records for retention; transfer the commission’s existing electronic database to the Town once town systems are updated; update a contact database for plot owners in New Dow Hill; remove gates needing repair for off‑site repair rather than replacing them in place; and create a Facebook page so residents can report urgent repair needs directly to the commission.
Next steps include obtaining updated maintenance and restoration quotes and finalizing the New Dow Hill survey schedule for spring 2026. The commission did not take formal motions or votes on the record during this meeting.
