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Council votes to raise Mona cemetery upright headstone maximum to 36 inches
Summary
Staff requested raising the maximum upright headstone height from 24 to 36 inches after a monument company inquiry; council members debated maintenance implications and approved a change to the city policy by voice vote, with at least one councillor expressing a preference to review prior minutes before changing the code.
The Mona City Council voted July 14 to raise the maximum upright headstone height in the city cemetery from 24 inches to 36 inches after staff said monument companies commonly use 36 inches.
Michelle (S6), the staff member who raised the issue, told the council a monument company asked whether Mona could change its current 24-inch limit because "most of them are 36 inches." Michelle said she reviewed other cities' practices and believed 36 inches is the local norm. She also reminded the council that the current ordinance allows only one upright marker per burial and flat markers for certain cremation cases.
Council members discussed cemetery maintenance and safety concerns for taller stones. One councillor said taller markers can interfere with maintenance equipment and noted existing taller markers were likely installed before current ordinances. Another councillor expressed a desire to check past meeting minutes for context and indicated they would abstain from voting if the council chose to proceed immediately. Despite that reservation, a motion to change the maximum height to 36 inches was made and approved by voice vote; the transcript records council members saying "aye," and staff said they would check the minutes for prior changes.
The council directed staff to look up historical minutes and to ensure ordinance language and maintenance practices align with the new maximum height. The change will be incorporated into the cemetery policy and posted as part of city code updates.
