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Essex committee sets provisional Sept. 13 volunteer day to repair burial ground stones
Summary
Committee members agreed to pursue a volunteer repair workday for the Essex Common Burial Ground on Sunday, Sept. 13 (year not specified), and asked staff to confirm liability, delivery and storage details before committing materials or purchases.
The Essex Cemetery Committee agreed to pursue a volunteer workday to repair leaning and broken headstones at the Essex Common Burial Ground, tentatively scheduling the event for Sunday, Sept. 13, with a working window of about 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The committee emphasized that staff must confirm whether volunteers can legally perform the proposed tasks and where bulk materials could be staged before the day.
The Chair said members who walked the site with volunteer leader Jay found many stones were "very fixable" and proposed a smaller workshop-style workday rather than a full VOCA event. The staff member, Adrian, said Jay had suggested a Sunday time and that he believed the work could be done in a 1-to-4 p.m. window: "I can do Sunday and, you know, something like 1 to 4." Adrian also noted that town Parks and Recreation uses volunteers for trail work and offered to check with the trails coordinator and legal staff about waivers or sign-in procedures.
Committee members discussed materials and logistics. The group identified a compactable base material referred to in the meeting as "Sure Pack," estimating roughly 2–3 tons might be needed and noting a cost ballpark of about $35 per ton plus delivery. The Chair said the committee could absorb basic material costs in the FY27 maintenance budget but that delivery and storage need answers before ordering bulk material.
Members debated whether volunteers could safely and legally perform all repairs or whether some stones would require a professional contractor. The staff member said volunteers could handle many of the bent or tipped stones and that the Vermont Old Cemetery Association had experience with restorations, but acknowledged at least one broken stone may need specialized work.
Next steps: Adrian will ask Parks and Recreation and the town's legal staff whether volunteers can be authorized for cemetery stone work and will report back at the committee's next meeting on Aug. 12. The Chair said he will reach out to a nearby church about possibly accepting a delivery if Parks and Recreation cannot stage materials on town property.
