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Council hears detailed plan to expand and clear Sumpter Cemetery; staff seeks winter work window
Summary
City staff presented a multi-part plan to restore and expand the Sumpter Cemetery, proposing a 0.5-acre new burial area, several layout options (including 192 10x6 plots), stump removal and donated heavy equipment; council discussed timing, fencing and grant options.
City staff presented detailed plans for the Sumpter Cemetery, describing the property as a roughly 10-acre square (about 660 feet on each side) and proposing a 0.5-acre new section with an access road so funeral processions can enter and exit. "It's 10 square acres, 660 feet on each side," staff said while showing maps and a proposed road alignment. The proposal includes a layout with 192 burial plots (10 by 6 feet) with 6-foot walkways and larger 10-foot cross paths; an alternative layout would create 312 smaller 10-by-4 plots.
Staff warned that trees and existing stump piles will reduce the usable count and that work should be completed before winter. A staff member said the city needs to "get the road in before snow" and described plans to remove stump piles, burn and re-stage debris and accept a donated D5/D6 "cat" (bulldozer) to speed clearing; the donor reportedly would request two burial plots as fuel compensation. Council members discussed the need to coordinate stump removal, fencing repair and gating and to secure a firm written agreement for donated equipment and any plot compensation.
Council members and staff also raised options to improve historic sections of the cemetery: cleaning, re-leveling sunken areas and re-marking grave locations. Staff noted the museum keeps burial records and estimated there may be roughly 150 marked burials in the older section but that unmarked graves likely exist; staff said they have identified grant opportunities to fund ground-penetrating-radar (GPR) surveys to locate unmarked burials. A council member recommended a community cleanup day next spring and discussed goat grazing as a possible vegetation-control strategy.
The council did not take a final vote on an ordinance or budget amendment at the meeting; staff said they will return with more detailed cost estimates, a plan for donated equipment logistics and a proposed timeline to complete major clearing work before winter.
