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Blair directs staff to craft policy on cemetery-lot ownership claims under new state law
Summary
Council authorized staff to develop a policy to evaluate unclear cemetery-lot ownership claims, citing a new state statute and staff estimates of 2,600 potentially recoverable lots; council endorsed a 50% discount for descendant family members.
The Blair City Council authorized staff to develop a policy for evaluating cemetery-lot ownership claims under a new state statute that allows municipalities to pursue unresolved or abandoned burial-lot claims. City Administrator Phil Green told the council staff reviewed records and said they found many long-unused lots (purchases in 1926 or earlier) that could be reclaimed and returned to descendants for use.
"The state law allowed you to do it for any cemetery spot that was currently available and had been purchased within the last 35 years, I think it was. We went back a 100. So all of these lots are lots that were purchased in 1926 or earlier and haven't been used. And there's 2,600 of them," Green said, summarizing staff work. He also said the finance committee authorized staff to offer a 50% discount to descendant family members when selling recovered lots back to families, and staff will return to council with a formal policy and final language.
Council adopted Resolution 2026‑086 to permit staff (the cemetery superintendent, city clerk and city attorney) to draft an evaluation policy and to bring it back for final council approval. Staff emphasized they do not intend to profit but to restore lots for family use where appropriate.
