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Council approves 28E agreement with Penn Township to formalize cemetery maintenance
Summary
After a public comment from cemetery volunteer Erica Wade, the council approved a 28E agreement (Resolution 2026-87) that lets Penn Township appoint volunteer committee members while the city retains financial oversight for Alt and Ridgewood Cemeteries.
Erica Wade, a member of the city’s cemetery board, told the council she will continue volunteering as the city and Penn Township finalize new administration arrangements for Alt and Ridgewood Cemeteries. "My name is Erica Wade, and I am currently a member of the cemetery board," she said, describing ongoing needs such as headstone repair, burial-record updates and erosion control at Ridgewood.
City legal staff and councilors framed Resolution 2026-87 as a technical step to align practice with state law while preserving the long-running operational partnership with Penn Township trustees. City counsel said the agreement allows township trustees to appoint volunteers (including those like Wade) while the city maintains financial oversight, which staff said is consistent with how the cemeteries have been managed for years. The council approved the resolution unanimously (4–0).
The agreement, officials said, would eliminate the city’s formal joint board structure and replace it with a 28E intergovernmental agreement that clarifies appointment and financial responsibilities. Staff noted the change is intended to preserve current volunteer involvement and to remove a discrepancy between the city’s prior practice and state statutory requirements.
The next administrative step will be completing the signature process so the city can repeal obsolete local ordinance language and implement the new 28E arrangement.
