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Sextons committee readies Eldridge beautification, water plan and cremains layout
Summary
The Sextons committee outlined plans to welcome a new cemetery administrator, plant shrubs and trees at Eldridge using a donor gift and volunteers, deliver water to new plantings this summer via tanker and tanks, and develop cremated‑remains plots and longer-term options including a columbarium.
John Simpson, chair of the Sextons committee, presented a detailed work plan to the council on May 4 focused on cemetery operations and improvements.
The committee said the budget includes a new cemetery administrator and it plans to ask the council to adopt rules and regulations drafted last year; once those are vetted and adopted the committee hopes to lift the moratorium and resume plot sales. Simpson said volunteer and donated plantings will support Eldridge beautification and that a private donor provided funding for the work. Because Eldridge lacks an accessible water connection, the Sextons will provide summer watering via contracted water delivery and temporary tanks and pumps; Simpson said, "we're gonna have water when the plants get in the ground and have it through through the summer."
The Sextons also reported concerns about the high water table at Shovel Road Cemetery and proposed testing to determine suitability for traditional burial. The committee recommended signage, invasive removal, monument repair workdays with the Vermont Old Cemetery Association, and exploring lower‑cost cremains plots and a future columbarium (noting initial cost estimates for a quality columbarium exceed $1,000,000). Councilors thanked the committee for its work and noted potential coordination with Recreation & Parks for a pocket-park access idea adjacent to Eldridge.
