Cemetery Commission — Burlington, VT
Date: 2023-01-19
Time: 16:30

Cemetery Commission Meeting Agenda
 JANUARY 19, 2023, 4:30 PM
 MEETING CONDUCTED VIA ZOOM AND
 IN PERSON AT 645 PINE STREE FRONT CONFERENCE ROOM

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 I. Approval of Agenda
  II. Approval of Minutes from 10/20/2022 Meeting
 III. Public Forum
 IV. Presentation from City Dog Task Force
  V. Staff/Director Items’
 a. Burial and Lot Purchase Rate Increase – Steve Bachand
 b. VOCA work day at Elmwood – Steve Bachand, Holli Bushnell
 c. General Update – Holli Bushnell
VI. Commissioner Items
VII. Adjournment




 City of Burlington  455 North Avenue  Burlington, Vermont 05401  (802) 863-2075
Cemetery Commission Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date: Thursday, January 19, 2023, 4:30 pm

Commissioners Present: Rita Church, Jennifer Diaz, Alexandra Millar

Commissioners Absent: Nancy Kirby, Mary Wesley

Staff Present: Cindi Wight – BPRW Director, Holli Bushnell – Cemetery Staff, Steve
 Bachand – Cemetery and Grounds Manager

Meeting was called to order at 4:36pm by Jennifer Diaz

I. Approval of the Agenda
 Cindi Wight informed the commission that the Dog Task Force will not be able to present and
the item was struck from the agenda. Diaz moved to adopt the agenda with Wight’s modification, Rita
Church seconded, and all were in favor.

II. Approval of Minutes from 10/19/2022
 Diaz moved to approve the minutes, Alexandra Millar seconded, all were in favor.

III. Public Forum
 Public forum was opened at 4:40pm. As no members of the public were present the forum was
also closed at 4:40pm.

IV. Burial and Lot Purchase Rate Increase – Steve Bachand
 Cemetery and Grounds Manager Steve Bachand proposed at 10% increase for all burial and lot
purchase rates based on current inflation rates. Additionally, Bachand proposed a 20% increase in burial
rates over the winter months (November 1 to April 30) to compensate for the higher cost for winter
burial. Diaz asked how Bachand came up with the rate of increase and Bachand explained that the
information was taken from Consumer Index and calculated rates for all the various supplies (diesel,
etc…) required for burial. The concept of a winter rate was taken from other Vermont city/town run
cemeteries which also set a higher winter rate for burial.
 Cindi Wight asked when the last time we increased our rates. Holli Bushnell reported that the
last full increase took place in 2017. Wight concurred that the costs for the cemetery to perform its
major functions continues to rise and feels that rate increases need to be looked at more regularly.
Bachand agreed, stating that this is something he will be looking at yearly and that, while we’ve never
passed on the higher costs we incur in the winter to our customers we can no longer afford to do so.
Diaz queried if Lakeview is closed in the winter, and Wight explained that we only fully closed for the
winter in 2020/2021 and now we only close on Saturdays (the cemetery is always closed to burials on
Sundays). Bachand added that we do have Holiday rates set at the same as weekend rates, so that
information was included even though the cemetery is closed on Saturdays in the winter.
 Church asked if the cemetery had to increase the rates for infant burial and lot purchase as the
hardship to individuals is already so high with the death of a child. Bachand explained that he was just
trying to be consistent with a 10% raise across the board, but agreed to keep the rates for infant and

 City of Burlington  455 North Avenue  Burlington, Vermont 05401  (802) 863-2075
child burial and lot purchase the same. Diaz asked about the need to increase the rates for
columbarium/mausoleum interments. Bushnell explained that burial rates are set by the type of
remains, not the amount of work involved in the burial. The rates are the same for above ground and in
ground interment they just change with the type of remains being interred (full casket versus cremains).
Diaz asked if anyone has questioned that practice and Bachand stated that the rates have not been
questioned by customers.
 Church asked how the rate change will affect people coming from out of state. Bushnell
explained that the resident rate is set for Burlington City residents only. All others purchasing lots pay
the non-resident rate. Church stated her concern that not enough leg-work had been done in terms of
researching the rate change, but also sees the need to act sooner rather than later especially because
rates have not been raised in 5 years. Bushnell agreed to send a copy of the old price sheet to the
commission along with the new prices for comparison.
 Diaz called for a vote, all were in favor of the price change and the motion passed.
 After some debate it was agreed that the price increase will begin on February 1, 2023. Any
individual who has already begun to purchase a lot or plan a burial will be grandfathered in to the old
rate.

V. VOCA Work Day at Elmwood – Steve Bachand, Holli Bushnell
 Bushnell explained that, following the exceptional work that Vermont Old Cemeteries
Association performed in the Home for Destitute Children Section at Lakeview, we decided to ask for
further assistance from them in doing additional righting and repair work at Elmwood Cemetery. Tom
Griffin from VOCA was very enthusiastic about helping with the work. He will be coming up in March or
April to walk Elmwood with Bachand and staff and identify work that needs to be completed. He has a
work day with his volunteers in Milton on 6/10/2023 and has asked that Burlington Commissioners
attend that work day to make contact with his volunteers. The Elmwood workday will be 7/15/2023
from 8 to noon. The goal is the begin building a volunteer program here in Burlington that we can
continue without the assistance of VOCA.

VI. General Update – Holli Bushnell
 Bushnell detailed a project she had been working on with Mario Artaza, the Consul General of
Chile, who reached out to her in relation to the 200 year anniversary of diplomatic relations between
Chile and the United States. Heman Allen, nephew of Ethan and Ira, was the first US ambassador to
Chile beginning on 1/23/1823, and Mr. Artaza requested that Bushnell assist him in placing a wreath on
Heman’s grave and photographing and recording the ceremony. That media will be used as part of the
year-long celebration. Bushnell will be sending a media request to Wight in hopes of publicizing the
event.

VII. Commissioner Items
 Millar reports that she has had some contact with UVM students who are working on a green
burial project, but does not have the final results of their work.
 Church does not have an update from the Friends, but reports that they were very happy with
the state of the chapel at their last meeting.
 Wight cut in to report that work on the Lakeview office building will hopefully be starting soon
and will be separated from the grounds work in conjunction with Cambrian Rise.
 Bachand reports that both the working foreman and maintenance manager positions have been
filled and that the department is now fully staffed as of 1/17/2023.



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VIII. Adjournment
 The meeting was adjourned at 5:38pm. The next meeting will be held on 2/16 in the Sharon
Bushor Conference Room at City Hall to accommodate the Dog Task Force Powerpoint Presentation.




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