Town Cemetery Committee
February 5, 2018

Present: Russell Smith, Sue Haines, David Jenney, Jody Kundreskas, Rick Lees, Sandra Toohey and chair, Jane Aiudi.

Met at 3:30 at the town office.

We approved the minutes from the last meeting.

Mary is again applying for the Stephen King grant but is not optimistic about success. We had a long discussion about what we could do to start the project without a grant. There seem to be a couple (or more) large parts: the mapping, software purchase and an intern to visit the cemeteries and put data into the software. An intern would be around $5,000, plus that person would need equipment (laptop and digital camera), and benefits. This person could do other work for the town office which would share the cost as well as familiarize the person with town government. The Pontem software is about $10,000. We discussed maybe grouping together with other towns to purchase it. For the moment we let the mapping part ($50,000) go for another year, or until we get a grant.

Russell said that some time ago the cemeteries were surveyed grave by grave and the information copied. He has a copy of this information and it is available on the ME Old Cemetery Assoc site. This doesn't include more recent burials.

Our budget shows that we have about $4,000 left this year which we would like to spend as we lose it at the end of the fiscal year. One possibility would be some tree work. David mentioned the Maple Ridge Cemetery (by the old Riverside School). In the past the committee has had members who surveyed the cemeteries looking for things like dead trees which could come down on stones.

There is $6000 left in the Cross Hill Cemetery fund. There was discussion of a skilled stone repair and restoration expert from MOCA doing some work there and what would be needed.

In summary David made 4 proposals for our budget:
1. increase the amount for mowing by $2400 - passed unanimously
2. $10,000 for software, passed
3. $1000 for stone work – passed unanimously
4. $3000 for an intern at $11 per hour for a 40 hr week, with laptop and digital camera, possibly shared with the town office – passed unanimously

The next meeting will be March 5 at 3:30

The Meeting was adjourned.