Move could give city control of financially strapped cemetery
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
The financially strapped Burlington Cemetery Association has sent a letter to city officials expressing a desire to dissolve, presumably to give the City of Burlington the option of taking over maintenance of the cemetery.
Mayor Bob Miller related that news to the City Council Tuesday, but said he’d like to buy some time before the association makes that action official, so the city can examine the ramifications.
“They have not formally filed all the paperwork,” Miller said. “I asked them to hold off on that a little bit.”
Miller said the association is still running the cemetery, despite announcing late last year that it is essentially broke. If the association is unable to pay for maintenance at the cemetery for a period of a year, the city can, by law, step in and take over. If the cemetery is not maintained for a period of five years, the city is compelled by law to step in, Miller added.
However, by dissolving, the cemetery association could give the city the option of possibly stepping in immediately, City Attorney John Bjelajac told the council.
“I don’t want that cemetery to sit for a year,” said Alderman Tom Vos commenting on the possibility of a year without maintenance.
Miller said he is working with Cemetery Association President Earl Vorpagel to keep the matter from becoming “too dramatic.”
“It’s still in the works,” Miller said of the issue. “It’s hanging out there and it will come back to (the City Council) in the very near future.”
A representative of the Cemetery Association could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
After announcing the cemetery, on Highway W near Browns Lake, did not have sufficient funds for maintenance, Vorpagel requested money from both the city and the Town of Burlington earlier this year.
Saying maintenance costs the association $30,000 a year, Vorpagel asked for $15,000 each from the two municipalities the cemetery serves.
Both the Town Board and the City Council expressed a willingness to provide in-kind assistance – such as mowing and tree trimming – but balked at providing funds as requested by the association.
The Cemetery Association has struggled to remain solvent since the 1990s when a former treasurer was convicted of stealing from the association. Although restitution was ordered in that case, the money has been insufficient in making up for the much larger initial loss, association member Beverly Gill told the Standard Press back in December.
The financial problems compounded in recent years when interest rates plunged and the income from the cemetery’s perpetual care fund subsequently slowed to a trickle, Gill said.
In that time, long-delayed maintenance concerns have only grown worse and their price tag has escalated.
Miller said back in December he was impressed the association has operated for more than a decade under those difficult financial conditions.
“I applaud them for going this far without having to cry ‘uncle,’” he said at the time.
Now, however, it appears the city will be picking up the pieces.
This story was based on reporting by staff member Jennifer Eisenbart.
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The financial problems compounded in recent years “when interest rates plunged and the income from the cemetery’s perpetual care fund subsequently slowed to a trickle,”
Oh They Did? My Bonds Haven’t ! Even Vanguards Index Bond Funds have ave. over 9% apy the past 3 yrs, 7% apy the past 5 yrs adn 6% the past 10 yrs..
Looks to me someone needs Some simple Index Bond Funds to put their $ into or Hiring a Bond Professional Asset Mgr. to do it for them?
Mis Mangement of Cemetaries is Rampant I’m afraid..
and Towns appear to be the Only One’s nearest to be Responsible enough to Take care of them,not some Independent Association..
and Using their Own City Workers once a week to Mow the grass and Maintain it sounds like a Simple answer…Or is that a Union Issue? is Hiring a Private Landscaper service so hard to do?
Wear I came from, they took our Cemetary and All but Eliminated most of the Grass, thru Low Maintenace Landscaping, it can be done..
I’m sure the City council, with the Help of The Historcial Preservation Society and A Garden Club with some Professional Landscaping Co.’s proposals, can Come Up with a solution in No Time.. Maybe even A Furneral Home as a Major Sponsor as well?
Addendum..
– Just K.I.M…
-Maybe a Good idea to alsoOnly have those who Plan to be “Residents” of the Cemetary should be the One’s In charge of managing it..?
-And Didn’t the Churches combine to Manage Cemetaries? Where do they Fit in on all this?
-And what’s wrong with Getting Sponsors for the Cemetary? We do it with our Baseball and Football Stadiums, why not Our Cemetaries..?
I also read how some are Turning theirs into Parks and Tourist tours, getting rid of the Stigma of Fear of Cemataries..
I’d Like to Know Kids and People In general are having Fun.. Some have Fishing Ponds in them.. I remember I used to Ride my Bike to Ours and Go Fishing with my Best Buddies.. It has Swans too..
Caught some Nice Big Fish in them too.. Come home and clean them with my Dad and we’d Have them for Dinner.. another Gift From God..
I say at the Dinner Table once..
I bet Grandpa is Fishing there too with Grandma…and she’s Sitting their Kinitting and Telling him what to do as always..
BTW? I Buried My WWII Navy Father At our Family Plot in his Resting Place in his Urn.. I Even Dug the Hole and Put the Concret Box inside it and then his Marble Urn with his Flag the President gave us for him .. as the 7 VFW guys Shot off their Guns..
And then each of us Poured the dirt on it and Planted some Flowering Bulbs around it.. Just like My Mothers, that My Dad and I did for her..
And I Donate $100 yr to that Cemetary in a Little Trust we set up for it..
Even President Obama Visted the Cemetary during his Campagining accross Northern Illinois on his way back from Iowa a few yrs ago… to dedicate the Veterans War Memorial Park In the Cemetary..
I bet you could get at Least Gov. Walker if not Paul Ryan ..You had that Chance this Last Mem. Day.. Do it for Next yr?
I Bet you have Plenty of Veterans and Their Families More than Willing to Raise the $ for it..
Just a Thought of course..
And I’m surprised their aren’t many others comming Up with Ideas and Suggestiongs In here..
Maybe they are afraid the IRS or NSA will Target them?
😉
Amazing to me that the city wants to hold off. TAKE IT OVER! I was just there on Sunday. I am returning with a weed eater & appropriate lawn care tools to properly maintain my fathers grave site. It is dis-respectful & a disgrace to our nice looking city (After Chocolate Fest anyways. It always gets cleaned up 1 week a year, then goes to hell the other 51). I bet if a local ball team played there it would look like a golf course! I am obviously being a bit sarcastic, but I was so upset upon my arrival I actually apologized to my father for placing him there.
I love “Businessman’s” idea of a pond & such in the cemetery. Make it a focal point and something our city is proud of. The center of the circle drive could be a fountain & pond that looks great and adds character! For now, let’s just get the place mowed & trimmed so we can show respect to our loved ones! It is pathetic how we are dis-respecting them by “Holding Off”. Mr. Mayor, there are some things that are unpopular & tough to deal with, this is one of them. Make a decision that does not involve Chocolate Fest or a ball diamond for a change! Where is Jeanie Hefty when you need her? Maybe a big H in the sky will help?