AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OFRICH HILL,MISSOURIREGULATING THE USE
OF THE CEMETERY AND CHARGES FORGRAVESAND BURIALS IN
GREENLAWNCEMETERY.
Be it ordained by the Board of Alderman of the City of Rich Hill, Missouri as follows:
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Section 1. Visitors
(a) GreenlawnCemeteryis open to visitors from8:00 a.m.to 30 minutes prior to sunset except for one gate on the north and one gate on the south ofA Highwaywhich will be closed at8:30 p.m.year round.
(b) All visitors are expected to respect the solemnity and beauty of the cemetery and strictly observe the rules established by the city for the purpose of securing quiet and good order at all times within the cemeteries.
Section 2. Traffic Rules
(a) No person or vehicle will be allowed to enter the cemetery except through entrances
maintained for the public for such purpose, without permission of the sexton.
(b) There shall be no driving allowed over the graves or upon the lawns under any
pretense whatsoever, except for the normal maintenance and operation of the cemetery.
(c) Any driver who runs any vehicle upon the lawns, across gutters or anywhere else
where damage results there from, shall be required to make good such damages.
(d) The sounding of horns, sirens, or other audible signals within the cemetery is
prohibited, except in connection with a funeral service.
(e) Vehicles are not permitted to make U-turns upon roads but must go around the section
Section 3. Detrimental trees or shrubs etc.
If any trees or shrubs situated on any grave shall, by means of their roots, branches,
or otherwise, become detrimental to the adjacent lots, avenues, or streets or dangerous or inconvenient to passengers, it shall be the duty of the city enter upon such grave and remove such trees or shrubs or parts thereof as may be detrimental, dangerous, or inconvenient. Effective November 13, 2007, no one will be allowed except for the authorized employees of the City of Rich Hill to plant trees, shrubs, flowering plants, or other vegetation in the cemetery.
Section 4. Donations
All donations or bequests made by any person for the cemetery shall be made to the City’s cemetery fund, which funds, so received, shall be used for the cost of managing the fund for maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery.
Section 5. Approval for special projects, improvements and construction
Any and all improvements, construction, beautification projects, road construction
or changes in roads, or any other changes or additions made in Greenlawn
Cemetery must be approved by the City Council prior to such installation, erection
construction or altercation.
ARTICLE 2. INTERMENT
Section 1. Mausoleums
Any form of burial, which will leave the remains above the level of the ground, is hereby prohibited, except in the cases where a mausoleum is in existence as ofMay 9, 2000.
Section 2. Grave Space Costs
(a) The cost of spaces inGreenlawnCemeteryshall be two hundred and fifty dollars
($250.00) for a standard four-foot by ten-foot grave space. The grave shall be paid in full before a deed can be issued. If you purchase 4 graves at once the total cost will be eight hundred dollars ($800.00)
(b) The City Clerk shall issue a Greenlawn Cemetery Deed to the purchaser of graves showing the location of the grave(s) and said deed shall be signed by the Mayor.
(c) The City ofRich Hillwill allow payment plans for the purchase of cemetery grave spaces but the grave space must be paid in full before it may be used for a burial. The purchaser must sign a written agreement. There will a 5% fee for making payments. Payment plans will be as follows: 1 grave 6 months, 2 graves 12 months, 3 graves 18 months, 4 graves 24 months. If the payment plan is not paid in full by the end of the agreement the city will refund any money paid except for the 5% fee and a handling charge of $25.00.
Section 3. Perpetual Care
(a) The cost of perpetual care inGreenlawnCemeteryshall be one hundred and twenty-five dollars
($125.00) per grave space to be payable to the city at the time of the sale of the grave or at the time of burial, whichever comes first afterOctober 28, 2008.
(b) The principal of said Perpetual Care Fund shall not be used for any purpose
whatsoever and no money shall be transferred out of such perpetual care fund.
except for the purpose of being invested.
(c) The interest income derived from the perpetual care fund shall be used for the preservation, care, upkeep and adornment ofGreenlawnCemetery.
Section 4. Regulation of Interments
(a) Except as permitted by the provisions of subsections 1 hereof, the number of interments which may properly be made upon a grave is fixed at one (1) per grave space at the time of purchase, and no more will be permitted.
1. A written request for cremated remains to be buried upon another interment or for a double burial must be approved by the Mayor and the City Superintendent or their authorized representative.
(b) The arrangement and location of graves upon a lot is determined by the City, as it
is necessary that uniformity shall prevail.
(c) No interment may be made unless authorized by the City Clerk for the City ofRich Hill.
(d) Except in emergency cases, one working day’s notice is required for the preparation of a grave and interments are not to be made before10:00 a.m.or after4:00 p.m.
(e) As a minimum, all standard interments will incorporate the use of a casket and a
concrete grave liner with lid in which the casket will be placed. Cremated or infant interments shall incorporate the use of a container approved by the City.
Section 5. Regulation of Disinterment
Disinterment will be allowed only upon notarized written consent or request of the
purchaser of the grave, or surviving heir or heirs of a deceased purchaser, or by the
appropriate court order, and only after permission in writing is first obtained from
the Mayor and in accordance with state law. Disinterment fee will be $750.00. No disinterment shall be performed until the price herein specified has been paid. The costs for the vault company to remove the vault shall be paid to the vault company.
Section 6. Interment Fees
(a) The cost of opening and closing a grave shall be as follows:
Vault or box, weekday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $400.00
Weekends & Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $450.00
Cremated remains, weekday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $150.00
Weekends & Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $200.00
Infant remains, weekday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $300.00
Weekends & Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $325.00
(b) For any special request for the closing of graves after4:30 p.m.on any day of the
week, the cost shall be the same as for weekends and holidays.
(c) No interment shall be performed until the price herein specified has been paid.
(d) Approved double burials will be charged $500.00 for the burial that is double deep. If the second burial is not at the same time as the first burial the normal opening and closing costs will be paid at the time of second burial.
ARTICLE 3GRAVES
Section 1. Placement and location of foundations, monuments, etc. and permit fees.
No person shall set or place any foundation, monument, memorial, stone or marker of any sort including any Veteran’s marker withinGreenlawnCemeterywithout first obtaining a permit costing fifteen dollars ($15.00) from the City Clerk. Additionally, such person must own the lot in the cemetery at the time of placement. The cemetery sexton must be present when the work is done to determine compliance with the provisions of this article. EffectiveNovember 13, 2007, the City will only permit the placement of head stones in the cemetery. Any bench , foot marker, etc that was placed before November 13, 2007 will be allowed to remain in the cemetery as long as the bench , foot marker, etc is attached to the ground at that time.
Section 2. Concrete foundations required; depth.
Each monument, stone or marker placed withinGreenlawnCemeteryshall be set
or place on top of a concrete foundation no less than twenty-four (24) inches in
depth. Monuments, stone or markers are to be set upon the concrete foundations
only after the concrete has set up. Placement of a marble or granite pad under any
monument, stone or marker withinGreenlawnCemeteryshall be permitted
provided placement is in compliance with all other provisions of this ordinance.
Section 3. Continuous Concrete Aprons
No continuous concrete aprons shall be allowed to surround any monument, stone or marker placed inGreenlawnCemeteryin order to provide for greater ease of future maintenance inGreenlawnCemetery.
Section 4. Use of grave for burial or memorial
The graves inGreenlawnCemeteryshall be sold only for the purpose of burying
human remains or for establishing memorials to deceased human beings.
Section 5. Transfer ofGraves
The grave owner cannot sell or convey any grave in the cemetery without first
submitting a notarized statement giving written consent for the transfer to the City
Clerk. All transfers must be made through the City Clerk and a new deed(s) for
GreenlawnCemeteryissued. The cost of the transfer will be fifteen dollars
($15.00).
Section 6. Ornamentation of graves
(a) The city retains control and supervision of all graves which are sold; and the city
retains the right to have its sexton enter upon any grave to prohibit, modify, or
remove any structure, object, improvement, or adornment of such grave, which may interfere with the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery.
(b) The use of glass containers on or around the graves inGreenlawnCemeteryis
expressly prohibited and will be removed if placed upon the grave(s).
(c) All grave decorations or mementos will be removed by the cemetery sexton if the decorations or mementos interfere with the maintenance or upkeep, exceptions will be permanent vases that are attached to the stone or foundation, everything on the stone until it has deteriorated (the sexton will determine deterioration) and shepherd hooks as long as they are as close to the head stone as possible.
ARTICLE 4 RESTRICTIONS AND ENFORCEMENT
Section 1. Misusing burial ground.
Any person who shall willfully destroy, disfigure, or injure any wall, fence,
hedge, monument, tombstone, tree or shrubbery around or within Greenlawn
Cemetery or misuse the same shall be prosecuted in accordance with section 4 of
this article.
Section 2. Duties of the city and sexton regarding the cemetery
It shall be the duty of the City and the sexton to lay out all graves in
the city-ownedGreenlawnCemeteryand perform such other duties and work as
directed by the City Council; and all burials shall be done under their supervision.
Section 3. Workmen subject to control of the city and sexton
All workmen employed in the construction of vaults, erecting monuments or other
similar activities shall be subject to the control and direction of the City
or sexton.
Section 4. Penalty
Any person convicted of a violation of any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a term of confinement of up to 6 months and/or a fine of $500.00.
Section 5. Repealer
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are hereby
repealed.
This ordinance has been read two times and passed this 12th day of October 2010.
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Richard Miller, Mayor
ATTEST:
____________________________________
Rebecca Rich, City Clerk
Ayes: Thurman, Pilcher, Dahman, Becker
Nays: