Cemetery Commission - Regular Meeting

My name is Patsy Pole. I'm the chair of the cemetery commission, and I called this meeting to order on 01/22/2025. Could we have a

roll call, please? Yes. Brenda Butler? Here. Gina Eden? Faye Quiet Gillingham? Here. Patsy Cole? Here. Cindy Kisparis? Here. Sam Bauerkemper? Faye Sullivan?

Here.

Chair, you have

a quorum.

Thank you. We do not have any citizens here for our comment period. We'll move on to minutes. I hope you've had a chance to look over the minutes. And when you're ready, I'll hear a motion to approve.

I'll move we approve. Second?

I'll second.

Even though I wasn't here.

I wasn't here either. The shrink

Oh, alright.

We'll we'll vote then. Did y'all want I was here, and they were accurate.

Have stayed since you weren't here, or do you just wanna go back?

What if they

I read them. They look great.

Yeah. They look fine. I read them too.

They're accurate. I was saying alright.

And they accurately

reflect. They celebrate?

Yes.

Okay. Cindy Kaspers? Yes. Patsy Poe? Yes. Say sorry. Say by Gillingham?

Yes. Do.

Brenda Butler? Yes. Okay. Motion passed.

Alright. We'll move to reports, and we'll have a report from the commissioners who examined the cemetery.

Well, it looked really good. I know everything is dead, but it still looked it still looked really good. And so it'll be a while before it probably has to be mowed. I think Jean mentioned it might be next month or something, but everything looked real nice.

Did the birdhouses get taken off the tree trunks?

No. They did not, Pat. And and I brought that up. I was gonna have them address it, but since you've asked me, we did not remove them. We discovered that a university representative, and I don't know if it's a graduate student or what, but they informed us that the birdhouses are there as part of a research program.

Research project. And I'm looking more into that to kinda tag off of what Gene's saying. Gene and I spoke earlier this afternoon, and he kinda brought it to my attention. We do partner with the university on a lot of things, and we usually have we have folks sign waivers and research documents. Valerie and I were looking for this one in particular because we do have one research project that's happening out there, but it doesn't involve bird boxes.

So I don't know if this person got permission from the city manager's office or someone else in the city. So I'm digging into that to determine whose bird boxes are they and how long are they going to have to be there. And, oh, by the way, here's your research documents that you're supposed to get before you do something like this. So I'm looking more into it, and Valerie's helping me kind of track down who the researcher is and how long those things are gonna be there. The only other thing that, you know, I thought about was, okay, is this a unapproved Eagle Scout project?

Because sometimes that does happen too. But, usually, they're really good about coming because they have to present and get sign offs and stuff like that. So I don't think it's a rogue Eagle Scout project. But, anyway,

I was a little concerned simply because of where they were because, you know, we had we had to talk to that Right. Exactly. Wanted to put up the bird battle.

Right. Exactly. Let them. Right. And I didn't want them because I wouldn't have allowed them to be there had they come and spoken to us because it's not it's not approved by our ordinance. Yeah. And and we do work with the birding community to do the annual bird counts and all of those things in our natural areas, but they usually do not involve stationary structures. So that's where I'm trying to I have to call around

But when we find

who did this.

I think it would be a

good idea when we find out that everyone who works out at the cemetery knows. Oh, absolutely. In case I can't remember those people's name, but, you know, Adair. Right. I don't want

the Adairs to go out there

because they were so gracious

about I I completely agree with you. The optics are definitely not good. And like I said, I wouldn't have allowed them to pick that select that area. I would have directed them into another part Okay. Of our property if that was, you know, the case.

Well, we'll just hear about that at our next Yes, ma'am.

Yeah. We'll give you guys an update and let you know

what's happening there. And thanks

for going to the cemetery. Well, I had one more.

One yeah.

Okay. The

trees, in several spots, the oak trees are kind of grown down where if you drove your car in there, you could break a limb.

Yeah. Tree work scheduled. Okay.

Hang on.

And and there's more. Oh, okay. I just hope that there might be some other trees that at some point in time, someone, the arborist, might want to take them down for whatever reason. And I'm just hoping that we would be notified or at least to have a discussion before the whacking starts. And I'm not talking about the trimming of those few oak trees that I'm talking about. I'm talking about taking out a tree. And so I don't know if that needs to be put on another agenda, but that maybe there should be more than one person that says that it should be.

Well, she's the ultimate authority because she's our urban forester. So if she's feeling like there's a tree that she's been trying to save a lot of them in there. A lot of them have, hypoxylon canker, which is basically tree cancer. A lot of the some of the older ones. Several years ago, you may remember when we had that big windstorm and a huge, heritage oak just fell over, and it was completely hollow all the way through, that's potentially what we're looking at with a number of these old trees, unfortunately.

Well, I think, you know, we kinda talked earlier about one of the trees that had been taken out. It's a huge one. It's Right. Like, almost 200

years old. I have

it in old family pictures Right. Showing that that was the only tree, and that was not hollow. Okay. And so I just want us to you know, can we talk to this person, or can they they don't have to come here, but what can there be a different procedure? Because it was certainly a surprise when they started whacking the trees. Okay. That was that was I had been in the committee meetings, and I hadn't heard that tomorrow, they're gonna start, you know, in your in the cemetery, and that's in my backyard. You know?

And

so I hadn't heard of that, and I thought, well, maybe I just didn't hear, but I don't think I was the only one because I've filtered a lot of phone calls during that. And so I'm just saying before a big tree is taken out or is thought to be, maybe that's something that maybe there's a procedure of we would like to do this, and this is the reason. You know?

I don't know. I would think that as a arborist, the last thing she wants to do is take out a tree that's healthy.

It did. 100%.

That that's true. That's true. I did talk to a couple of them, and they didn't think that a couple of those needed to be taken out, the biggest ones. And so I'm just saying, they all have differences of opinions, and I know she's hired by the city, and that's fine. I just wanna I just hope that we are told before it

happens. Sure. You talked to a couple of who? I don't understand. Arborists. Oh, okay.

Our thought was that on a a long time living tree, if it's gonna come out, it might be good just to get a second opinion if we could have that documented some way, and it's not taking anything away from the arborist.

Undermining to her, though, in my opinion. If somebody if somebody came up to me and said, well, you're yeah. I understand you're the professional, but I want a second opinion. Like, I'm not gonna tell Kelly to get a second opinion. Well,

as a dentist, there were times that people wanted a second opinion, and I was

hoping to do that.

I that. I understand. I'm just saying that that's that's gonna be a little tough since she you know, and she is Tat, her job is to save and plant trees within all of the public areas of the city. So Exactly. And and she and she does you know, as she consults with tree she has tree contractors that she consults with. So, I mean, maybe she's getting maybe instead of me having to tell her to get a second opinion, I think

she's probably getting that second opinion.

You know? And she has, like, three different tree contractors on contract right now, Heritage, Austin Treefolks, and Bartlett are the three that responded to her request for proposal. So those are the three that three that we work with. So, I mean

I'm sure she's fine. I don't mean it that I'm not trying to, you know, down her in any way. I'm just saying before we take a significant tree Sure.

You know,

if it's just as big as my arm, okay, whatever, if they need to take that out. But if it's a significant tree, not let it be a surprise to us, the committee, who's going to filter the phone calls. Sure. And I know they call y'all too. I don't mean it that way.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. No. But I I can understand, especially living right there and your neighbors asking and knowing you're on the commission. I I can completely understand your perspective and why you definitely need, you know, to know kinda what's happening and what's going on. I was trying to find our latest treat work schedule, but I don't think she has anything scheduled in the cemetery. So we get with Kelly so we can interfere for our next meeting, for sure.

Jamie, the only thing scheduled is mulch.

Okay. Thank you, Bert.

Yep.

I think that we could ask her to give us a heads up that can maybe be an email, like,

hey.

We're gonna be taking out this tree. But I but I don't think that we can get in the city's way. I don't think that's our charge to have us set any trees.

Yeah. And we've we've brought, you know, tree work, obviously, that's gonna be happening. You know, we've sent you guys emails before. We haven't removed anything since the last time. Mhmm. And but we've done more plantings out there. And I know Kelly has planting scheduled that she's wanting to do during planting season, so between now and March. I don't have those dates yet. As as Bert mentioned, you know, right now, it's just kinda focusing around mulch and that kind of stuff. So but, yeah, we can absolutely get you guys some information. That way y'all don't feel that y'all

are being caught. A heads up would be good.

Yes, ma'am. Yeah. So I

think that that's that's the least good.

And then if you can have her look at those trees, the bigger ones that the limbs are growing down like that Yeah. And people are gonna knock them in their car, and then it's gonna break. And I'm scared. I don't want that oat will to get into any of that.

So No. I I completely understand your Thank you. I didn't mean to interrupt your report. I thought you were finished. No. That's so sorry.

Just keep on talking. No. So

sorry.

And tell me if Kelly wanted I took note of of the trees that Brenda brought to my attention. So I was Kelly if she needed Yeah. And she said, well, which ones were concerned to them. I could take a look

if needs be. Gotcha.

Then, we'll talk to Bert about the, expansion program.

I'll sit it's still in process, guys. I don't have any any further comments at this time.

So we're still in permitting review right now?

Yes, ma'am. We had those other we had a couple other park the the Swift Park and and Victory Gardens because those were CDBG. We kinda pushed those up to get those done first.

Okay.

Just keep us posted. Yep.

Thank you.

Will do. And just so y'all know, we will be turning the water back on on Friday.

K. K. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Do any of you have questions for Bert?

Just keep having fun,

Bert. Yeah.

I don't I don't know. Give me give me the definition of fun. So

I have a book you might want to read. It's called death by meeting.

Sounds like a book I've published.

Yeah. Yeah.

That's cute. Yeah.

Okay. So before we adjourn, I'd like to ask you, Valerie, are all our commissioners

eligible for the coming year? Yes. The city clerk has you and Cindy listed on for the city council to review.

To be reappointed. For consideration.

Yes. Yeah. For consideration.

Okay. And how and so that will be done by February?

Yes. It will be done

at their next meeting on February 4.

Okay. So that means our meeting in February will vote on a new chair and and a cochair of this commission. So do your best to be here. Alright? And Or you'll be voted in as a new chair or cochair if you're not there.

And

so, Valerie, I have another question. Are you when do we get the new schedule for the cemetery walk through. Let's go back to number two because I added that.

You said it was

For the cemetery and update the schedule, and I forgot.

Oh, that's okay.

So the new schedule is attached to your agendas. Oh. It's on the backside.

Okay. I didn't even look. I'm sorry.

And I included it on the agenda item and just forgot to bring it up when you guys were talking.

Okay.

If y'all wanna review that, and I guess I've

Oh, good.

We can always like y'all have done recently, if there's an issue with your schedule, y'all just switch switch out with each other.

Okay. I think I would like to switch out with somebody in February because my daughter's going to be here. And at some point, I'm having a birthday, and I think I I will be at the meeting. But could somebody switch out with me? Or or Tim and I Okay.

February, it's Tim and Cindy. Okay. So just the team something happens, I'll I'll be there. Okay? Okay. Don't no worries.

Okay.

Any other suggestions for the agenda in February. We'll be electing officers. Well, we may have a guest, or we may not, with Kelly.

I'm sending her

an email right now.

Yeah. Anything else? You think of anything else we need to address? Valerie,

thank you

for doing this for us. You're welcome. Okay. But everybody else will be eligible for Yep. Another year. Good. Alright. Do I hear a motion to adjourn? I'll make a motion. Second?

Second.

Alright. Is this roll call to adjourn? Yeah. K. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All opposed?

All opposed? You're adjourned.