Cemetery Commission - Regular Meeting

I call this meeting of the Cemetery Commission of the City of San Martin States.

Clay Sullivan.

Here.

Bobby Moore.

Here.

Brenda Butler. Here. Cindy Kasparis. Here. Tim Bauer-Gemper.

Here.

Debbie Thomas.

Here.

Faye Quagg-Gilliam.

Here.

Chair, you have a comment.

Thank you.

Well, we have a citizen comment.

And we have a citizen.

That's good. I'm number on the agenda, I guess, also. You're number two, the action. So I'm here on behalf of the Contreras family. I'm actually an ex-in-law, but they haven't kicked me out of the family quite yet. It's good to be here with y'all. And we were talking about Old San Marcos earlier. So this family is Old San Marcos, the Contreras family. I don't know if y'all remember the boys, Jesse and Al and And you probably went to school with Clyde. Were you in class of 72?

I was in 70.

70, okay. My ex, John Paul, Jesse, Al, Eddie. And so these two plots are basically that nuclear family. Mom and dad bought the smaller plot. And... Jesse, one of their sons, bought the larger plot. He's gone and buried there in that larger plot. Of course, mom and dad are in the smaller plot, along with two others of their sons. And so their remaining children are just my ex, John Paul, and Linda. They had a daughter named Linda. And then Jesse's wife, Diana, who they purchased. They both purchased that larger plot, Diana. Contreras. And so this is like I say, all one nuclear family. We're just asking for a curb to be around both plots. And we met with Scott out there with a contractor that was just looking at it. They didn't see any issues other than the easements between the smaller and the larger plot. But they didn't mention or see any utility issues And so once we get to that item, if you have any questions, I'm here to answer any, but I.

If I may ask. I'll tell you what, let's wait and just a hop, skip and a jump, because I probably should have waited until item two. Okay. So let's do the agenda first. Okay. Here. We have... We have. Of last week's months. Comment about them any. Discussion of the minutes. The last month I didn't see anything. I'll entertain a motion to approve this in my corrections. Second. I'll second. All in favor I think I'm. Motions passed. Then we go to the action item number two. Discuss and consider granting approval of curbing variance. Curbing variance request from the Contreras family. Does anybody have any comments or questions? And we have Linda Rodriguez representing the family here who's apparently been out to see it and very knowledgeable about the circumstances. So any questions, comments?

Well, if I may. Can we all do a motion and a second first so we can discuss?

Motion? Okay. Does anyone wish to move that we grant or deny the request for variance?

I move that we grant the request for the variance.

Is there a second?

Discussion? was just simply going to comment that uh in our normal drive-throughs i took tim out and look at that uh there is precedence in the area the easement has no lines or a possibility tim even took a photograph of it and what i wanted to see and from a maintenance standpoint there are no issues with it it doesn't create any obstruction they've agreed to do a flush turning uh so everything will be flat in the ground and it's actually there would have been If they curb the two lots individually, there would have been less than a two-feet area. I had suggested to Tim if we did that and they had a 10-foot easement in there within the necessity, something attached to the various telling them that they could not use that for burial property. The precedent says where they did enclose a wider area and it was stipulated specifically that that was not to be used for burial property. But it says no lines and it's only two feet in it. absolutely presents no maintenance issues for it. And I would have, I could give you no reason why that it should have been granted.

Questions?

I went and looked at it and it would make, I mean, there's no reason not to grant this. This is the adjoining spot. So basically they're asking for two feet of concrete instead of what you see across and it's going to, it's not going to look odd or unusual in any way. And it makes sense for a family to.

That yellow line represents where the curving would be. This intro right in here would be less than two feet if they did the traditional curving and individually curving. recent nothing, nothing.

Any further comments? Questions? Ready to vote?

I think all the way. Brenda Butler? Yes. Debbie Thomas? Yes. Bobby Moore?

Yes.

Faye Sullivan?

Yes.

Tim Bauer-Kemper? Yes. Faye Clay Gillihan? I'm in favor. Cindy Casperis? Yes. Motion passes.

All right, the motion is passed. We'll go on to item number three, a brief report from the schedule. Yes, good to see you. Bye. Tim, do you have a comment for us about the cemetery?

It's green. Jean pointed out where we came to a hill that you could see where it was mowed, and there's already grass poking at it for three days. But that's... You know, we've had a lot of rain, but it's a good thing. Green, well-maintained. We hit okay on the mowing cycle. Yeah, that's good. So, I mean, it looks good. Nothing unusual or...

I drove by, and I did have a question about one. Of course, I wasn't... When a tree is involved, right? No, this is like by the little chapel somewhere near there. There's like a... Oh, that stump. But I'm talking about all the debris that's around here. I mean, maybe we should be picking that up or something.

Oh, no, that's a simple to do.

Yeah, I mean, a whole lot.

Let's not take the stump out.

No, no, I'm not talking about the stump. I'm talking about, because it looked like a bunch of stuff, like if somebody had a funeral and had to walk over it.

Okay, that's easy enough. And I had one comment to add to that as well. And that is the wisteria tree in our last meeting that they did pruning. That has not been done. And I'll follow up on that with Kelly. I don't know. I'm always hesitant to prune on a tree until I've gotten drunk. And I don't know if that's, I'm going to say that. Somewhere on my side of the issue, I've dropped the ball, and I've said it was Kelly. So I'll follow up on that. But that's that one wish to your tree. I don't remember who brought it to our attention. I saw it last time. But there's, yeah, I believe it was you, Bobby. Yeah, of course. And, Bobby, I'm sorry. I would have liked to have had a report that that's done. That's usually my habit, but it's not. And so I'll follow up on it. I'm aware of it.

Has anything been done on the staining on the columbarium sand? No.

I was curious to see whether the report was going to mention the columbarium floor, columbarium, foundation, whatever.

Maybe I say no because I didn't drive mine. Look at that. But I will follow up directly after this meeting. I will tell you D2 was what we talked about.

It looks like somebody has done cat claws.

Really?

Trying to scratch it. That was not there last month. On the west side of the columbarium, the large discoloration immediately to the west of the columbarium has multiple scratch marks in it. I don't know when is the appropriate time. But I don't want this to become a lip service thing, and I don't want us to forget about it. I personally, this is gonna be my cause. I find it unsatisfactory that we have allowed it to get to the state that it's in, and I would like to make a motion that we create and implement a maintenance program for the restoration of the Columbarium Foundation

Uh, as as part of our, I think that I think that's something we put on next month's agenda, whatever we, whatever we have to do.

I was a silverfish or something.

I want to all of this is the new. So, here's the thing is that that's operational and so. It's only a few years old and this is news to me. So I would like to take an opportunity for me and Burt because I need to find out if there's warranty since it's only a few years old. So I would like to get some information. I mean, I don't know what a committee is going to do beyond tell us what you're wanting to do, and if we don't have the funds in which to do it, I can't do it.

Are you thinking it's vandalism? No, this is weathering.

But it's not something that you can just brush off. It has gone down into the material. It's an epoxy coating.

It didn't look that way when it was first put in. This is all...

First and foremost, I would never do lip service for you. I take on the responsibility. I'm not perfect occasionally.

But I don't think it's, I don't know if it is your responsibility. It's not grass cutting.

Honestly, now, whether it is or not, if it's in the cemetery and I can do something about it, I don't care what my contract says, whether I am or am not. If it's something that I can do, I've always done that. I'll always continue. I would hope that you would understand that. I'm going to back up and say I'm not sure that are addressing this with D2, I can tell you knowledgeably that that is not a problem. How long do you see results on the headstones and stuff that we treat D2? Weeks? Weeks, I don't know. It's usually within a week. You can see it. So I will follow up on that, Bobby, for you today. I'm going to say I will catch Scott before he leaves today. If I don't, it's in my notes. I will follow up on that for you in the morning. I will have him do multiple sprays of D2, which I think is probably the most effective way to attempt to address this. Bert, I don't know about, it's not the columbarium itself, it's the foundation. I believe, Jamie, I believe what it is.

And I appreciate that. But this is going to be something that's going to require, if we decide that, that a good bit of effort went in to take that water tower down and to put in what we put in and to let it look like it looks right now seems unacceptable to me. And it's not something that one, you know, maybe we can get hold of it with one treatment, but it's going to require... maintenance ongoing in the future. It's every time it rains, it's going to have water standing, and then you're going to get mold that's growing down into the concrete. It's going to have to be maintained on a regular basis from now on.

Well, I would expect, Bobby, that those issues could be addressed variously. I don't know about the epoxy. I can't do anything for you about the force of nature and molding. What I can do is if there's any thundering, I can address my staff and say, Scott, if we get rain, One of the things I would like for you to do is run out there and check and see if there's any water puddling on that foundation around that column bearing. If there is, take an air blow. and blow that water off so it doesn't stand, that should have some degree of mitigation. I would assume, I think that's logical. And I'll have him continue to treat it with D2. Now, if I do this and I'm not effective, well, then I'll come back to you and tell you, I've done everything for you that I can to fix the problem and I'm not successful. Now, someone proposed a solution that might be, I don't know.

And on our end, my intent was to have it pressure washed from the last meeting, but we have had some extenuating circumstances since then, and we just did not get that address. I'll take that on.

Whatever I need to do to, and I would be happy to meet, you know, if this, this is what works. I want, I would be happy to go down right after we, I don't know when you want to go, but I'll go, you know, I'd like to be there too, because I'm, it's not my imagination. And I think, and I think that we need to do something formal.

So, you know, we're going to deal with this, but I don't know that a committee is necessary. It's an operational issue that I believe that we can achieve.

I'm not talking about a committee, and I'm talking about a written plan for maintenance.

Well, then we can generate one for you. That's perfectly fine.

That's fine. That's what I'm saying.

I thought you were wanting a committee.

No, no. I don't think I said the word committee.

Okay, I'm sorry.

I said the word create.

I also don't think it hurts to have it on the agenda. In some guise, if it's an action item or something for next month.

It needs to be part of the monthly observation of the commission or whoever. But I just, whatever, I want to move forward on that in whatever the proper way to move forward on that is to make it a formal issue. that needs to be dealt with if, you know, and if there aren't enough people who think it looks okay the way it is and doesn't become a formal issue, you know, it's my cause.

I have a question. Jordan, take a look at it, Bobby. I used D2 on my parents' headstone. It had gotten mossy, and my daughter, museum person, she said, D2, and so I bought some. And it was very effective. At the beginning, I had to use a soft brush to clean it off. But the thing about D2 is, at least on a vertical surface, it continues to work. And like a year and a half, two years later, I have not had to do anything more, and it's in the shade. But I don't know if that would be as effective on something that's flat that collects water.

Yes, those stones are porous. So that might be part of the problem.

You would think if it was epoxy over the mortar mixture that that might have prevented something to seep in.

I would think so.

But it's deep. The epoxy may have worn away. And I found it very interesting to see these cat scratches.

That's odd. That's really weird. See that, Bobby? I don't know what you're discussing. Well, that's my appeal to you and the rest. Give me a shot at this. It's not something that I'm going to cure for you for days or weeks. And I'll go up and get Scott. I will make sure that we're doing a routine application of the D2. I know that's an effective idea. If it's not effective in this particular case, Bert, I'm happy to get a high pressure sprayer up there. The issue typically with that is water. And if I've got something that's proximal and I've got enough pressure to feed a high-pressure sprayer, I'm going to 4,000 PSI. Probably that can cut that surface. And so that's not typically something that I would – we'll be careful about.

I would love to hear – I mean, I appreciate, you know, you've seen it. I would like for you all to see it. Sure. And because –

Look at it. Yes.

But it's never going to get better, and we're not any farther than we were a month ago.

I'm not going to give up, and I'm not going to say it's not going to get better until I prove to myself that it's not going to get better, and I'm not ready to think that way.

We'll put it on the agenda next month. That was the foundation of the water tower that was re- Yeah, it was stained and sealed. Yeah, stained and sealed. So it was... It was not... It was not even, and it wasn't. It wasn't. It's a small proof. It wasn't streeted and flat off. Yeah.

We'll take a look at it. I mean, if it's a matter of warranty work, then we'll look at what the warranty is on that contract. And then if all else fails, I mean, it could be a capital improvement project that we're going to have to redo it. We'll have to sand it up and redo it. And so that's going to be a little bit more complicated. We'll have to see how much money it's going to take to do it since it's not the whole thing. But it might be a little bit more complicated now with the column variance.

It's a really bad patch directly west of the center structure and a really bad patch directly east. But then there are spots all the way around it.

Well, that's that seems like that's the whole point of having these tours of the cemetery and the reports back to the mission is to bring things like this to light and looks like everybody's going to be attending to it. So, yes.

We want it to be beautiful.

Yes, we do. It is beautiful.

Direction for me. You want me to continue to pursue this work, Jamie?

Sure, give it a try, and let's see if the D2 makes a difference, and if it does, cool.

If you need more of it, let me know, because I know I bought, I worked that for you.

You bought some, I bought some bird, yes, and if we need to, again, I'll get that established as a routine. I'm getting an inspection done by Scott. He's very good. about following instruction if we need to monitor something. If you've got D2 and you want to bring it, there's never... You know, Bert, I honestly think probably the best solution for this, if we're going to remedy this for everyone involved in particular, I think Probably a D2 application and I think trying to be if it's going to be a preventative measure taken on it is hey guys, I mean, we all live in the same place. I've had 45 inches of rain at my house literally. in the last 10 to 12 weeks, which is more than we have average rainfall over the given entire year. I'm sure that contributes to this. I think if I can tell Scott we have plenty, let's go up there. I can assign Scottie on Monday once a week when you do these other things and I have assigned to you on once a week. Go up there and look at that foundation. See if the D2 is effective. If it's got puddling on it, whether it's Monday or say forget right now, Take an air blower, go up there and blow the water off of it, which I would think would be helpful. And we'll see if that works. And if that solves it, well, then great. And then if it doesn't, Jamie, well, then it needs to be.

I'm going to pull the contract and see what the warranty period on it was for the work. I'm sure it's long past. I'm sure it's probably a year, which is pretty short. I don't know.

i was gone for a few years and so i'm not sure i know that that foundation the water tower came down during my previous stint with the commission but i'm not sure exactly what year 21 22 uh i don't know what what year that that the current foundation i don't i don't want to lie to you i don't i don't know what it was it seems like that was pre-covered

You know it was well, no, it wasn't because because I was in the department. I came here in December of 2019. And the project was already in progress. I think that maybe the columbarium was stalled in late 21, early 22. Maybe I was looking at dates that some 2220 22 dates and 22 is when we actually installed it. But during. 21 time during this one we did the. Correct, this site, correct.

There are some internments dated as early as 2022.

Okay, that's, yeah, that would be, yeah, yes, sir.

All right, then it's time for us to receive a brief report on the cemetery expansion project.

And we are going back and forth this week. We have had good movement, so working with the architect and the engineer, So we can answer a few final questions. We've had some comments come back from the from our engineering department about stormwater protection. It all goes back to this contingent bond that they want us to make. So that's that's the current back and forth that we're having should have something wrapped up in the next couple of weeks so that we can move forward. They're starting to work on the pre-construction checklist is what I talked to Brent today about that. And that's to develop the RFP? That's to develop the RFP so that we can Move forward with purchasing.

You get a farm on board to construction.

Where would they put a retention pond and how large would it be?

It'll be right in front of the last house that we removed. That's not going to be real big.

I mean, that's kind of the top of the hill, isn't it?

Well, no, it's going to be at the bottom of the hill, right at the end of Holland Street.

Okay.

Where the retainer ball is.

Yeah, on the street side.

Okay. I'm trying to envision a retention pond in the cemetery.

That's how they work for it. I mean, that's what. The development code, everything.

Yeah, I understand that.

And I think some of the newest questions is because some of the things have updated and we have newer regulations. And since we started this project, I mean, we've been working with the engineering departments 23 on this. So some projects just take long. The only other thing that I had was, and this goes back to the report on the cemetery, we started to mow it, the new section, and our tractor broke. I think they got one pass and then the tractor broke. So we met that, have it hauled off to the shop, and we have not received it back yet. So it's...

Bird, if I get caught up next week, I'll bring a skid steer. Can I shred it? Yes.

Yeah, that's what we were doing. We had the tractor and shredder. Let's wait to make one pass around it.

I was going to say it was pretty thick.

It is. It's not a rain.

I've got a front end shredder that goes on a skid steer loader. The guys will probably be mid to latter part of the week before I cycle through everything with all this grass growth. But I wouldn't say next week, but the week after, I'll get one of my men to bring up a bobcat, put a shredder up there and take care of it.

And if we get to it before noon, I'll let you know. If you do, I'll see you. Okay.

Another question about the retention pond. Is this something that you would envision would have water in it all the time? Or would it be just like a low place that would collect water only when it rains?

It collects water only when it rains.

Okay, so we don't need to have something to keep the water aerated.

Okay, storm water only.

Okay, and it'll run out.

One out in front of the restaurant next to Mariposa. Oh, no, it's not.

No, that's a... Oh, good.

No, it's a little bit smaller.

Yeah.

Well, we have retention ponds at KT that have water all the time, but we keep them aerated to help keep the mosquitoes down. But then you're not envisioning something like that.

It's meant to catch the water, slow it down, kind of filter everything out, but... Drain, but drain just kind of not be a permanent, not be a permanent pond. It's the to make it important to just slows, slows the flow of watering and filters the. Filters the water before it gets out into the regulation.

Now that I can envision.

It'll be a lot like our pond that we have over here at City Park. It has water in it for maybe two days. And then it's gone.

Well, item number four is question and answer session with press in public. I see no press, no publish. I would entertain a motion to adjourn.

Moves to adjourn. Is there a second? I'll second.

It's been motioned and seconded that we adjourn. All in favor? Aye.

Aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Wow.