Town of Chichester Cemetery Trustees’ meeting
November 6, 2023
The Cemetery Trustees’, Ruth Hammen, Fred Shaw and Brenda Boswak met on November 6, 2023 @ 9:00 a.m. at the Historical Society building.
OLD BUSINESS The dead trees still have not been removed in True Cemetery. The Road Agent has not contacted Ruthie to update us on the status of this project. We will need to confirm with the Selectmen what will be done with the $2,000 budgeted for 2023 for dead tree removal in cemeteries. Brenda contacted another contractor to inquire whether he would be able to have time to remove the dead trees in True Cemetery before December 1, 2023. Fred and Ruthie prepared a ‘Request for Reimbursement’ to the Trustees of the Trust Funds, ‘asking for interest earned from individual Cemetery Trusts to be paid to the town to offset the expenses the town initially incurred for groundskeeping expenses paid for the 2023 season to Hodgkins Painting & Maintenance’.
NEW BUSINESS We discussed preparing a warrant article to request the town of Chichester to assume responsibility for the maintenance of Hook Cemetery. We are submitting a request for $6,000 for dangerous tree removal in cemeteries and a $7,000 cemetery budget for the 2024 town budget year. We anticipate a rise in the cost of restoring and cleaning gravestones, signs, etc. next year. We have made good progress with gravestone restoration and intend to keep moving forward with this project as time and resources allow. Ruthie will ask Jodi to schedule an appointment for the Cemetery Trustees with the Selectmen and Budget Committee. Ruthie will submit a request to Jodi, Town Administrator, for the donation money received from Martha Dodge Wilkerson to the Cemetery Trustees, be designated in a separate account for use in the 2024 budget year. We were unable to complete the project that this money was donated for in the 2023 budget year. Fred and Ruthie will prepare the RFP for 2024 Cemetery Maintenance. Ruthie will contact ‘Hodgkins Painting and Maintenance’ to give a bid for the 2024 season. Our third annual Wreaths Across America Day is scheduled for December 16, 2023. We are promoting and advertising this event on social media, newspapers, town website etc. As of today, we have 93 veterans’ gravesites Remembrance Wreaths sponsored. Brenda is working on coordinating military volunteers for the ceremony. We have 218 veterans’ gravesites to lay wreaths at this year. American flags will be removed from veterans’ gravesites beginning November 12, 2023.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:50 a.m.
Respectfully submitted, Brenda Boswak, Cemetery Trustee, Secretary