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BACKGROUND <br /> The Pleasanton Memorial Gardens was first established in 1850 as a non-endowment <br /> cemetery and many of Pleasanton's founding pioneers are buried here, including <br /> Kottinger, Joshua and Neal, as are many military veterans. In 1882, the cemetery was <br /> purchased by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF), Pleasanton Lodge #225, <br /> and its operation reflected its mandate to "visit the sick, relieve the distressed, bury the <br /> dead, and educate the orphan." The Lodge was disbanded in 1999, and IOOF <br /> Livermore Lodge #219 became the trustees of the cemetery. The IOOF continued to <br /> operate the cemetery until September 2006 when with the support of Cemetery <br /> advocates, the City Council exercised an option to purchase the cemetery with an <br /> understanding that it would be maintained consistent with Pioneer Cemetery standards <br /> (which assumes a general natural environment) and that it would work with the Catholic <br /> Funeral and Cemetery Services (CFCS) to provide burial services for persons who <br /> already prepaid for existing plots within the Cemetery. On June 5, 2007, the cemetery's <br /> name was changed from Pleasanton Memorial Gardens to the Pleasanton Pioneer <br /> Cemetery. <br /> Since acquisition of the Cemetery, the City Council has authorized general maintenance <br /> improvements, conducted a study for surveying plot verification and pre-installation of <br /> 202 new vaults and 202 cremation niches, and expanded CFCS's role to include sales <br /> and operations for new burial plots. Since October 1, 2010, new burial plots have been <br /> made available to Pleasanton residents and beginning on April 1, 2011, sales of plots <br /> and vaults were open to the general public. <br /> As plots became available for sale, visitors, burial plot owners and community members <br /> advocating for more significant cemetery improvements began expressing <br /> dissatisfaction with the appearance of the Cemetery and this, as well as previous <br /> interests in improving conditions at the cemetery, resulted in the City Council adopting <br /> its two-year work plan, which included the development of the Pleasanton Pioneer <br /> Cemetery Master Plan. Shortly thereafter, the City Council authorized staff to obtain <br /> proposals from qualified firms to develop a master plan for the Pleasanton Pioneer <br /> Cemetery and approved the formation of a seven member Ad Hoc Pioneer Cemetery <br /> Master Plan Oversight Committee (Committee) consisting of two Parks and Recreation <br /> Commissioners, one Civic Arts Commissioner, one Veterans Organization of <br /> Pleasanton representative, one Cemetery Committee (community group) <br /> representative, one Catholic Funeral and Cemetery Services representative, and one <br /> Member at Large. <br /> At its meeting on January 21, 2014, the City Council approved the agreement with <br /> PGAdesign Inc. to develop the Master Plan and soon thereafter, the Committee, staff <br /> and PGAdesign began its process, which included five Committee meetings over eight <br /> months that has culminated in the presented Draft Master Plan. <br /> Page 2 of 6 <br />