SR 06:049 - Laserfiche WebLink

The Memorial Gardens Cemetery CQuld provide an Open Space/Park/Cultural amenity to the public. The City could maintain the Cemetery as primarily a parlt and historic site UDder Parks and Recreation Department with burials perfonned as an ancil!aly acth;ty. Under this option, City staff (by way of contract) would be primarily responsible for maintenance and oc:casional burials. 3. Case Studies: Es.mples or Other Municipal Cemeteries in CalifonWI For your infonnation, staffhas included a brief summary of cemeteries that are owned and operated by municipal govemmenlS in California. Staff fouod that the majority of municipal cemeteries in California were acquired or deeded to local govenunents over a century ago and have historical importance to the communities in which they are located. Long Beach Municipal Cemetery, City of Long Beach, CA The City of Long Bc=h manages the five-acre Long Beach Municipal ~meu:ry, which is almost completely developed. The cemetery, deeded over to the City in 1900, is cunently manased by the Department of Public Works (one cemetety manager) and maintained by Parks and Recreation Dcpartmenl staff wbo keep grounds and perform burials. The cemetery is funded by the City's General Fund, and the cemetery cwrent1y loses money. The cemetery management works with local groups (such as the Boy Scouts) and schools to develop volunteer and educational programs related to the Cemetery. These activities have consisted of maintenance, such as weeding and mainlellaDCe of graves and older headstones, and grave rubbings. The primary purpose of the cemetely is to serve as a historical landmark (the City's founding families have graves dating back to nineteenth century). Mission ClIy ll,femortal Part Cemetery, cuyoj &.uuu Clw.... C,4 The City of Santa Clara currenlly operalCS the 30-acre Mission City Memorial Park Cemetery (founded in 1852 by the City) managed by the Parks and Recreation Department. Cemetery staffinc:ludes one superintendent in charge of operations, one office staff. and four gwunds keepers. The cemetery generally perfonns 200 to 300 burials a year; approximately two to three acres of the cemetery remain undeveloped. The cemetery's management recently developed a 50- Year Master Plan for tbe cc:meterY. which anticipalCS build-out of tbc <;emctery in SO years at which time operntions wi1\ eoasist of maintenanCe only. The management indicates \hat the cemetery has an endowment fund devoted to the long-term maintenanCe of the cemetery. According 10 Ihe management. the revenues ge:nc:rated by burial services allow the cemetery to support itselffmancially and to make a profit. The primary purpose of the Memorial Park Cemetery is to serve the cemetery needs of residents and to serve as a histOric and open space resource for the City. 4. Addltionallssues for Municipal Cemeteries After consulting with the management at various municipal cemeteries and experts in the cemetery industry. two importanl issues were brought to staff's atreDtion: Cities do Dot have the necessarY elloertise in c"meterv plannilllz and manallcment to manal!C a financiallv viable cemeter\'. ' For example, cemetery management and operation often require specialized licenses, expertise in engineering, cemeterY financial planning, marketing, and product knowledge and differentiation. Therefon:, if the City chooses to acquire Memorial ("=dens, the City...ill have to outsource these functions to licensed ccmelenans or hire additional staff 10 operate the Cemetery. ~1.".""tO/l Mcmoro" Garde.. Cemctet)' Repul1 Page 14 of 16