SR 06:203 - Laserfiche WebLink

non-profit and is interested in preserving the cemetery. It has asked the City to acquire the site, and maintain and operate it with its assistance. A preliminary report was presented to Council on May 2, 2006. At that time, Council directed staff to collect additional information and develop specific ownership options for further consideration. Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council: BACKGROUND The Pleasanton Memorial Cemetery (Cemetery) is an approximately five-acre site located at 5780 Sunol Blvd. in Pleasanton. The Cemetery was owned and operated by the International Order of Odd Fellows Pleasanton Lodge #255 until the Lodge disbanded in 1999. At that time, the Livermore Lodge #219 became the owner and trustee of the site. The cemetery is a non-endowment cemetery meaning funds have not been collected to provide for the site's continued maintenance. As a result, the site has been maintained to minimal standards - irrigation is sporadic and done by hand; trees have not been pruned; roadways have not been maintained. Family members of those buried at the site have periodically lodged complaints with the City about the Cemetery's poor appearance. While the City discussed these concerns with the property's owners, the condition and maintenance of the Cemetery is a private contractual matter between the Cemetery's owners (the Odd Fellows) and the gravesite owners or their descendents. The City's primary role has been related to weed abatement managed by the Livermore-Pleasanton Fire Department. Several years ago, one of these concerned family members started a community group to advocate for the preservation and care of the Cemetery. The group incorporated in 2005 as the Pleasanton Pioneer Cemetery, Inc. (Pioneers) and is now a non-profit organization. Initially the Pioneers wanted to purchase and operate the Cemetery but research revealed a number of significant State regulations with which they would have to comply including retaining the services of a certified cemetery operator and funding an endowment fund with a minimum of $100,000. However, further research revealed that these same regulations do not apply to cemeteries owned by municipalities. In addition, the Pioneers learned that Catholic Funeral & Cemetery Servicesl (CFCS) might be interested in contracting for operations and record keeping if the City was interested in acquiring the site. CFCS has the expertise necessary for the full range of services needed to fulfill existing burial commitments including maintenance of the required records. Based on the above, the Pioneers have requested the City acquire the site. I CFCS is affiliated with the Oakland Diocese of the Catholic Church and S1. Augustine's Cemetery located adjacent to Pleasanton Memorial Gardens Cemetery. SR 06:203 Page 2