Parks and Recreation Department Staff is working closely with consultant, E. Lees and Associates, to gather baseline historic data on grave sales, expenses, and revenue for the cemetery. Tracking burial activity, labor costs, and forecasting trends will provide clear recommendations for decision making as the operational and financial future of the cemetery is planned. To date, the consultants have visited and inventoried the site and conducted a kickoff meeting with City staff to gain their perspective on existing operational successes, challenges, and potential areas to improve. In addition, an external stakeholders meeting with death-care industry members in the area, neighboring municipal and county government representatives, and other business-related entities that share an interest in the ongoing care of the cemetery was also held.
A public forum is anticipated to be held in mid-November, the intent of that meeting will be gleaning feedback from grave owners, recreational users of the cemetery, and other interested parties from the community. Concurrently, an online questionnaire will be made available in October to capture feedback from individuals unable to attend the forum.
