AGENDA #5d
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to: |
Roger Stancil, Town Manager |
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from: |
Lance Norris, Public Works Director Butch Kisiah, Parks and Recreation Director |
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subject: |
Response to a Petition Concerning Establishment of a Chapel Hill Cemetery Advisory Board |
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DATE: |
January 28, 2008 |
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The purpose of this report is to respond to a citizen petition requesting the establishment of a Chapel Hill Cemetery Advisory Board.
On January 12, 2004, the Council appointed members to the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery Task Force. This Task Force met during the spring and summer of 2004 and at the completion of their work provided a list of recommendations to the Council on October 11, 2004. On November 8, 2004 a Public Forum was held to solicit input on these recommendations. On December 6, 2004 the Council adopted Resolutions authorizing the use of available funds for specific improvement projects and referring the issue of a possible role in overseeing future Cemetery improvement projects to the Town’s Historic District Commission. On November 11, 2007, the Council received a petition from Mr. Steven Moore requesting establishment of a Chapel Hill Cemetery Advisory Board (attachment 1).
Cemetery improvements authorized by the Town Council are implemented by the Town staff. When new capital improvement projects are proposed at the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery, detailed project plans are taken to the Town’s Historic District Commission for a courtesy review prior to implementation. In August 2006, the Historic District Commission reviewed the plans for restoration of the Di-Phi Societies’ fences. We anticipate that the Historic District Commission will review the detailed plans for new signage and a new interpretive exhibit in March of this year. As with all Town advisory boards and commissions, the Historic District Commission’s meetings are open to the public and the agendas are posted on the Town’s website and advertised in local newspapers.
We believe that the existing Historic District Commission is a valuable asset to the community and an appropriate venue for review of proposed capital improvement projects at the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery. We believe that the expertise Historic District Commission members provide in oversight of projects is consistent with the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery’s status on the National Register of Historic Places. We believe the current Historic District Commission’s courtesy review process assures that the projects the Town undertakes at the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery are appropriate and successful.
In addition to the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery, the Town owns and maintains Memorial Cemetery and the much smaller West Chapel Hill Cemetery and Barbee Cemetery. Memorial Cemetery is an actively expanding cemetery with different maintenance and improvement challenges than are faced at the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery. We believe the staff has been generally successful at meeting the challenges presented at these cemeteries within the funding and resources available.
We believe the existing Historic District Commission is the appropriate citizen advisory board to review capital improvement projects at the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery. We believe that ongoing maintenance at all Town cemeteries is an operational issue that involves balancing competing needs for limited Town resources and that it is best administered by the Town Manager. We do not recommend the establishment of a new citizen advisory board at this time.
1. Petition from Mr. Steven Moore dated November 9, 2007 (p. 3).