Prior to any interment or disinterment, a burial permit must be obtained from the city clerk, providing name, age, sex, race, date of death, place of death, cause of death, date of interment or disinterment, and the number of the lot or part of lot on which the interment is to be made. All interments and disinterment’s shall be made after payment of the proper fee and under the supervision of the City Superintendent, which is the designated Sexton in charge of the city cemeteries. No interment of any body other than that of a human being shall be permitted in the cemetery.

(Ord. 829; Code 2016)

(a)   It is prohibited for any person, other than as authorized by the Governing Body, to plant any shrubs, bushes, flowers, trees, or other plant material anywhere in any city owned cemetery or on any cemetery lot. The Sexton shall have the right without notice to trim, prune and/or remove all trees and shrubbery as necessary.

(b)   The city assumes no responsibility for plants or flower arrangements or any other items. No glass containers are permitted. Winter decorations are permitted to be placed between November 1 and March 1, but must be removed by March 2. If not removed, the city will remove them without notice to any person who placed them there, or the owner of the lot where the same were placed. All flowers and decorations set out for Memorial Day shall be removed and discarded by the Sexton on the seventh day after Memorial Day.

(c)   Hanging plants and other decoration may be displayed on “shepherd hooks” or similar device placed directly next to (touching) or attached to the monument or headstone but shall not be positioned to interfere with maintenance of the cemetery, nor shall any part of the hanging plants or decorations be made of glass. A maximum of one shepherd’s hook per grave is permitted.

(d)   Items placed on a grave prior to the placement of a monument or headstone will be permitted for a period not to exceed six months following the date of burial. If not removed by that date, the city will remove all items. The city will also remove any items found to interfere with maintenance of the cemetery.

(e)   Permitted decorations shall not include containers of cereal malt or alcoholic beverage, any obscene items or words, weapons of any type, or any illegal substances or paraphernalia.

(Ord. 829; Code 2016)

Cemetery lots or any part of any lot, located within a city cemetery shall be conveyed by a deed. Transfer of lots is permitted upon notification to the City Clerk.

(Ord. 829; Code 2016)

All caskets shall be enclosed in a vault, which shall be constructed of concrete or metal. It is the responsibility of the funeral home to make arrangement for the tent and chairs to be delivered and set up.

(Ord. 829; Code 2016)

(a)   The face of all markers, monuments and headstones within the city cemeteries shall be set true and square and shall be set inside of an area of five feet long by two feet wide at the head of each grave space. All monuments and markers shall be granite, marble, or granite and marble composition of approved standard quality, or brass. All monuments shall be erected and located in accordance with the administrative regulations.

(b)   Above ground mausoleums are allowed but must be centered within four grave spaces.

(c)   Stepping stones shall not be permitted unless the stone is made of the material required for monuments and headstones and used in place of a monument or headstone with an appropriate foundation and a permit obtained for its installation and shall not exceed length and placement requirements set forth in this Section.

(d)   Permanent vases above ground are permitted only when attached to or made a part of the monument or headstone.

(e)   Benches are permitted when made a part of the monument and constructed of the same material required for a monument or headstone. Benches integrated with the monument or headstone shall only be at the head of the grave and cannot exceed the dimensions set forth in this Section.

(f)   No walkways, boxes, fences, edging material, mulch material, gravel, chairs, settees, structures or other materials or items of any kind shall be permitted. Any item placed on a grave in violation of these prohibitions shall be removed by the city without notice.

(Ord. 829; Code 2016)

(a)   The owner of the lot where headstones, monuments, or benches are placed will be responsible for maintenance of the same, with the exception of damage caused by the city or where owners cannot be located and the damage to the stone is a safety or maintenance issue.

(b)   All foot stones should be flush with the ground. Temporary funeral home metal markers will be removed after one year.

(Ord. 829; Code 2016)

(a)   It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously injure, mar, deface, destroy, or remove without permission any headstone, monument, marker, or decoration on any cemetery lot. This prohibition does not apply to the cemetery Sexton, or anyone authorized by the Sexton, in the performance of maintenance duties.

(b)   It shall be unlawful to disturb or molest any grave. This prohibition does not apply to the cemetery Sexton, or anyone authorized by the Sexton, in the performance of maintenance duties.

(c)   It shall be unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle in the cemetery faster than 10 m.p.h.

(d)   No person shall use the cemetery grounds or any driveway therein as a public thoroughfare.

(e)   No person or persons with refreshment merchandise for sale, unauthorized firearms, or dogs shall be permitted to enter the cemetery or to be therein.

(Ord. 829; Code 2016)

Any person violating any provision of this Chapter shall upon conviction in the Municipal Court be fined a sum not less than $100 and not more than $1,000. In addition to the fine imposed, the Court may sentence the defendant to imprisonment in the county jail for a period not to exceed 30 days. Each day that a violation of this Chapter continues shall be deemed a separate offense.

(Ord. 829; Code 2016)

Any reasonable costs incurred by the City in enforcing this article shall be charged against the owner of the lot that is in violation of this article, or the person who committed the violation. Such costs shall be collected by the City Clerk.

(Ord. 829; Code 2016)