TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Katerri Johnson, City Clerk
THROUGH: Mark R. Lauzier, City Manager
DATE: February 6, 2018
Title
RESOLUTION NO. 07-18: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING RESOLUTION NO. 50-12 AND APPROVING THE ATTACHED UPDATED RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE DELRAY BEACH MEMORIAL GARDENS MUNICIPAL CEMETERY.
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Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Motion to approve Resolution No. 07-18 and the attached updated Rules and Regulations for the Delray Beach Memorial Gardens Municipal Cemetery.
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Background:
The City of Delray Beach (City) owns and operates a 38.7 acre public cemetery at 700 SW 8th Avenue, Delray Beach, which is at the northwest corner of SW 10th Street and SW 8th Avenue. In 1902, the Ladies Improvement Association (Association) of the Town of Linton was given five (5) acres of land by Frederick S. Dewey, agent of Henry M. Flagler's Model Land Company, to be used for a cemetery. A few months later, the Association bought an additional adjoining 2-½ acres and, in September 1903, they incorporated it as Pine Ridge Cemetery. It was located southwest of the settlement between SW Sixth Street on the north, SW Eighth Avenue on the east and SW Seventh Street on the south. Money from the sale of lots was used to maintain the cemetery. Linton was incorporated as the Town of Delray in 1911. Three years later, the Association deeded Pine Ridge Cemetery to the Town, which took over its operation and maintenance. Delray became Delray Beach in 1927 and Pine Ridge Cemetery came to be called Delray Beach Cemetery. In 1995, the City greatly expanded the cemetery and changed the name to Delray Beach Memorial Gardens, though the original section is still called Pine Ridge.
The duties and responsibilities of the Delray Beach Memorial Gardens Municipal Cemetery is shared by two City departments. The administrative duties are performed by the City Clerk's Office to include the intake of families at the time of funeral planning, the selling of available lots, plots, crypts, niches, mausoleum space, etc. and the issuance of Certificate of Ownership/Deeds for grave ownership while the Parks and Recreation Department is responsible for probing to confirm available grave space, verification of available mausoleums, on-site graveside services and openings and closings for in-ground burials. This division of responsibility has caused cemetery operations to become confusing and cumbersome so the proposed changes to the attached Administrative Policies and Procedures for Cemetery Operations reflects operations being performed by a single City Department, Parks and Recreation, which will assume all duties and responsibilities as is outlined in Administrative Policy CC-2.
The summary of the proposed changes are as follows:
• Parks and Recreation Department will be responsible for the Sale of services, Lots, Plots, Crypts, and Niches
• Parks and Recreation Department will be responsible for Interment/Disinterment Procedures and Guidelines
• Parks and Recreation will be responsible for Record Maintenance and Inventory Control
The attached Resolution will become effective immediately upon passage and adoption.
City Attorney Approval
The Rules and Regulations have been reviewed for legal sufficiency.
Funding Source/Financial Impact:
N/A