Cornell City Council - Cemetery Association is in need of some help
Located at the intersection of State Hwy. 178 and State Hwy. 64, Cornell’s Cemetery is in prime territory to draw onlookers, who enjoy visiting the history of the town’s residents. The spot is well-maintained by a dedicated cemetery association, but because of more cremations than new burial sites, financially, times are hard for the cemetery. Photo by Ginna Young
By Ginna Young
Since 1927, the Cornell Cemetery has served as a final resting place for loved ones of residents and while that’s still the case, burials are down, because of cremation, which is a lot cheaper for families. That has caused some financial difficulty for the Cornell Cemetery Association, which oversees and maintains the site.
That’s why the association approached the Cornell City Council Aug. 1, about contributing financially toward the upkeep of the cemetery and in other ways. For example, lawn maintenance alone costs about $10,000, per year, as anyone who provides services to the cemetery, must be fully licensed and insured.
Hence, the city could provide snow plowing. Asking for help wasn’t something the cemetery association wanted to do, but it’s estimated that they will continue to lose money each year, and the volunteer-run organization has cut expenses as much as they can.
If more funding avenues are not found, the cemetery may have to be “abandoned,” so, under state statutes, the city would be responsible for operating the site. To that end, as budget work season begins, the association requested that the city consider a minimum annual contribution of $2,500.
The council agreed to think about the matter when working on the budget. As the association members pointed out, the cemetery draws not only families visiting loved one’s graves, but also those passing by who see the well-maintained and scenic plots.
That’s something the association wants to see continue. “It is part of our community and we have to take care of it,” said association vice president Vikki Keller.
Council members also heard from resident Andrew Johnson, about how he would like to see the city’s curfew match what the park hours are. Currently, city parks are closed from 12-6 a.m., with the exception of an approved event.
Any person violating that, can be fined between $10 and $100. In terms of the curfew, no child 16 years of age or under, shall loiter, idle or remain after 10 p.m., and before 6 a.m., unless accompanied by an adult or on an errand of necessity/employment.
Johnson asked that the members consider changing the ordinance hours to match, as there are a number of cases happening recently, with juvenile runaways.
“I don’t by any means cast blame on the city or you all in this room, or on law enforcement,” said Johnson.
Johnson also asked that, as people of influence, council members begin conversations when appropriate, in the community, about the importance of communication between parents. For example, Johnson says if a child unexpectedly comes over to a house, a parent should make contact with the other parent(s), to make sure the child has permission to be there.
“And I think that having those kind of conversations…may be helpful,” said Johnson.
Members also heard back about the Bates Street Community Development Block Grant that was applied for, to repave the roadway, but the report wasn’t good.
“We were unsuccessful,” said mayor Mark Larson. “That’s not what I wanted to hear, but that’s what happened.”
Although Cornell was eligible for the grant, they did not score high enough in the evaluation to receive funding. However, if a municipality that was awarded money does not accept the funding, the city could be awarded the grant or the city can reapply next year.
Apparently, despite Cornell’s low income population, the city does not have enough revenue debt to impress the grant committee.
During the meeting, the council did act on the closure of Main Street and will allow consumption of alcohol, from Second to Third streets, from 4-11 p.m., for the planned ATV rally, Saturday, Aug. 24.
