Adams Cemetery Commission Recommends Fee Hikes
 The Cemetery Commission is recommending a raise in fees to bring them in line with other towns and ensure the cemetery can be properly maintained. |
ADAMS, Mass. — The Cemetery Commission is proposing increases to cemetery fees.
The Cemetery Commission met Thursday afternoon to discuss needed hikes in fees that would keep the town equal with other municipalities and help replenish the investment account.
The commission last changed fees in 2006; commissioners had developed a plan last month until they realized they were working off incorrect numbers.
Commissioner Lawrence Clairmont said there is nearly $1 million in future projects. These include paving, repairs and upgrades to the grounds.
"Last year, we spent $35,000 for paving and $1,500 on wall repairs," Clairmont said. "If we are only making between $5,000 and $8,000 a year on the sale of lots, we are eating away at what we have in the investment account, and if we keep doing that, in six years we will be broke."
Only the sale of lots goes into the investment account so the commission recommended larger increases.
The commission proposed a $100 per grave increase to each lot selection.
They proposed raising a single lot from $350 to $450 and a double lot from $700 to $900. They agreed to increase a four-grave lot from $1,400 to $1,800. They recommended a $50 increase for a half lot/cremation lot $250.
The commission decided to eliminate the sale of eight-grave lots.
In addition to the new burial fees, the commission made slight increases to interment fees.
Clairmont said the interment fees go into the town's general fund. With other increases in town fees, he sees no reason to dramatically raise them.
The commission decided to raise adult weekday burials by $25. This would bring the current $350 to $375.
Commissioner Robert Ciempa said he would prefer to increase the weekend and holiday interment fees a little more because the town loses money with the current prices.
"I was concerned about Saturday and the loss of money with time and a half," Ciempa said. "If anything I would rather see the weekend and holiday increase more than the weekday."
Ciempa recommended adding $50 to the current weekend price $575. This would bring the new weekend fee to $625, and the holiday fee from $600 to $650.
The commission applied the same philosophy toward cremation burials.
"It doesn't cost much to dig for a cremation, but it does on Saturday or Sunday, where we pay someone time and a half to be there for sometimes three hours," Clairmont said.
The commission proposed a $25 increase to weekday cremation burials. This brings the fee from $200 to $225.
Weekend interment fees were increased $50, bringing them from $225 to $275. Holiday fees were raised to $375.
The commissioners agreed to charge $150 for ground-thaw burials during the colder months only when the ground is frozen. They said the town was losing money because the thawing machine needs to be transported and fueled.
All perpetual care fees will remain the same.
"We have gone up very little because there is a lot of money in that account," Clairmont said. "If we are worried about the people here in Adams coming up with money to pay for everything, this is one thing we can leave alone and give them a break on."
The commission also decided to change the name of "infant burials" to "child burials" and defined "child" as ages 12 and under.
"I really didn't want to get into breaking down infant and child," Ciempa said. "I am more on the grieving part, and I think it wouldn't matter if the kid was 13 or 18. It's just tragic."
The commission agreed to add $35 across the board for all child interment fees.
They increased weekday burials from $90 to $125, weekends from $115 to $150, and holiday burials from $140 to $175.
The commissioners will forward their recommendations to the Board of Selectmen. If approved, the fees will go into place Jan. 1, 2015.
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