Adams Cemetery Commission Questions Monument Inspections
ADAMS, Mass. — No money has been placed in the Cemetery Maintenance account over the past few months because contractors have not applied for permits for memorial foundation pouring.
Commission member Lawrence Clairmont told the Cemetery Commission on Thursday that for some reason, the three contractors who pour the memorial foundations are required to pay the $15 inspection permit. This money goes directly into the account.
"Last December, I questioned why no money was going into the maintenance account," Clairmont said. "I found out that no one has been inspecting the foundations."
The inspection is needed to make sure the foundations are deep enough. If they are not the state-mandated 4 feet deep, the stones can move.
Clairmont added that the town ran into this problem a few years ago because in the 1970s there were no inspections and some foundations only went a foot deep.
"You will see that stones are now tilted because the foundations are sinking into the ground," he said. "It is because of the frost, and the town spent money to correct some of the stones up there."
This lead to the commission adopting regulations mandating the inspection.
Clairmont said normally the contractor calls the cemetery and either the sexton or another cemetery worker performs the inspection. But the town no longer has a sexton.
Chairman Bruce Shepley said he will send letters out to contractors reminding them that they have to apply for permits and said he would contact the former sexton who now is the Department of Public Works director.
Clairmont added that he will not be seeking re-election this year after serving 18 years on the commission.
Shepley asked the commissioners to spread the word to interested residents.
"If you are looking for an introduction to government and you don't want t a lot of involvement but you want to feel like you are part of it the cemetery commission is a great place to start," he said. "Let's get the word out."
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