INNISFAIL – The town has updated its Cemetery Bylaw for the first time in eight years and there will be price increases for plots and the Perpetual Care Fund as well as new rules for ornaments and decorations at burial sites.
The proposed bylaw changes for the Innisfail Cemetery were initially brought to town council on Jan. 25, and first reading was given.
However, the town wanted some time for public notification and the bylaw was brought back to council on Feb. 22 and final readings were passed.
Meghan Jenkins, the town’s director of community services, said the biggest bylaw update change deal with the “clean up and tightening up” of rules around decorations and ornaments placed by headstones and the columbarium.
“It becomes an issue largely for our maintenance staff because they don’t want to break stuff,” said Jenkins. “They spend a lot of time moving all the ornaments, and then trying to weed whipper around headstones and having to put them back and not break anything. It becomes quite time consuming.”
As for fee changes, Jenkins said the town did comparisons with area cemeteries. She said there is an increase of between a $50 and $100 for most grave plots.
Jenkins added there are some price reductions for the columbarium.
However, the biggest price change is the fee increase for the Perpetual Care Fund (PCF), which is a charge that is included in every purchase within the cemetery and goes into the long-term fund for the maintenance.
“Increased rates, particularly perpetual care, will support the long-term sustainability of the cemetery,” said Jenkins’ report to council on Feb. 22. “If rate increases are approved, cost recovery and status of perpetual care fund will be improved.”
Council was told in January the cemetery was operating at a $6,000 annual loss, with the PCF unable to cover the shortfall and potentially leaving long-term care of the cemetery jeopardized.
As a result, the current $125 PCF fee per plot site will increase to $400.
As well, said Jenkins, the bylaw update addresses the inclusion of other internment options that could happen if the town goes ahead with the infill strategy for the cemetery, which could include the memorial wall, family urns, green burial and scattering gardens.
“Things that are not currently available in the cemetery but the bylaw creates the option for them to be created,” said Jenkins.
Council was also told the COVID pandemic has limited opportunities for planned public participation into proposed Cemetery Bylaw changes and Infill Design Plan.
Jenkins’ report said physical changes in the cemetery will not commence until the spring of 2022 at the earliest.
