HomeMy WebLinkAboutMarch 16, 2022 (2) 7'4 AIC4:U C
ro CLEF .
NANTUCKET CEMETERY COMMISSION 2� ���
Posted Meeting of March 16,2022,at 2:00 pm 52= 20
Virtual Meeting via Zoom Video Conference
FINAL AND APPROVED MINUTES
Attendance: Commissioners: Frances Karttunen, Scott McIver.Allen Reinhard(Chair), Lee
Saperstein, and Barbara White;Ken Beaugrand,Real Estate Specialist(left at 2:08 pm), Charles
Polachi, Manager,Parks and Recreation(DPW),Phyllis Ruguaru,DPW Office Manager.
1. Call to Order.
Chair Allen Reinhard called the meeting to order at 2:04 pm. He apologized again for the
delayed meeting time. He reminded participants that the session was being recorded. A roll-call
of attendees showed that a quorum existed.
2. Public and Commissioner Comments.
There were no public comments. Allen Reinhard introduced Charlie Polachi,Parks and
Recreation Manager, and asked him to tell the commissioners about himself. Charlie turned
quickly to his role with the Town's cemeteries where he will act for Stephen Arceneaux,DPW
Director and Cemetery Administrator,which is why he was sitting in on this meeting. He will
oversee maintenance of the public cemeteries and would welcome any input that we can give to
him. Lee Saperstein said that, from time to time,the Commission visits the cemeteries to create
a list of needed maintenance; the DPW has the most recent one.
3. Approval of Minutes from February 9,2022.
Barbara White moved, Frances Karttunen seconded, and the Commission unanimously approved
the minutes from the meeting of February 9, 2022. The vote was by roll call.
4. Polpis Cemetery Latest Developments,Ken Beaugrand.
Ken Beaugrand,Real Estate Specialist,noting that he had another meeting to which he needed to
go, asked if he could speak out of order. This rearrangement was approved by acclamation. He
went on to say that the Town's attorney was ready now to pursue with the State the Home-Rule
Petition previously approved by Town Meeting to make final the land swap at Polpis Cemetery.
The paperwork is in order and we should see the petition in the next few weeks. Allen Reinhard
added that, having sold over 100 lots,there are only 19 vacant lots at Polpis and that we will
soon need to layout more. If the paperwork shows the exact boundaries of lands to be swapped,
the Town should be able to do a recordable survey that can be filed just as soon as approval is
granted.
5. Approval of Lot Sales Since Last Meeting.
There were no lot sales in the last month,hence none to be approved.
1
6. Monument Restoration Project Report Discussion and Next Steps.
Allen Reinhard reported that the monument restoration consultants (Richard Grubb and
Associates)had entered into their report all of the corrections supplied by commissioners and by
Holly Backus,Preservation Planner with PLUS. She has a copy of the final report, as does the
Town, and the Cemetery Commission. The corrections were to the written introductory text;the
over 500 pages of appendices detailing conditions monument by monument is the important part
of the report. These condition reports are for those monuments that are in need of preservation,
also referred to as conservation, and, in a few cases, restoration in the five cemeteries surveyed:
Historic Coloured Cemetery,New North Cemetery,Newtown Cemetery, Old North Cemetery,
and the Quaker Cemetery. Monument conditions were rated from 1 to 3 (the worst case).
During a discussion of the need for a cost estimate that can be used for budgeting purposes, Scott
McIver received a text from the consultants providing a cemetery by cemetery estimate of costs.
The total was almost$618 thousand with a subtotal given for each of the five cemeteries. With a
shift of the conversation to the Town's need to issue a request for bids(RFB), Allen Reinhard
said that he would seek advice from the Finance Department on how best to proceed. Given the
size of the project, it was clear that three qualified bidders would be needed. Scott McIver said
that he could provide names of companies in addition to the consultants, who have already said
that they would like to do the work. Commissioners also discussed the order in which
monuments should be preserved, cemetery by cemetery or by condition: all state 1,then 2,then
3. There was general agreement that proceeding cemetery by cemetery matched both the
estimates from the consultant and would present to the public clear evidence of the work being
done. If this were to be the case, Frances Karttunen suggested that Newtown Cemetery should
be first. The availability of Community Preservation grant funds would be sought from the
Finance Department as well as advice on writing a statement of work for an RFB; it was clear, a
request for a Town appropriation for the balance would be needed and the project may need to
proceed in phases so as to match available funds. Allen Reinhard expects to have enough
information by the Commission's next meeting to call for a formal motion to proceed with the
RFB.
Incidentally, said Allen Reinhard, he has noted substantial interest in this project from the
Town's Administration. -ction Allen Reinhard to meetf ika.7Moor ey, Operations
dministrator,464 theFace Department'saprocurementlp ctalist,to determine the specifics
of the Commission si �n reatin a` ]
7. Black Cemetery Network.
Allen Reinhard asked if there was anything new to report on the Black Cemetery Network. Lee
Saperstein said that there was not but that our inclusion provides recognition of Nantucket's role
in preserving Black history. Frances Karttunen said that she had watched a video of their last
meeting where it was clear that many Black cemeteries had been lost to re-development and that
the Network was providing support for their identification. Lee Saperstein volunteered to
provide information on the Network to the Town's Cultural and DEI departments [Action 4
S perste n to, end3 once of membership to tl es Departmettts,olCulture art Tourism and DEIa]
2
8. Old,New, Other Business,and Cemetery Issues Update.
When Allen Reinhard asked for comments on Old,New, and Other Business, Frances Karttunen
said that we should discuss plans for inurnment of the eight unclaimed cremains held in the
Town Clerk's Office and, also,the Quaise Memorial dedication. She felt that the best time for
both of those would be a Sunday in May. Lee Saperstein added that the DPW would be doing
the work and that we should check with them if a Sunday added cost to the procedure. Charlie
Polachi said that he would check with Nick Duarte on digging the holes. Scott McIver said that
Neil Paterson, Inc. would be providing a stone for the eight inurnments and that he would bring a
draft wording for this stone to the next meeting. Maintenance of the Quaise Asylum Burial
Ground,new corner fences and brush cutting, brought up a question on the status of signage to
which Allen Reinhard said that directional signs are in place. The DPW will work with the
Conservation Foundation to see how best to get their equipment back to the burial ground. .
Frances Karttunen thought that Sunday,May 22nd would be a good date to target for both events.
[Action Allen Reinhard to make a formal request t�PW for necessary work orders and to
nform:the Nantucket Conservation Foundation of the dedication plans atQuaise :Charlie
Polachi to visit the burial ground and work with=`j7PW`:staff on new fencing and brush cutting
In anticipation of adjournment, commissioners asked if we would meet in person or by Zoom.
The response was that this will depend upon scheduling set by the Town. If we can use the DPW
conference room, it may well be in person.
9. Adjournment came by consensus at 3:04 pm.
Next regular meeting: Wednesday,April 13,2022, at 3:00 pm by Zoom Video
Conferencing. If regular face-to-face meetings resume,a notice will be sent with the
agenda for the April meeting. The Zoom link remains the same.
Respectfully submitted: ;Date:
Lee W. Saperstein, Secretary
Nantucket Cemetery Projects List.
Cemetery monument condition survey.
Consolidation of lots at Newtown Cemetery with recordable ground survey.
Split rail fence at Polpis Cemetery.
Survey to lay out additional lots at Polpis.
Toe and lot corner markers for new Polpis lots when laid out.
Dedication of new monument at Quaise Asylum Burial Ground.
Fencing at the Historic Coloured Cemetery.
Fencing and brush removal at New and Old North Cemeteries.
3