Cemetery Commission Meeting Minutes 3.19.26

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GUILFORD CEMETERY COMMISSION MEETING

THURSDAY 19 MARCH 2026  9:30 a.m.

GUILFORD TOWN OFFICE

Cemetery Commissioners Present:

Nancy Detra, Eric Morse, Carol Schnabel

Absent:

Kyle Parker, Eric Feindel

Call to Order:

The meeting was called to order at 9:35 a.m.

Recognition of Public:

Elly Majonen was welcomed to our meeting.

Approval of Minutes:

The February minutes were approved as submitted.

Old Business:

Blanchard Tree:

Elly brought documents for the commissioners to review and sign regarding the financing of the tree removal at Blanchard Cemetery.  She is authorized to use money from the Warren Wilder Fund as well as funds already in the cemetery budget. 

We need to discuss if we want to do stump grinding.  If so, that would be later in the summer and would be part of the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, 2026.

Thanks to Elly for figuring this out.  Eric will make sure to have the invoice for the current work submitted by Thursday, March 20. 

Eric took photos of the tree before the work started and he and Nancy stopped up there before our meeting.  The crew is also documenting the work so we should get pictures from them afterwards.  Kyle moved things that were in the way before the crew arrived.  The crew is being very careful and laying mats on the ground as an extra precaution.  They will pile wood on cemetery property in an out of the way place that Eric designated.

911 Addresses:  The Fire Department can provide either horizontal or vertical signs – $20 per sign.  Carol will talk to Kyle about this.

Temporary marker:  Nancy will check to see what the family has in mind.

Guilford Gazette:  Eric will submit some photos and Nancy will write a short piece about the tree work at Blanchard Cemetery.

New Business:

Carol reviewed the documents that had been created and updated and will send those to the Town Clerk for their files.  The documents include contact information of Cemetery Commissioners and others who are connected with the work we do, contact information for the private cemeteries in town, and the basic information when someone is interested in purchasing a gravesite and arranging for a burial. 

We recognized the many years that Verandah spent on the Cemetery Commission and then continued to attend our meetings as a liaison from the Selectboard.  Thank you Verandah.

We also remembered Gerry Baker who passed away in January and was a longtime member of the Cemetery Commission.  Among other things he did, he took care of the Blanchard Cemetery for many years. 

Adjournment:

The meeting was adjourned at 10:25 a.m.

NEXT MEETING:  Thursday  April 16, 2026  9:30 a.m. Blanchard Cemetery