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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.1Cemetery Policy POLICY Section Policy No. Page 2neekiU Cemetery 2-1 1 of 3 COUNTY Policy Title Date: Motion No, Cemetery Policy February 27, 2024 40/24 Purpose: Kneehill County shall have the sole control of all matters within cemeteries that are concerned with maintaining the grounds in a neat and pleasing condition, and to that end must regulate and control cemetery • grounds in accordance with Provincial statutes, regulations, and this policy. Policy Guidelines/Procedures CEMETERY PLOT RESTRICTIONS, RESPONSIBILTY AND MAINTANENCE REQUIREMENTS 1. Any deviation from the policy must only be done with the expressed written permission of the CAO or designate. 2. While Kneehill County will take reasonable precautions to protect the property of the owner, it assumes no responsibility for loss of or damage to any monument, marker or part thereof or any article of any type that may be placed on the plot; 3. All plots shall be opened and closed accounting for future settling and subsidence to be level with the adjacent ground surface through the funeral home and/or their recommend contractors. 4. Kneehill County must have a minimum of 72 hours' notice prior to any burials or monument placements, excluding weekends and holidays. 5. All applicable documentation and fees must be completed and paid in full prior to any burial or monument placement, as outlined in the Master Rates Bylaw. 6. All plots and monuments must be marked by authorized County staff prior to their burial or placement. 7. Only the funeral home, memorial service or contractors there of may place monuments in compliance with the other requirements of this policy. S. No plot shall contain more than two (2) dead human bodies and four(4) sets of cremated remains. 9. Each Interment in Grave Lot shall provide for not less than 0.9 (3 ft.) of earth between the general surface level of the ground at the Grave Lot and the upper surface level of the casket containing the human remains. 10. Each Interment of cremated remains, in an area so designated, shall provide for not less than 0.3 (1 ft) of earth between the general surface level of the ground at the Grave Lot and the upper surface level of the container. 11. All double depth interments will require a concrete outer receptacle, or liner, for the lower interment. 12. Vegetation: a. No person shall plant any tree, shrub or herbaceous perennial or annual inside or outside any plot.All permitted plantings within the cemetery grounds shall be the responsibility of Kneehill County; POLICY Section Policy No. Page Cemetery 2-1 2 of 3 Policy Title Date: Motion No. Cemetery Policy February 27, 2024 40/24 b. No person shall tamper with or remove any flowers, plant, trees or monuments located within the cemetery nor touch any monument nor any fence or other structure belonging to the cemetery; c. Cut flowers shall be removed from plots by Kneehill County Staff as soon as they become wilted or unsightly and persons wishing to retain same must remove them within forty- eight (48) hours after internment. 13. The responsibility for straightening, fixing, or replacing grave covers and headstones is to remain that of the family. In the event a family member cannot be located,the County will proceed with the necessary maintenance work. 14. Artificial flowers, wreaths,glass vases, or other removable mementos shall be monitored and/or removed at the discretion of Kneehill County staff should they begin to deteriorate or become a significant maintenance problem. Once objects are removed they will be retained for 30 days so the owner has time to claim them. 15. Maintenance will comply with the requirements of all Provincial Statutes and regulations where at a minimum shall consist of mowing grass, trimming trees, repairing and painting fences and filling plot subsidence and settling as necessary to keep the grass growing and for public safety. 16. Kneehill County with Council approval may complete,for a fee as per the Master Rates Bylaw, annual grounds maintenance, which shall consist of general cemetery mowing operations.This may be offered only to those organizations who retain title to their cemeteries, and have formally requested Council for such assistance. 17. Kneehill County reserves the right to alter its regulations set out in this policy. DISINTERMENT 1. No human remains or cremated remains shall be Disinterred from Cemetery unless the County: a. has received written request for Disinterment from the funeral home in compliance with the Cemeteries Act, R.S.A. 2000, c. C-3 and all amendments thereto and regulations passed thereunder; b. has received payment of all applicable Fees and Charges as per the Master Rates Bylaw; and c. has received proof of a Disinterment Permit in accordance with Section 42 of the Vital Statistics Act from the Authorized Person. 2. The funeral home requesting Disinterment on behalf of the Authorized family representative shall provide the County complete and precise written instructions under which the disinterment is to be performed. 3. The County shall not be liable nor responsible for any errors or omissions in relation to Disinterment. 4. No casket, container or shroud may be opened without a Court Order or the written consent of the Authorized family representative and the funeral home. 401111111.1.11111.111116L-- POLICY Section Policy No. Page Cemetery 2-1 3 of 3 • Policy Title Date: Motion No. Cemetery Policy February 27, 2024 40/24 5. No Disinterment shall be made of the first Interment from any double depth Grave Lot in which second Interment has been made, unless the second Interment is disinterred at the same time at fee as specified in the Master Rates Bylaw. 6. The County is not responsible for damage to any casket, urn or other container sustained during Disinterment 7. A replacement casket/container may be required when Disinterring remains,the cost of which shall be payable by the Authorized family representative. S. The Authorized family representative shall be responsible for all costs associated with Disinterment. 9. Notwithstanding the aforementioned, it is possible during cemetery maintenance, plot opening, and disinterment activities, that human remains may be encountered, given that the Cemetery lands may have been used as pioneer cemeteries. In that event, and assuming no record of the decedent exists, remains shall be respectfully relocated to location prepared and designated on the site for the purposes of re-interring remains that are unexpectedly encountered. SCATTERING OF CREMATED REMAINS 10. Cremated remains shall be: a. permitted on the surface of the Cemetery in designated areas as approved by the CAO or Designate; b. covered with ground cover by the CAO or Designate; and c. non-recoverable. 11. If all cremated remains are not scattered, the remaining cremated remains shall be interred in a plot purchased by the family, without container or in biodegradable urn minimum of.3 (1 ft) below the general surface level of the ground. The records f6 cemeteries will comply with the guidelines outlined in our Records Management Policy. ki/L Ken Ki d Mike Haugen, Reeve CAO Approved: May 13, 2014 Amended: June 12, 2018 Amended: August 16, 2022 257/22 Approved: February 27, 2024 40/24 Review Date: February 27, 2028 00111111111.1.1.11111.1