New Town of Lancaster Department

[TTDeathInLan]

For those of you who have not heard the news, the town now owns the former Lancaster Rural Cemetary. This is due to state law/regulations which madate that the town must take over the ownership and control of abandoned cemetaries within the township. We will be proactive and take the high road in this new town enterprise. We will start at the top.

1. The town supervisor will receive an additional stipend of 10,000 dollars a year for being director of town cemetaries.

2. The supervisor of parks, recreation, senior citizens center, etc will now also supervise the town division of cemetaries and receive an additional 5.000 dollars per year for the added responsibilities.

3. The supervisor of parks, recreation, senior center and cemetaries will be overburdened with all these tasks, He will hire the recently removed, "working crew chief" of the town highway department. The parks............. supervisor will hold a press conference for anyone who will listen, that the recently removed crew chief is the ideal person to run the day to day operation of the new town cemetary. Probably due to the fact that as a laborer in the laborer's union he dug ditches. Whats a grave, but a short ditch. Right?

4. The ex-working crew chief decides, he is too old to get his hands dirty. He hires 4 laborers at 50,000 dollars a year + benefits=80,000 dollars a year, to maintain the cemetary.

5. A local housing developer wants the state to sign off on all new graves as being, "condo's" for the tax break. Justification is why should town taxpayers be, "TAXED TO DEATH"

6. The supervisor announces next fall that taxes will be going up due to the new division of town cemetaries and the taxpayers demand services.

7. WHY DID THE TOWN NOT OFFER A GRANT TO THE LANCASTER RURAL CEMETARY ASSOCIATION, AND SAVE THE TAXPAYERS SOME MONEY?

[therising]

7. WHY DID THE TOWN NOT OFFER A GRANT TO THE LANCASTER RURAL CEMETARY ASSOCIATION, AND SAVE THE TAXPAYERS SOME MONEY?

If they did that, there would have been a thread on here titled "Why the hell did the Town give a grant to the Cemetery?"

Besides, a one-time influx of money wouldn't have done any good when you've got years of care-giving, and no (or very little) income.

[therising]

What they should do here, is ask for volunteers. I'd be willing to put in a few Saturdays a year digging weeds.

[TTDeathInLan]

Are you going to volunteer in the middle of January, when it's 0 degrees outside, to dig a grave? I don't think so. Cemetaries don't pull weeds. Most people are totally unaware of what it takes to operate and maintain a cemetary.

Here's the deal,

1. grounds need to be maintained. In the spring-summer-fall the grass has to be cut, rain or shine, the customers demand it.

2. in the winter, the roads have to be plowed, the visitors will demand it.

3. someone will have to manage it. Who will you call if a loved one passes away and the decesed will be buried at Lancaster rural. Some volunteer who pulls weeds. I don't think so.

4. employees will be needed to do the following: maintain the grounds, dig graves, haul dirt from graves, set up and take down gravesites, equipment, equipment, equipment, did I mention equipment? You will need a backhoe, trucks, casket lowering devices . hand tools, large grasscutting equipment, stuff to remove leaves in the fall. I hope you get the idea.

5. a whole new town political dumping ground, with the justification of 1-4 above. When asked, the supervisor will state that the state made me do it.

6. When all is said and done, the town would be cheaper off to give a yearly grant to the present association to maintain the cemetary.

[concernedwnyer]

For those of you who have not heard the news, the town now owns the former Lancaster Rural Cemetary. This is due to state law/regulations which madate that the town must take over the ownership and control of abandoned cemetaries within the township. We will be proactive and take the high road in this new town enterprise. We will start at the top.

1. The town supervisor will receive an additional stipend of 10,000 dollars a year for being director of town cemetaries.

2. The supervisor of parks, recreation, senior citizens center, etc will now also supervise the town division of cemetaries and receive an additional 5.000 dollars per year for the added responsibilities.

3. The supervisor of parks, recreation, senior center and cemetaries will be overburdened with all these tasks, He will hire the recently removed, "working crew chief" of the town highway department. The parks............. supervisor will hold a press conference for anyone who will listen, that the recently removed crew chief is the ideal person to run the day to day operation of the new town cemetary. Probably due to the fact that as a laborer in the laborer's union he dug ditches. Whats a grave, but a short ditch. Right?

4. The ex-working crew chief decides, he is too old to get his hands dirty. He hires 4 laborers at 50,000 dollars a year + benefits=80,000 dollars a year, to maintain the cemetary.

5. A local housing developer wants the state to sign off on all new graves as being, "condo's" for the tax break. Justification is why should town taxpayers be, "TAXED TO DEATH"

6. The supervisor announces next fall that taxes will be going up due to the new division of town cemetaries and the taxpayers demand services.

7. WHY DID THE TOWN NOT OFFER A GRANT TO THE LANCASTER RURAL CEMETARY ASSOCIATION, AND SAVE THE TAXPAYERS SOME MONEY?

Dead corpses on their hands... Hmmmm how fitting.

[pudge]

concerned quote: Dead corpses on their hands... Hmmmm how fitting.

?????????????????

[therising]

Which cemetery is this, anyway? It's not the big one on Cemetery Road, is it? I thought it was a little thing?

[pudge]

therising: Which cemetery is this, anyway? It's not the big one on Cemetery Road, is it? I thought it was a little thing?

Yes, it is the one on Cemetery Road.

[Enough]

Are you going to volunteer in the middle of January, when it's 0 degrees outside, to dig a grave? I don't think so. Cemetaries don't pull weeds. Most people are totally unaware of what it takes to operate and maintain a cemetary.

Here's the deal,

1. grounds need to be maintained. In the spring-summer-fall the grass has to be cut, rain or shine, the customers demand it.

2. in the winter, the roads have to be plowed, the visitors will demand it.

3. someone will have to manage it. Who will you call if a loved one passes away and the decesed will be buried at Lancaster rural. Some volunteer who pulls weeds. I don't think so.

4. employees will be needed to do the following: maintain the grounds, dig graves, haul dirt from graves, set up and take down gravesites, equipment, equipment, equipment, did I mention equipment? You will need a backhoe, trucks, casket lowering devices . hand tools, large grasscutting equipment, stuff to remove leaves in the fall. I hope you get the idea.

5. a whole new town political dumping ground, with the justification of 1-4 above. When asked, the supervisor will state that the state made me do it.

6. When all is said and done, the town would be cheaper off to give a yearly grant to the present association to maintain the cemetary.

How long has it been abandoned?

Who maintained it last year?

Where did the equipment go that was there? Did the owners sell everything off and just leave?

Why does the town have to bury anyone at the cemetery? I thought the law stated the Town has to MAINTAIN the cemetery, not operate it.

[therising]

How long has it been abandoned?

Who maintained it last year?

Where did the equipment go that was there? Did the owners sell everything off and just leave?

Why does the town have to bury anyone at the cemetery? I thought the law stated the Town has to MAINTAIN the cemetery, not operate it.

Good questions. Surprisingly, no one here has an answer.

[pudge]

Originally Posted by Enough
How long has it been abandoned?

It was not abandoned. It was a matter of time when bankruptcy would occur and the State determined it could no longer be managed in the fashion it was. As such, the MUNICIPALITY has to take over the operations.

The town had been giving the cemetery a $5,000 grant for the past several years to help keep the ownership out of their hands. Giza had said on numerous occasions that "the town did not want to be in the cemetery business.

Who maintained it last year?

Reverand John Swanson managed the books, there were volunteers and one groundskeeper who earned under $40,000 per year.

Where did the equipment go that was there? Did the owners sell everything off and just leave?

Whatever equipment was there remains there.

Why does the town have to bury anyone at the cemetery? I thought the law stated the Town has to MAINTAIN the cemetery, not operate it?

For now, the town now controls the cemetery operation and all that comes with it.

Good questions. Surprisingly, no one here has an answer.

There are a lot of people who could have answered this, and probably much better. However, all this information was in the Bee and the Buffalo News.

Of course, most of the discussion on this matter took place at the Town Board work sessions and regular meetings - events attended by very few town residents.

[4248]

Why does the town have to bury anyone at the cemetery? I thought the law stated the Town has to MAINTAIN the cemetery, not operate it.

Wow ! They usually just use anonymous flyer's , legal connections , personal slander , and rumors - now they can actually bury someone!

I vote no unmarked grave-sites be allowed !




Boo Hooo Ha Ha

[therising]

Is this an active cemetery, that is still taking new "arrivals?"

[Foot Fungus]

Originally Posted by therising

Is this an active cemetery, that is still taking new "arrivals?"

Yep. New "arrivals" all the time, or would they be considered "departures"?

Either way, it's active, with much room set for the future "arrivals" that you would figure in some part are pre-sold.

___________________________________

"It's a perfect example of you need to get out and vote because all your votes count".
Mark Montour- Democratic, Republican, Independence, Conservative and Working Families parties candidate for Lancaster Town Justice

"I don't think it was luck" -Donna Stempniak, unopposed candidate for Lancaster Town Council on winning re-election.

[SERVICEGUY]

What they should do is contact Forest Lawn.They are A not-for-profit operator.They took over Williamsville cemetery a couple of years ago.It was always percieved to be sold out.They got rid of the stub roads and moved the front fence out.They now have many lots to sell.I am not sure of what the "take over" terms were but I do not think it was A sale.They also own Lakeside in Hamburg.If something like this is not done this cemetery will end up being the reason for crew chief number 5.