City establishes prices for lots at cemetery

Published 7:57 pm Monday, March 18, 2013

The city of Jemison voted to set rates for the unclaimed lots at Pine Hill Cemetery on Monday.

Mayor Eddie Reed told the three councilmen present during the city council meeting (councilman James “Jim” Henderson and councilman Sam Reed were absent from Monday’s meeting) that the city now had prices for the unclaimed lots at both Pine Hill and Holly Grove Cemeteries.

“Due to maintaining the cemetery for many years, we now own Pine Hill Cemetery,” Reed said. “The city can no longer give away unclaimed plots without compensation.”

Reed said he wanted to make it known that those who already have burial plots in the cemetery will not be required to pay anything toward the city. The fee is merely for unclaimed burial plots located in the cemetery.

Reed told the council the city hired a surveyor to come and survey the cemetery in 2009. The surveyor revealed the layout of the cemetery along with the names of everyone who was currently buried at the cemetery.

Reed said the layout of the cemetery would be laminated and placed in the city clerk’s office for anyone who owns lots in the cemetery to come and identify them by marking their names on the list.

Councilman George Brasher said the cemetery needed to be cleaned up and the road near the cemetery needed to be made a one-way street in the near future.

“The city does not want to be in the cemetery business,” Reed said. “We are just dealing with the remaining plots.”

Reed said no one currently knows how many remaining plots are left at the cemetery.

The rates established during the meeting Monday were $300 for the remaining unclaimed lots and $150 to open and close a grave.

In November 2012, the Chilton County Circuit Court declared Pine Hill Cemetery was property of the city and the mayor and council had to decide pricing for the burial plots left at the cemetery.

In other business, the council:

• Approved the 2011-2012 budget year audit.

• Approved an invoice from the Chilton County Road Department.

• Approved April 22-26 as Jemison’s annual clean-up week.

• Approved a water adjustment for Elton Horton per city ordinance.

• Canceled a public hearing scheduled for Monday regarding the closing of Bibb Street due to someone opposing the closing of the road.

• Heard from Jemison High School Principal Allen Wilson who thanked the Jemison Police Department for their continued presence in the schools.

“I wanted to thank the city and the police department for supporting us,” Wilson said. “The police officers do a wonderful job of supporting us and we really appreciate it.”