The Salem City Council still remains undecided on if and how far to tighten restrictions on grave decorations in the East Lawn Cemetery.
After hearing from resident Rick McCullum, they assured him flowers in vases on the monument were okay at anytime. But there were varying opinions when it came to the more elaborate displays that spread from the gravestone.
Public Works Director Annette Brushwitz says some of the grave decorations are already prohibited.
“We do have an ordinance in place that has not been adhered to. How do we tighten it up and make small changes so it’s not wide open. We’re opening the door right now to let people just do anything and in the last 4-5 years it’s just progressively getting a little bit worse.”
And Brushwitz says the issue from those displays is mowing and weed eating the cemetery.
“The men go out to mow, they have to physically pull each one of those pieces out of the ground, put it behind the headstone, mow in front of it and then replace all the pieces back. There are several hundred headstones out there and much more, so it’s becoming an issue with time management as well as just the aesthetics of some of it. As the flowers get old, it’s hard for us to be the police on what is new and not new.”
But Councilman Jim Koehler fears trying to control what is displayed at the gravesites is opening a Pandora’s box even though the elaborate displays
were never approved. He suggested the best solution might be hiring additional part-time staff to help maintain the cemetery.
Councilman Royce Bringwald and Amy Troutt feel there needs to be some standardization. Troutt says since there is an issue with being hesitant or how to enforce, that issue needs to be addressed as well.
City staff will work to perfect ordinance changes and bring them back for another try at the next city council meeting.
The other portion of the ordinance raises opening fees for graves at the cemetery. There was no objection to the price increases.
