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Montrose clarifies cemetery maintenance concerns
By Diane Vance/Gate City Staff Writer
MONTROSE - The Montrose Cemetery has established rules to clarify issues that arose between community members upset at the level of maintenance and the city's ability to meet those desires.
The city council approved 12 rules Thursday suggested by council member John Geyer, who serves on the Culture and Recreation Committee. The committee oversees the library, parks, community center, gym and cemetery.
The biggest complaint earlier this summer was about the lack of mowing and weed control around gravestones. That discussion turned to the individual decorations, planters and plants in the cemetery.
The rules approved Thursday include:
One large urn or two small vases that sit on the stone are allowed per marker.
Shepherd hooks should be placed as close to the stone as possible.
All flowers, both fresh and artificial, should be in vases to make trimming easier.
Planting flowers and plants will be with the permission of the cemetery committee.
Due to weather, (i.e., wind) an effort will be made to return flowers and decorations to the proper grave site. If not possible, they will be discarded.
Semi-annual cemetery cleanups will begin May 1 and Dec. 1.
“Cleanup means if persons want to remove decorations and set them to the side, the city will clean them away during the semi-annual cleanups,” said Geyer. “That doesn't mean we'll go around taking things off.
“There's already a provision to clean neglected grave sites. Mike (Hoenig, Montrose public works director, heading up cemetery maintenance) is spraying around the stones, so he won't need to trim there.”
Caretaker reserves the right to clean off any neglected grave site.
The cemetery is not a pet exercise area. Pets can be taken to the grave site on a leash. Cleaning up after pets is mandatory, otherwise, this policy will be eliminated.
No glass vases or jars will be permitted.
Traffic flow is one-way, counter clockwise.
Posted speed limit is 10 m.p.h.
Hours are 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
The council also approved the third reading of an ordinance for parking in Montrose. Signs will be posted in no parking areas.
The council approved the second reading and waived the third reading to adopt an ordinance about lien notices for late utility payments. Iowa changed the law from 10 days to 30 days after a payment is late that a municipality can issue a lien notice.
The council held a brief closed session to discuss the real estate transaction with Ameren UE property. After the closed discussion, Mayor Greg Ruth suggested no action until there are further negotiations.
He set a special council meeting for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at Montrose City Hall to further deal with the real estate transaction. He said the council also needs to handle a personnel issue and discuss a major repair that came up too late to be added to last night's agenda.
“Our long range plan in conjunction with the Scenic Byways program includes projects in our river park,” said Ruth. “We need to have ownership of the land to do that work.
“This is the first time in 100 years that Ameren is offering its property in Iowa for sale. It plans to sell off all its land in the state. This may be our one-time opportunity to acquire the property.”
Part of Ameren's holdings include the original footprint of Montrose, part of which is now underwater in Pool 19, (or Lake Cooper). The 1913 completion of Dam 19 in Keokuk broadened the Mississippi River above the dam.
The city council approved 12 rules Thursday suggested by council member John Geyer, who serves on the Culture and Recreation Committee. The committee oversees the library, parks, community center, gym and cemetery.
The biggest complaint earlier this summer was about the lack of mowing and weed control around gravestones. That discussion turned to the individual decorations, planters and plants in the cemetery.
The rules approved Thursday include:
One large urn or two small vases that sit on the stone are allowed per marker.
Shepherd hooks should be placed as close to the stone as possible.
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Planting flowers and plants will be with the permission of the cemetery committee.
Due to weather, (i.e., wind) an effort will be made to return flowers and decorations to the proper grave site. If not possible, they will be discarded.
Semi-annual cemetery cleanups will begin May 1 and Dec. 1.
“Cleanup means if persons want to remove decorations and set them to the side, the city will clean them away during the semi-annual cleanups,” said Geyer. “That doesn't mean we'll go around taking things off.
“There's already a provision to clean neglected grave sites. Mike (Hoenig, Montrose public works director, heading up cemetery maintenance) is spraying around the stones, so he won't need to trim there.”
Caretaker reserves the right to clean off any neglected grave site.
The cemetery is not a pet exercise area. Pets can be taken to the grave site on a leash. Cleaning up after pets is mandatory, otherwise, this policy will be eliminated.
No glass vases or jars will be permitted.
Traffic flow is one-way, counter clockwise.
Posted speed limit is 10 m.p.h.
Hours are 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
The council also approved the third reading of an ordinance for parking in Montrose. Signs will be posted in no parking areas.
The council approved the second reading and waived the third reading to adopt an ordinance about lien notices for late utility payments. Iowa changed the law from 10 days to 30 days after a payment is late that a municipality can issue a lien notice.
The council held a brief closed session to discuss the real estate transaction with Ameren UE property. After the closed discussion, Mayor Greg Ruth suggested no action until there are further negotiations.
He set a special council meeting for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at Montrose City Hall to further deal with the real estate transaction. He said the council also needs to handle a personnel issue and discuss a major repair that came up too late to be added to last night's agenda.
“Our long range plan in conjunction with the Scenic Byways program includes projects in our river park,” said Ruth. “We need to have ownership of the land to do that work.
“This is the first time in 100 years that Ameren is offering its property in Iowa for sale. It plans to sell off all its land in the state. This may be our one-time opportunity to acquire the property.”
Part of Ameren's holdings include the original footprint of Montrose, part of which is now underwater in Pool 19, (or Lake Cooper). The 1913 completion of Dam 19 in Keokuk broadened the Mississippi River above the dam.
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