02-1: Cemeteries Enhancements Presentation — original pdf

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CEMETERY OPERATIONS Parks and Recreation Board June 17, 2024 MISSION STATEMENT | Cemetery Operations strives to honor the past, present, and future of Austin’s sacred municipal burial grounds with integrity, empathy, and respect. VISION STATEMENT | Cemetery Operations utilizes available resources to manage all operations in a first-class manner applying the most modern administrative, maintenance, preservation, and conservation methods, techniques, and technologies to our day-to-day responsibilities. Cemetery Operations The Founding of Historic Cemeteries 1839 • Oakwood Cemetery 1872 • Stanley- Nolen 1878 • Cemetery at Longview Park 1898 • Plummers Cemetery 1915 • Oakwood Cemetery Annex 1926 • Evergreen Cemetery 1927 • Austin Memorial Cemetery City of Austin Cemeteries represents one of the earliest municipal achievements with the establishment of Oakwood Cemetery in 1839. Oakwood offered the citizens of Austin the opportunity to be buried and remembered in a dignified and respectful manner. Since 1839, the City of Austin has managed and operated 5 municipal and 2 family cemeteries and 80,000 burials encompassing approximately 200 acres of land. 2 Cemetery Operations Background and Current Status Parks and Recreation Department takes on management responsibility. • 1986 – Public Works ends management of municipal cemeteries. • 1990 – 2013 InterCare Inc., assumes responsibility for all aspects of management at city cemeteries. • 2013- Present • April 1, 2013, PARD assumed management of the City of Austin municipal cemeteries resumed some aspects of the cemetery management. • Current Status – 28 Full-time Employees: 6 administrative and 22 • Cemetery Operations maintain 200+ acres of cemetery land, which consists of maintenance (5 temporary) over 80,000 burials • An average of 500 – 600 interments per year and 800 space sales 3 Cemetery Operations Headstone Resetting/Releveling Pilot Project • Address and remediate sinking and leaning headstones in a sample section to determine the most cost-effective process to maximize city resources. • AMP Section 5 Pilot Project was designed by Cemetery Operations in response to the growing and costly issues related to shifting ground patterns and headstone sinking. • The project utilized two different methodologies to effectively evaluate and determine the most effective process moving forward. • The project goals were met, and staff provided useful feedback on the pros and cons of the processes. 4 Cemetery Operations Headstone Pilot Project cont…. • Maintenance staff began performing monument installations, resets, and relevels in November 2018. • Cemetery Operations plans to transition to all interment and burial services in-house to City personnel following the current contract expiration date in November 2025. • Cemetery Operations FY 2025 budget submittal included five (5) maintenance FTEs to meet the future interment and burial services beginning in November 2025. • The additional FTEs will allow Cemetery staff to perform all interments and burial services. • Additionally, the requested FTEs will also be trained in all aspects of monument installations, resets, and relevels. • During periods when interments are not scheduled, the FTEs will be utilized to perform monument related work. Cemetery Operations Community Outreach Efforts • Working with Geospatial analysts to develop digital mapping of cemetery in GIS for Maximo • Streamlined request process for filming and photography for the cemeteries • Update of COA website with new project updates, maps, public programming, and additional information • Maintenance yard reorganization to better utilize space and reduce noise levels. • Evergreen Road Improvements including new curbing • Austin Memorial Park Tower Restroom Renovation • Annual Partnership with Urban Forestry to coordinate Saluting Branches, which promotes and honors veterans by organizing tree care in cemeteries with a large veteran presence. • Installation of night-watchmen lights and solar lights at Evergreen Cemetery 8