Agenda - Council Work Session - 02/17/2004

Home

CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION Topic Report: Trott Brook Cemetery By: Heidi A. Nelson, Asst. City Administrator Background: The City of Ramsey currently owns two cemeteries-Trott Brook Cemetery and Foster Cemetery. Trott Brook Cemetery, located long Hwy 47 at approximately 175th Street, is still an active cemetery while. Foster Cemetery, located in the southern area of the City near Public Works, is no longer active. The City currently performs minimal maintenance at Foster cemetery and routine maintenance at Trott Brook cemetery. City staff has been meeting with a group of interested individuals regarding the burial records and maintenanee of Trott Brook Cemetery. A similar group of interested individuals has been working on a ~nanagement plan in cooperation with the Anoka Historical and Genealogical Society fbr Foster Cemetery that would include community organization work and contributions to make improvements to the site and provide increased maintenance and restoration to the site. A representative of the Trott Brook cemetery group may be present during the work session to briefly outline some of their goals with regard to improvements to the Trott Brook site. After review of files related to Trott Brook cemetery, it seems the issue of burial records and maintenance of the site has been discussed by City Council periodically over the past I0-15 years. Of issue is the absence of an accurate record or survey of burial plots at Trott Brook. There are several interesting historical records, including a window shade that records the burials at Trott Brook, '.however there is no evidence of confirmation of these records. In addition to the periodic Coun6il discussions of these issues, there have been several proposals over the years fi'om engineeri!ig firms to perform the survey and ground penetrating radar work to provide an accurate record, of burials and open plots at Trott Brook. Staff is currently in the process of obtaining a proposal from Hakanson-Anderson to complete the survey and ground penetrating radar work; staYf anticipates the cost of this work to be in the neighborhood of 8,000-10,000 based upon past proposals. Action Statement: Staff is seekingi,direction regarding the current maintenance levels of Trott Brook cemetery and continued work: with the Trott Brook Cemetery group. Additionally. stqf.f is' seeking direction with regard to the survey and ground penetrating radar ~4,ork. I./' Council wishes to pursue this project, staff will bring a case to a regular meeting of Council./bt approval once the formal proposal ia' received. This would be an unbudgeted item ./br 2004, there./bre staff will, at Council direction, provide a recommendation regarding potential.funding sources. CCWS: 02/17/2004