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CEMETERY COMMISSION 2020/07/22 MinutesThe City of Lake Forest is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who require certain accommodations in order to allow them to observe and/or participate in this meeti ng, or who have questions regarding the accessibility of the meeting or the facilities, are required to contact City Manager Jason Wicha at (847) 234-2600 promptly to allow the City to make reasonable accommodations for those persons. CEMETERY COMMISSION MEETING MINUTES LAKE FOREST CEMETERY ZOOM MEETING WEDNESDAY, July 22, 2020, 5:00 P.M. I.CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL: Chairman O’Brien called the meeting to order at 5:02 pm I.ROLL CALL TO ORDER Chairman O’Brien called the July 22, 2020 Zoom meeting of the Cemetery Commission to order at 5:02pm. He noted the following commissioners: Dennis O’ Brien, John Anderson, David Hooke, Rommy Lopat, and Robert Thornburgh were present via Zoom as well as Chuck Myers and Phil Alderks representing City Staff. City Manager, Jason Wicha, was absent. Chairman O’Brien declared a quorum of commissioners to be present and the Zoom meeting was to be considered a formal meeting of the Cemetery Commission, with all actions undertaken at the meeting to be deemed enforceable. II.WELCOME TO NEW COMMISSIONERS ROMMY LOPAT AND ROBERT THORNBURGH Chairman O’Brien welcomed Rommy Lopat and Robert Thornburgh to the Cemetery Commission. He acknowledged the varied backgrounds of the new members would be most beneficial to the Cemetery Commission. III.APPROVAL OF JANUARY 22, 2020 MINUTES Chairman O’Brien presented the meeting minutes to the Commissioners for approval. Commissioner Hooke noted there was an extra ‘look’ on the second line on page two of the January minutes. Chairman O’Brien requested a motion for the approval of the minutes of the January 2020 meeting to reflect the correction of the typographical correction mentioned by Commissioner Hooke. Motion by Commissioner Hooke, seconded by Commissioner Thornburgh, to approve the meeting minutes from January 22, 2020 with the typographical correction. Motion passed by unanimous voice vote. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT VIA ZOOM Dennis O’Brien, Chairman John Anderson David Hooke Rommy Lopat Robert Thornburgh STAFF PRESENT VIA ZOOM Chuck Myers, Superintendent of Parks, Forestry & Cemetery Phil Alderks, Cemetery Sexton STAFF ABSENT Jason Wicha, Secretary Treasurer, City Manager OTHERS PRESENT VIA ZOOM Tony Hoban, William Blair Dani Spann, Zoom Meeting Web Host Manager July 22, 2020 Page 2 IV.SECOND QUARTER INVESTMENT REPORT FROM WM BLAIR AND CO.: Chairman O’Brien submitted a requisite financial report to the City’s budget committee on July 20, 2020. The report was roundly accepted by the finance committee in light of the performance of the Cemetery’s portfolio with William Blair. The finance committee raised a budgetary question regarding a cash target; the Cemetery has various target ranges for projects but does not have a target for cash. Chairman O’Brien explained the Commission has considered the fixed income and cash balances as grouped together to meet that target range. The finance committee questioned why the Cemetery Commission does not maintain a second, separate target range for cash itself. Chairman O’Brien indicated cash is held in two accounts – one with William Blair and the other with the City. William Blair does not have control of the overall cash balance and the Commission does not have complete control of the City cash balance as the City requires the Commission to maintain a requisite balance in the account. Since the Cemetery Commission does not have complete control of this account, it would not be appropriate to maintain a target range for cash. Commissioner Lopat inquired about the amount of cash the City holds for the Cemetery Commission. Chairman O’Brien indicated he will touch base with the City finance director and provide Commissioner Lopat with the information received from the City finance department. Tony Hoban from William Blair and Company reported on the Cemetery investment accounts for the second quarter of 2020. He indicated the overall assets in the combined accounts at the end of March 2020 totaled $7.8 million and had increased to $9.4 million by the end of June 2020. Asset allocation involves US equities at 59%, international equities at 19%, cask and fixed income at about 22%. Chairman O’Brien noted that during the past fiscal year, the overall portfolio increased an average of about 2 ½% but the portfolio managed by William Blair had increased 8.7%. The difference in those two numbers reflects the reduction in City-held funds as a result of payments made for the Barrell gateway repairs. Following the overview of performance and asset allocation, Chairman O’Brien made the following motion: Motion by Chairman O’Brien directing Tony Hoban to continue with current investment strategy regarding Lake Forest Cemetery investment with William Blair & Company. Second by Commissioner Anderson. Motion carried unanimously. V.REVENUE / EXPENSE REPORT Chairman O’Brien noted the Commission has been presented with two reports for review. The first is the Annual Report which runs May 1 to April 30. This report reflects the Cemetery’s total revenue was $108,000 above budget and expenditures were roughly $14,000.00 under budget, resulting in a surplus of $171,000.00. Capital expenditures included the acquisition of trees, shrubs, equipment, and the Barrell Gate restoration. It was noted that the Cemetery July 22, 2020 Page 3 operates within its own financial budget. Up until about a year-and-a- half ago, the Cemetery maintained the right to institute a tax on citizens to fund cemetery operations, but the ability for the Cemetery to levy such a tax was removed via City Council action. The Cemetery has never needed to levy a tax for operational purposes at any time in its history. Commissioner Lopat requested breakouts of fees and installation fees for various projects. VI.CEMETERY UPDATES A.Memorial Garden Phase II Superintendent Myers reported the Memorial Garden project remains in the design phase. Two different companies have been hired for the project: Craig Bergman for the landscaping and Landmark to handle the civil/structural engineering. Bergman has completed their preliminary design work. Landmark completed a structural review of the original plans for the spire and columbarium. The next step will be for the Cemetery Commission to determine how to finance the project. Once a financing plan has been established and the Commission is ready to move forward, Craig Bergman’s staff will need to formulate construction documents, the project will need to be vetted through the City permit process, and the Commission will need to present the project to the Historic Preservation Commission for review before the project can be sent out for bids. The overall project cost has increased slightly to $1,528,000.00 primarily due to prevailing wage increases. The cost for the spire and columbarium is $928,000 with the remainder of the cost for hardscape and landscape. Chairman O’Brien will meet with the City’s finance department to discuss costs and financing options for the project including the steps needed to secure bank financing and approval from the finance committee and the City Council. B.Ravine Restoration Update Superintendent Myers reported the Cemetery Phase II Ravine Restoration of the West Spur Ravine was addressed a few years ago with grant assistance. The Main Ravine on the north end of the cemetery now requires attention. The Cemetery has a Master Plan for restoration; the $1.2 million project will extend from the land bridge over the ravine in Section E to its end at Lake Michigan. Given the lack of recent success in securing a grant for this project, it may be beneficial to break down work into smaller, prioritized projects. One identified area is the ‘Sawyer project’, so named for the adjacent grave lot. This is an area with an old retaining wall; major sluffing has occurred in recent years and minor repairs have been undertaken. This area could eventually fail and needs to be addressed sooner than later. The Cemetery is moving forward with engineering work via Living Waters Consultants, LLC and the plan is ready to move forward to the City’s permitting stage with the help of the City’s Engineer consultant, Gewalt Hamilton. The Cemetery has a 5 year permit from the Army Corps of Engineers for the entire ravine project with the permit currently in year 3 of 5. The total cost of the project should be less than $200,000.00; this amount has been reflected in the budget. Once bids have been authorized by the Commission, approval will be needed by the City Council. The project can be completed in a short window of time once the necessary approval have been secured. July 22, 2020 Page 4 The Cemetery is currently working on a few grant opportunities – one is an IEPA 319 grant for water issues. The application is due August 3 and a proposal will be submitted for this grant. If the grant is approved, a request for matching funds from the Commission will need to be made prior to a presentation to the City Council. A second IEPA grant proposal is for green infrastructure. Notice of grant approval may not be received until after the next scheduled meeting of the Commission. A special meeting of the Commission could be convened earlier if approval is received prior to the October meeting. Superintendent Myers reported the Lake County Stormwater Management Commission (SMC) is currently funding a watershed management plan in conjunction with the City and other area municipalities. Myers said that establishing a watershed plan is the key to securing grants. Myers has reached out to SMC to make sure the Cemetery’s project is part of the watershed management plan which is critical for the Cemetery acquiring grant monies. It is hoped IEPA will give some consideration to our grant proposal, even though the watershed plan is not yet in place. Myers has secured a letter from SMC stating that the Cemetery’s project will be part of the watershed plan and submitted it to the IEPA with our grant application. VII.REQUEST BY THE DICK FAMILY FOR A VARIANCE TO THE DECORATION GUIDELINES Chairman O’Brien indicated the Commission received a request from the Dick family regarding a proposed exception to the rules for their family lot. John Dick and Madeleine Dugan, along with landscape architect Craig Bergman, joined the meeting via Zoom to outline their request for an exception to permit granite curbing on the Dick family plot. An exception is being requested to alter the hardscape by installing rectilinear granite curbing in a mortar footing to neaten the appearance of the grave lot. Sexton Alderks noted curbing of this type is not allowed in the general part of the cemetery since it would interfere with the ability of Cemetery staff to prepare a grave opening to accommodate a vault burial on the lot. As an alternative Alderks is willing to allow the family to utilize steel edging that could be removed and replaced by Cemetery staff to accommodate burials. Chairman O’Brien expressed concern about the Cemetery Commission granting an exception that does not meet the criteria in the established rules and regulations of the Cemetery Commission, as such a exception would set precedent and inhibit the Commission from denying future requests from other families. Motion by Chairman O’Brien to deny an exception to the Rules and Regulations for granite curbing on the Dick lot but to allow an exception for the installation of steel edging to maintain the integrity of the planting bed. Second by Commissioner Lopat. Motion carried unanimously. July 22, 2020 Page 5 VIII.REQUEST BY THE MATHIS FAMILY FOR A VARIANCE TO THE MEMORIAL GARDEN NICHE ENGRAVING POLICY Chairman O’Brien reported the Mathis Family has requested an exception to the Cemetery Rules and Regulations regarding niche engraving. Sexton Alderks noted Mr. Mathis has a family lot in the cemetery in which his parents are interred and his siblings have reserved the remaining grave spaces. Mr. Mathis and his wife originally purchased two grave spaces in the Cemetery but exchanged these spaces for two niche spaces in the columbarium. Mr. and Mrs. Mathis’s future interment planning involves the co-mingling of their cremains into one urn. While there is no issue with the co-mingling of cremains, Mr. Mathis would like to have his name and that of his wife engraved on the same niche cover. The original intention of the Cemetery Commission was to maintain the aesthetic of one person/one name per niche space as well as the continuity of rhythm of the engraved niches. The placement of two names on one niche cover will appear crowded, out of sync, and disrupt the rhythm of existing niche engravings. A variance would establish a precedent requiring the Cemetery to allow this type of niche engraving for any other customer who submits a similar request. Mr. Mathis has the option to purchase a family pillar which can hold six cremains within three niche spaces; since each pillar niche holds two cremains, two names can be engraved on this particular niche cover. Motion by Chairman O’Brien to decline the Mathis family request for an exception to the rules regarding niche cover engraving; Second by Commissioner Anderson. Motion carried unanimously. IX.OTHER MATTERS Sexton Alderks informed the Commission the situation with the Johnson family has been resolved and the cremains of Mr. Kenneth Johnson were interred in June. Mr. Johnson’s service was originally scheduled to be in September 2019, but Mrs. Johnson disputed the grave location and spoke before the Cemetery Commission in October 2019 regarding her concerns. At the time of the June 2020 interment, Mrs. Johnson and her daughter told Charlie Franco that “this ended up being a blessing for the family.” The Johnson family is now in the process of designing a monument for the gravesite with one of the local monument companies. Commissioner Lopat re-emphasized the necessity of hiring another full time Cemetery employee in order to maintain the Cemetery grounds in pristine condition. Chairman O’Brien indicated he would reach out to the City Manager to determine if there was anything that could be done to address this need prior to the formulation of the next fiscal year’s budget. Chairman O’Brien went on the record to state the Commission did not convene an April 2020 meeting due to the pandemic and, as a result, the Commission did not have the opportunity to formally express their thanks and gratitude for John Dick’s service to the Commission at what would have been his last meeting as a commissioner. Chairman O’Brien stated the Cemetery Commission greatly appreciates the time, effort, and commitment John Dick made to the Commission throughout his term as a commissioner. July 22, 2020 Page 6 X. CITIZENS’ OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS CEMETERY COMMISSION The Zoom meeting moderator, Dani Spann, indicated no members of the public called in to the meeting or submitted questions to be addressed by the Cemetery Commission. XI. NEXT MEETING The next meeting of the Cemetery Commission is scheduled for 5:00PM on Wednesday, October 28, 2020. XII. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned by Chairman O’Brien at 7:25pm.