Loading...
CEMETERY COMMISSION 2021/02/03 MinutesThe City of Lake Forest is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals with disa bilities who plan to attend this meeting and who require certain accommodations in order to allow them to observe and/or participate in this meeting, 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, February 3, 2021, 4:00 P.M. I. ROLL CALL TO ORDER Chairman O’Brien called the February 3, 2021 Zoom meeting of the Cemetery Commission to order at 4:03pm. In accordance with State of Illinois statutes, he made a determination that it was not practical or prudent to schedule an in-person Cemetery Commission meeting due to the Covid-19 pandemic and for that reason the special February 3, 2021 Cemetery Commission meeting will be held remotely. The following commissioners: Dennis O’ Brien, John Anderson, David Hooke, Rommy Lopat, and Robert Thornburgh were present as well as Chuck Myers and Phil Alderks representing City Staff. Secretary-Treasurer, Jason Wicha, was absent. Chairman O’Brien declared a quorum of commissioners to be present and the meeting is to be considered a formal meeting of the Cemetery Commission, with all actions undertaken at the meeting to be deemed enforceable. II. APPROVAL OF OCTOBER 28, 2020 MINUTES Chairman O’Brien asked for the approval and ratification of the October 28, 2020 minutes of the Cemetery Commission meeting. Motion by Commissioner Lopat to approve the meeting minutes from October 28, 2020, seconded by Commissioner Anderson. Motion passed by unanimous voice vote. III. APPROVAL OF DECEMBER 22, 2020 SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES Chairman O’Brien asked for the approval and ratification of the October 28, 2020 minutes of the Cemetery Commission meeting. Motion by Commissioner Lopat to approve the meeting minutes from December22, 2020, seconded by Commissioner Anderson. Motion passed by unanimous voice vote. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT Dennis O’Brien, Chairman John Anderson David Hooke Rommy Lopat Robert Thornburgh STAFF PRESENT Chuck Myers, Superintendent of Parks, Forestry & Cemetery Phil Alderks, Cemetery Sexton ABSENT Jason Wicha, Secretary Treasurer OTHERS PRESENT Tony Hoban, William Blair Dani Spann, Zoom Meeting Web Host Manager IV. RATIFICATION OF ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE OCTOBER 28, 2020 CEMETERY COMMISSION MEETING Chairman O’Brien indicated the Commission needed to ratify the actions taken by the Cemetery Commission at the October 28, 2020 meeting, namely the approval of the July 22, 2020 Cemetery Commission minutes; the direction to continue the current investment strategy regarding Lake Forest Cemetery investments with William Blair & Company; approval of the Cemetery Fees and Charges for FY 2022; and approval of the Cemetery Capital Budget. Motion by Chairman O’Brien, seconded by Commissioner Hooke, to ratify the above-described actions taken at the October 28, 2020 Cemetery Commission Meeting. Motion passed by unanimous voice vote. V. RATIFICATION ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE DECEMBER 22, 2020 CEMETERY COMMISSION SPECIAL MEETING Chairman O’Brien motioned to ratify the actions taken by the Cemetery Commission at the December 22, 2020 special meeting, namely the recommendation to the City Council to approve the award of a contract to Applied Ecological Services for the Cemetery Ravine Restoration Project and the recommendation to the City Council to pursue a bank loan as the funding vehicle in the amount of $1,600,000.00 for the Memorial Garden Phase II Project. Motion by Chairman O’Brien, seconded by Commissioner Anderson, to ratify the above-described actions taken at the December 22, 2020 Special Meeting of the Cemetery Commission. Motion passed unanimous voice vote. VI. FIRST QUARTER INVESTMENT REPORT Tony Hoban from William Blair and Company reported on the Cemetery investment accounts for the fourth quarter of 2020. He pointed to strong growth in the fourth quarter of 2020, noting some equities were sold over the course of the quarter. The overall assets, including the cash in the bank grew to $11,518,000.00. This growth reflects the continued strength of the portfolio. Hoban stated it is a credit to the Cemetery Commission that they have run a tight ship and have not had to withdraw any significant amount of money from the investment portfolio. It is a lesson to all that if you ride through difficult times and keep your money invested, the power of compounding is substantial and you can make good money in the stock market. This is what the Cemetery Commission has done. Commissioner Thornburgh pointed out the investment policy statement references an index that really is not used anymore, the Salomon Brothers Index, and indicated the Barclay Aggregate Index should be the benchmark that is referenced in the fixed income portion of the policy statement. Going forward, the Commission should change the benchmark for fixed income from the Salomon Brothers Index to the Barclay Aggregate Index. Note: Suggested changes to the investment policy will need to come back to the Cemetery Commission for approval once they have been approved by the City Council. February 3, 2021 Page 2 Motion by Chairman O’Brien directing Tony Hoban to change the benchmark for fixed income from the Salomon Brothers Index to the Barclays Aggregate Index and to continue with current investment strategy regarding Lake Forest Cemetery investment with William Blair & Company. Second by Commissioner Thornburgh. Motion carried unanimously. VII. CHAIRMAN’S COMMENTS Chairman O’Brien noted the Chairman’s Comments are a new addition to the agenda. The Chairman had two comments for this meeting: 1. O’Brien stated that Elizabeth Holleb, the City’s finance director, presented the funding proposals approved by the Commission in December regarding the Memorial Garden Phase II, using a loan from Lake Forest Bank and Trust. It was an informal, informational presentation that did not require a vote of approval from the Finance Committee. O’Brien said he listened in on the presentation and the Finance Committee gave the impression through their questions and comments that they were not opposed to the suggested funding. As the Commission moves closer to the actual funding and the bids have been accepted, they will need to return to the Finance Committee to obtain their formal approval. The reception of this informational presentation signaled that finance committee approval should not be a road block to the project. 2. Next, O’Brien noted that because three of the five Commissioners are fairly new and as the Commission approaches discussions of Phase II of the Memorial Garden, he wanted to share some history behind the Memorial Garden and the Gatehouse that will prove useful. O’Brien shared that in 1994 the Mayor of Lake Forest instructed the Cemetery Commission to develop a long-range strategic business plan. At that time the Commission enlisted the services of Land Design Collaborative to develop a long-range strategic business plan that would raise the endowment fund to a level that would provide for perpetual care once the inventory of space was depleted. The Memorial Gardens, which was part of the long-range strategic business plan, was completed in 2001. Throughout the 1990s, the Commission discussed and developed the plans for the Memorial Gardens and our current Gatehouse as part of their long-range strategic plan. O’Brien noted the Commission enlisted the services of the architectural firm Rosenzweig Associates Architects to design the structures, the wall, fountain, and spire, and Jacobs Ryan and Associates landscape architects to design the hardscape and softscape plantings. The theme was to carry the gothic motif of the Barrell entrance gates through the Memorial Gardens. In 1998, the Commission approved the complete designs for Phase I and Phase II of the Memorial Garden and the Gatehouse, and these designs were approved by the City Council, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Building Review Board. O’Brien said the designs were not presented to the Historical Preservation Commission as this did not exist in 1998. The Commission funded the Memorial Garden and Gatehouse projects with a $1.6 million bond. The final payment on that bond was made in December 2014. O’Brien shared that the funds for the payment of the bond came from the surplus generated through Cemetery operations. The projects were approved in 1998, but only Phase I of the Memorial Garden and the Gatehouse were completed February 3, 2021 Page 3 due to project budget overruns. The Memorial Garden Phase II project deferral was confirmed by the Commission at their meeting on February 2, 1999. At the October 25, 2017 Commission meeting, the Commission unanimously voted to move forward with Phase II of the Memorial Garden, a process which is being undertaken at the present time. O’Brien furthered that an application was submitted to and approved by the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on behalf of Lake Forest Cemetery in May 2001; the complete plans (Phase I & II) for the Memorial Gardens were included in that application. With most National Register applications, the NRHP is concerned with historical activities that took place within a structure or area prior to 1950. In this case, the focus is on the plans of O.C. Simonds and similar aspects of the Cemetery. However, we wanted to include when the application was made as well as the future plans for the Memorial Garden. Since the plans for the Memorial Garden were included with the NRHP application, and the application was accepted, the completion of the Memorial Gardens would not jeopardize the Cemetery’s status on the National Register of Historic Places. Another clarification is there are two designations: 1) historical landmarks (locations, buildings and other) that are a national landmark of national importance and 2) historical places that can be located at state, local or other regional jurisdictions. Our historical designation was based on the second level. VIII. REVENUE EXPENSE REPORT Chairman O’Brien directed the Commission’s attention to the Revenue Expenditure Report for the period to December 31, 2020 for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2021. O’Brien stated that the Cemetery is operating with a net revenues over expenses surplus of $51,000, which is below the projected 8-month budget number. O’Brien said that even though revenues are down, so are our operating expenses so we are on track to meet our overall budget projection. O’Brien said that the overall budget is a little misleading since the bond proceeds of $1.6 million are included in the report. The budget projection for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2021 should reflect a surplus of $92,000, as the bond proceeds are not considered revenue, and we are on track to meet our budget for Cemetery operations. On the expense side, O’Brien stated that we are showing $56,000 over budget but $44,000 of this was incurred as a result of lot and niche buybacks and we do not budget for buybacks since they don’t happen every year. If lot buybacks are backed out of the comparison, we are only over budget by 2 ½% and are essentially staying on track on the expenditure side. With regard to the capital budget, we have listed a net gain/loss from investments at 2.2 million dollars. This is mostly unrealized appreciation and should not be listed as income in the capital budget. Commissioner Thornburgh asked if that line item should then be eliminated from the report or is it just more of an informational number. Chairman O’Brien said he doesn’t think it should be eliminated, but is more of an informational number. Commissioner Thornburgh then asked if the Chairman could comment on the bottom line of the capital statement where it shows the expenditures exceeding revenues. Chairman O’Brien explained that if you back out the loan proceeds and the capital costs for the Memorial Garden Phase II, it brings us back to a deficit of $167,000.00. O’Brien said that there is $200,000.00 slated in capital for ravine restoration that contingent on the cemetery receiving a grant. If we do not receive a grant, some of that money will be used for a smaller, necessary project that we should be able to fund through operations. Should revenue February 3, 2021 Page 4 not be enough to cover the ravine project, then the Commission would look to other sources such as a loan, our reserves, or money held in our Lake Forest Bank account. IX. CEMETERY UPDATES A. Memorial Garden Phase II Superintendent Myers introduced Craig Bergman from Craig Bergman Landscape Design. Mr. Bergman’s firm has been hired to review the Memorial Garden Phase II plans and update the design to correct grading issues due to contractor errors when Phase I was constructed. Bergman explained that the current ‘retaining walls’ around these two circular spaces (the Fountain and Spire Gardens) were originally designed as niche walls. Bergman said that in updating the original design for Phase II and in order to correct the grading issues that exist from errors in the original construction, a small retaining wall has been incorporated in the update to help re-contour the slope so the access to the fountain garden area is ADA compliant. Bergman also suggested a change in paving materials since the existing bluestone is substandard. Bergman said that by substituting the bluestone pavers for bluestone it will make contouring the ramp much easier and that the bluestone pavers are thicker and more durable. Bergman then said the existing bluestone pieces that are removed from around the fountain area and replaced with the bluestone pavers can be used to repair damaged areas through the rest of the Memorial Garden paving. Bergman explained a second adjustment to the design would be to the water feature in the Fountain Garden area. Because the current pool is at ground level it collects a lot of debris and requires a lot of maintenance. The new water feature would be raised to minimize leaf debris and require less maintenance. Bergman stated that benches will continue to be featured with two of the benches located on the outer ring path and two that are in the lower area fountain court. Also new to the plan is a shrub layer proposed for privacy as well as scaled ornamental trees to provide some shade to mitigate the summer heat in that area. The use of flat, bluestone cobble pavers is suggested in keeping with the same color tone of the bluestone featured in the Memorial Garden. Bergman reiterated that the path remains very similar to the original with refinements for ramp functionality and drainage. An expanded planting space is proposed from the circle to the existing bluestone walk to help to make the transition between the grades and provide more of a garden feel to the area. Commissioner Anderson indicated he liked the design but inquired if any aspects of the current plan are materially different from the original plan. Mr. Bergman indicated the current plan is 90% in line with the original plan. Bergman stated that the proposed changes involve adjustments to correct grading problems associated with the installation of the project and a change in paving material for the fountain garden area. Commissioner. Lopat felt using the planter currently in the spire garden as a bollard at the entry was a good re-use. She raised a number of questions that she feels should be taken into consideration before the plan is finalized, including: bluestone was specified in the original 1998 design and is traditional and timeless compared to pavers, which may also appear “busy” when placed near niches of comparable February 3, 2021 Page 5 shape. Were alternative fountain designs evaluated and can we see them? The Alcove is not appealing and has only six niche sales—how could it be made more marketable? The Sugar maples surrounding the Spire Garden have grown very tall and crowded and thinning should be considered. Further discussion ensued without resolution to the proposed concept plan, so Chairman O’Brien recommended that a smaller sub-committee be established that he would lead to discuss landscaping issues and then report back to the Commission with a recommendation. Commissioner Lopat volunteered for the Committee. Chairman O’Brien will get in touch with Commissioner Lopat to initiate a meeting. B. Ravine Restoration Update Superintendent Myers reported the contract for the Sawyer Project with Applied Ecological Services (AES) has been approved by the City Council. Myers said currently there is too much snow on the ground for them to start the Sawyer Project. The cost of this project is $118,000 plus another $5,000 for oversight of the project by an engineering firm; he expects the final cost of the project to be in the area of $125,000 to $130,000 which is below the project budget of $200,000. Work on the project should commence as soon as the weather improves and could be completed in several weeks, perhaps by the time of the April meeting. Myers also mentioned he is awaiting news on the status of the EPA-19 grant that may address the remainder of the ravine work. He does not anticipate any news about the status of this grant until at least March. X. APPROVAL OF FY2022 BUDGET Chairman O’Brien reminded the Commission that about 60% of the Cemetery budget is related to payroll expenses. These costs are outside of the Commission’s purview as they are determined by the City Council, City Manager, and the Finance Department. O’Brien said the Commission has in past budget cycles and the current cycle requested to upgrade the number of staff assigned to Cemetery, however, this request was denied again this year by the City. O’Brien said the City seems to feel more comfortable outsourcing some of the work normally done by staff to a contracted service provider. The new budget request for $60,000 Contractual will be earmarked for general grass cutting and not tasks that require the trained expertise expected from Cemetery employees. We were able to obtain the authority to add the discretionary item for contract service in the amount of $60,000 for this year’s budget; this is a general number and not a specific contract cost. The operating budget is currently showing an approximate $5,000 deficit. All the other items on the budget tend to be consistent with the prior year. The Commission should consider approving the budget with an adjustment to the discretionary item from $60,000 to $54,000 to provide a balanced budget. Supervisor Myers added that the discretionary item had not yet been approved by the City Manager, but the expectation is that this item will be approved. Sexton Alderks stated he prefers to maintain the $60,000 in discretionary spending and take a reduction in the cost of landscaping improvements to ensure adequate funds are available for the contractual help. Chairman O’Brien explained the capital budget and the operating budget are separate and a reduction in landscaping improvements would not resolve the deficit in the operating budget. In order to balance the budget, $6,000 would need to be cut from a line item. Alderks stated that there is a line item in the 6401 Admin for Landscaping and he could reduce that line item for the year in order to balance the Budget. February 3, 2021 Page 5 February 3, 2021 Page 6 Chairman O’Brien explained if the Cemetery receives the $200,000 grant for the ravine restoration, we can move forward with the project. If the grant is not forthcoming, we can delay the improvement until the next fiscal year. Many of the budget expenses can be moved or delayed based on the availability of funding. Commissioner Thornburgh inquired if the net gain/loss line could be eliminated from investments since it does not have any bearing on actual revenue. This elimination action was affirmed by Chairman O’Brien. Sexton Alderks will speak with the Chairman and make this change for the April meeting. Motion by Chairman O’Brien to accept the budget for Fiscal Year 2022. Second by Commissioner Hooke. Motion carried unanimously. XI. OTHER MATTERS Commissioner Thornburgh had a question about available lot inventory after reading through the Cemetery Investment Policy Objectives. The Objectives state that it is not expected that Cemetery plots will be sold out until at least 2025. Sexton Alderks explained that was an old projection that needs to be updated. Current projections there are approximately 40 years of space left. Alderks noted the discrepancy and will include it in the updates to the policy for review at the next meeting. Chairman O’Brien suggested the Commission should advise Tony Hoban to update the investment policy at the April meeting to reflect the change from Salomon Brothers to Barclay Aggregate. Sexton Alderks interjected that the last time changes to the investment policy were made they had to be approved by the City Council. Sexton Alderks will check with Elizabeth Holleb to determine if this is required and report back to the Commission at the April meeting. Commissioner Lopat enumerated 5 issues for consideration by the Cemetery Commission: 1) she requested to meet with Commissioners and staff to outline the what the Master Plan would look like; 2) she previously brought up the question of niche pricing and sales and would like to see a marketability study undertaken of this issue; 3) she put together a Lake Forest Cemetery Photo Book and left a copy with the Sexton for feedback and suggestions from the Commission and staff as well as input about the prospect of the book’s publication as a paperback; 4) she had a discussions with Sexton Alderks about researching and rewriting a tour script for the cemetery; and 5) she suggested the Sexton should consider implementing a 3-year cleaning schedule cycle in order to clean all of the monuments in the Cemetery. Sexton Alderks indicated the monuments in the Cemetery are the personal property of the lot owners. If staff cleaned the monuments without the express permission of the owners or heirs and the monuments were damaged in any way in the process, this would create a liability issue for the Cemetery. He additionally noted this plan is not feasible since the Cemetery does not presently have the staff that would be required to complete regular Cemetery maintenance and any additional project of this type. Chairman O’Brien encouraged Commission members to take a look at Commissioner Lopat’s photo book to determine if this is a project the Commission would have in interest in moving forward to publication. February 3, 2021 Page 6 February 3, 2021 Page 7 Commissioner Lopat said she would like to include a list of Commission members since 1857 in her book, but she has been unable to find this information. Chairman O’Brien indicated he would reach out to Cemetery staff to determine what records the Cemetery has on file about past commissioners. XII. CITIZENS’ OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS CEMETERY COMMISSION Chairman O’Brien asked if members of the public had questions for the Cemetery Commission. Citizen Alice Moulton-Ely from 420 E. Woodland Road in Lake Forest, asked what percentage of the existing columbarium niches have been sold. Sexton Alderks reported there originally were 1,384 spaces built and approximately 550 of those spaces have been sold to date. Ms. Moulton-Ely then inquired about the number of additional niches being proposed in the Phase II project. Alderks explained 400 additional niches were proposed in the original Memorial Garden plan but budget restrictions prevented the construction of these niches in the original design. The Phase II plan will complete the Memorial Garden project with the incorporation of those niches. Ms. Moulton-Ely questioned whether these additional niches should be built since less than 50% of the existing niches have been sold. Alderks explained that all but 12 of the 110 premium-priced niches located in low curved wall at the end of the Memorial Gardens have been sold. Alderks added, that a market clearly exists for this offering of niches, but inventory is limited which is why the Commission is moving forward with the Phase II construction. Chairman O’Brien added the plans for the Memorial Garden take both present-day and future needs of the Cemetery into account, with an acknowledgement that comprehensive construction is more cost-effective than undertaking piecemeal projects. Ms. Moulton-Ely then indicated she was not previously aware of the spire project, inquired if this was part of the original plan for the garden, asked about the cost, and questioned whether this expenditure should be undertaken by the Cemetery Commission. Chairman O’Brien explained that the original concept of the Memorial Gardens, when it was conceived back in the 1990’s, included four separate garden spaces. The plan included a gothic-inspired spire designed in the same style as the entrance gates, that would invoke the semblance of a church structure. The height of the 35-foot spire was designed to be in line with the entrance gates, which are approximately 32 feet in height. Alice indicated she had not previously connected the proposed spire with a religious artifact of a church and thanked the members of the Commission for their responses to her inquires. XIII. NEXT MEETING The next meeting of the Cemetery Commission is scheduled for 5:00PM on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. XIV. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned by Chairman O’Brien at 6:15pm. February 3, 2021 Page 8