Draper Municipal Cemetery

TOWN OF DRAPER MUNICIPAL CEMETERY

ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION, RULES AND REGULATIONS

 

Pursuant to Sec. 157.50(2) Wisconsin Statutes and authority delegated by the Town Board of Draper, the Town of Draper Municipal Cemetery, Sawyer County, State of Wisconsin, shall have the following authority for the operation, management, and control of the municipal Town of Draper Cemetery:

Location:  Section 3, Township 39, Range 4 West, being a part of the NE 1/4 of SE1/4 being approximately four (4) acres in size.

Article 1.  Name:  Town of Draper Municipal Cemetery.

Article 2.  The Officers:  The officers of the cemetery shall consist of five members:  Town Chairman, two Supervisors of the Town Board, Town Clerk, and Town Treasurer.  These town officials are elected every two years by the people.  All five members shall be trustees in full charge of said cemetery.

Article 3.  The Chairperson:  The chairperson shall preside at all meetings.  In his/her absence a member of the board shall be so selected who will have power to perform all the duties of the Chairperson except signing of conveyances. He/She shall preserve order and regulate all discussions, and Roberts’ “Rules of Order” shall be his/her guide in all matters pertaining to the government of cemetery.  He/She shall see that all by-laws, rules and regulations of the cemetery are complied with.  He/She shall sign all deeds and conveyances when ordered to do so by proper authority. He/She shall be available to show vacant plots and assist lot owners in locating plots, or otherwise appoint a Cemetery Board member to perform the duty, using the chart provided by the Sexton.

Article 4.  The Secretary:  The Secretary shall keep minutes of the transactions of the Cemetery Board at all meetings and present them to the electors at the annual meeting. He/She shall sign all orders, deeds and conveyances, and give notices of meetings by posting, designating when, where and the subject if it be a special meeting. He/She shall call board and other meetings when ordered to do so by the chairperson or other board members. He/She will provide a list of names and locations of Veterans’ graves to the Sawyer County clerk each year between June 30- September 1 to receive payment for the care of those graves pursuant to Wisconsin statute 45.85. Monies received will be turned over to the Treasurer for deposit in the cemetery account.

Article 5.  The Treasurer:  The Treasurer shall receive and record all monies belonging to the Cemetery and give receipt for the same. The officials of the Cemetery Board must immediately upon receiving any monies for the cemetery turn it over to the treasurer, and he/she will in turn deposit it in the bank where it will bear interest and be secure. The account of finances shall be given at meetings of the municipality and a complete report will be given at the annual meeting.

Article 6.  Vacancies:  In the event of death or resignation of any board member during the term of office, the person appointed to the town board to fill said vacancy shall be automatically appointed to the Cemetery Board.

Article 7.  The Sexton:  The Cemetery Board shall appoint and allocate funds from the General Fund and/or  Cemetery Account for a sexton who shall have charge of the cemetery. He/She shall exact a burial permit for each body and shall attend to the opening and closing of each grave. He/She shall return to the Secretary all burial permits to be placed on file. He/She shall have general control of  the improvements of the cemetery under the direction of the board. He/She shall keep the grass, landscaping and other features of the cemetery manicured and well cared for, and see that all rules and regulations pertaining to plantings and decorations are observed. He/She shall have the right to use all tools belonging to the cemetery and shall see that they are well cared for. He/She shall keep a current chart showing all lots sold and vacant lots and shall be prepared to work with the Cemetery Board at all times to assist all lot owners to locate their plots and point out vacant plots to those wishing to purchase. He/She shall see that all rules are observed and shall be courteous and obliging to all.

Article 8.  Buying Plots:  Those wishing to purchase a plot shall apply to the Town Chairman who shall show the vacant plots and when a selection is made and full price is paid, the Treasurer will give  the purchaser a receipt for same.  When selecting and purchasing a plot, consideration shall be made to keep even numbers in the sections to eliminate single plots in the cemetery. Single plots may be sold only in such locations where they do not leave a single plot on the end of a row.

Article 9.  Plot Fees

  1.    All lots sold hereafter shall be under care by the Town of Draper Municipal Cemetery.
  2.   The following purchase rates are now in effect for lots:

1 (one) grave plot – $350.00

2 (two) grave plot – $600.00

4 (four) grave plot – $1000.00

Article 10.  Burials

  1. Burials may be in a steel or concrete vault. “Green” burials are also permitted: they may require an additional fee paid to the Sexton at the time of burial for the additional maintenance they require.
  2. Two cremains (or one full burial and one cremains) are permitted per plot; an exception for minor children will be made with prior board approval.
  3.    Duty to provide for burials Sec. 157.114 (2) A cemetery authority shall, insofar as practicable, provide for burials during each season, including winter.

Article 11.  Burial Fees:  Fees for the opening and closing of graves are paid to the Town of Draper as follows:

$600.00 for summer

$750.00 for winter

$300.00 for summer cremations

$450.00 for winter cremations

 

Article 12.  Markers:  All markers and small head stones that are not of monument size must be set at ground level. Monuments must be placed in a straight line.

 

Article 13.  Lot Regulations:

  1. All rubbish must be removed to the land fill.
  2. All work and services in Draper Municipal Cemetery shall be done with approval and under the supervision of this governing body and the sexton.
  1. Real flowers must be planted in edging; contained to the width of the headstone by 16”.  No planting of trees or shrubs.
  2. Artificial flowers shall be removed by October 1 of each year.
  3. Christmas wreaths may be placed after November 1; they must be removed by April 15.
  4. The Sexton reserves the right at any time to remove any plantings, artificial flowers or decorations if they are deemed unsightly, past removal dates or out of bounds.

Article 14. Care of Veterans’ Graves: Per Wisconsin statute 45.85, the graves and tombstones of all veterans,  including women’s auxiliary organizations, and the spouses or surviving spouses of those veterans will receive proper and decent care, with the expense to be borne by Sawyer County. The Cemetery Secretary will report to the county clerk on or before September 1 of each year the current locations and names of the deceased, with a letter requesting the annual reimbursement.

Article 15. General Powers:  If a specific matter is not referenced in this set of by-laws, the Cemetery Board shall use its’ best judgment to resolve said management situation.

Article 16. Electors and Annual Meeting: The annual meeting of the Municipal Cemetery shall immediately follow the Town of Draper’s annual meeting, which is set by statute on the third Tuesday in April. Per Wis. statute 60.11(5), no notice is required if the meeting is held on that date; if the meeting date is changed notice shall be posted in three (3) public places, fifteen (15) days prior to the third Tuesday in April. At the annual cemetery meeting, minutes of the previous year’s meeting will be presented for the electors’ consideration and approval. Suggestions made to the Cemetery Board will be taken for information purposes. In addition, under Wisconsin statutes 60.10(3)(e) and 157.50(5), electors may vote by simple majority vote to authorize the Town Board to appropriate up to $500.00 for cemetery improvements under the supervision of the Town Board in the next annual budget.

Article 17. Bylaws: The 2021 Bylaws are hereby set forth to provide a clear set of rules and regulations concerning the Town of Draper Municipal Cemetery and the statutes which regulate its authority and operations. The full authority to govern a municipal cemetery resides in the elected town officials, who are by statute also the Cemetery Board. The 2021 Bylaws reflect current laws and guidance provided by the Wisconsin statutes and the Wisconsin Towns Association as of 2021 and replace the 2011 Bylaws in their entirety, and shall remain in effect until such time as it may become necessary for the Cemetery Board to update them. Any such updates shall be in the form of a Resolution proposed and ratified by a majority vote of the Cemetery Board at a publicly  noticed town board meeting and if changed, will be posted in three (3) public places and on the Town of Draper website, made available at each annual meeting and upon request in the Clerk’s office, and shall be provided to anyone purchasing a cemetery plot.

Article 18: Revision of 2011 Bylaws: Because the 2011 Bylaws required a majority vote of electors at a town meeting to change, we will ask for a vote now to accept the 2021 Bylaws.

AYES_16__      NAYES___0___      ABSTAINING___0___

 

  David Zett,  Chairman

    Elizabeth Klein, Secretary

  {Revised April 12, 2021 and ratified April 20, 2021}