PREAMBLE

 In order that the Chariton Cemetery shall be maintained in accordance with the best practices for the development and upkeep of a modern cemetery, and for the benefit of the individual purchaser of the right of burial, as well as for the cemetery as a whole, the City Council of Chariton, Iowa, by proper and legal ordinance has created a Cemetery Advisory Board. The Advisory Board has recommended the following rules and regulations.

    Proper regulations greatly reduce the cost of lawn maintenance, thereby insuring a better appearing cemetery.

 

RULE 1

Deeds shall convey only the right of burial of human remains on specified lots. Burials shall be restricted to members of the owner's family. Other burials can be made only after such owner's written permission is filed with the City Clerk's Office. All burials shall be subject to any applicable laws of the State of Iowa and the rules of the Iowa Board of Health.

 

RULE 2

The grade of lots is fixed at the time of sale, and no change in the established grade will be allowed.

Stone, cement, iron, hedge or terrace enclosures to define the lot are not permitted. No slabs of any kind, except for foundations, will be permitted on lots. No foot markers allowed without the prior approval of the City Manager or designee.

Raised corners, trees, or flower beds shall not be used to define the lot boundaries.

 

RULE 3

 Iron or wire work, arches, or seats not part of a monument will not be allowed on any lot. Any article which begins to rust or visibly deteriorate shall be removed from the Cemetery. If not removed by the lot owner, the City Manager or designee has authority to do so.

 

RULE 4

Family memorials or monuments shall only be placed on spaces owned by said family and the monument shall not extend more than eighty percent (80%) of the total width when the family owns the lots on both sides of the memorial or monument.

Memorials may not cover a base area larger than seven per cent (7%) of the lot area, nor exceed fifty percent (50%) of the width of the lot. Monuments must conform and line up with other monuments.

 

RULE 5

All foundations under memorials or markers shall extend to a minimum depth of three feet and shall be the full size of the stone to be supported.

Monument Companies or sellers shall be responsible for installing footings and setting the stones or markers according to Cemetery specifications. The Monument Company or sellers will cement and/or gum permanently all footings, caps, and stones or markers to one another.

The Monument Company must contact the Superintendent prior to starting any work in the Cemetery. The Superintendent will supervise, inspect, and approve all footings, caps, and monuments installed in the Cemetery. All work must be started and completed between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. No work will be done on Saturdays, Sundays, or Holidays.

Any Monument Company or Seller who violates the Cemetery rules and regulations will be denied doing any further work until his work is in compliance with the Cemetery rules and has been approved by the City Manager or designee.

 

RULE 6

All military markers must be flush with the ground on all sides. No foundation is needed under flush markers.

 

RULE 7

No monuments or markers shall be placed on any space until said space is fully paid for. In the case of companion or double stone, both spaces must be paid for.

 

RULE 8

No crypts or "surface burial vaults" with concrete or stone tops will be permitted on any lot. All burials at the Chariton Cemetery will be required to have a concrete or steel vault, concrete box, or concrete dome.

 

RULE 9

No permanent planting of trees, shrubs, flowers.

 Rules for decoration of the Cemetery are as follow:

1. Cut flowers will be removed when wilted, and artificial flowers will be removed when faded or broken.
2. All plants and flowers not in vases attached to marker or monument or next to ends will be removed by June 15 unless it is an allowed permanent planting.
3. Bi-annual Clean-up Days: A Public Notice will be printed in the Chariton Newspapers for two consecutive weeks, as a reminder, before the bi-annual clean-up takes place.
4. Breakable glass containers will not be allowed. Metal and wire holders for decorations will not be allowed, except during the Memorial Day holiday.
5.  The Cemetery is not responsible for the perpetual care of any planting, decoration, or monument.
6. The Cemetery is not responsible for missing items. The Cemetery promotes the use of floral tributes, however, your Cemetery is a public area, subject to many factors outside of the City’s control and therefore, the Cemetery will not be responsible for missing items.
7. The Cemetery personnel try very hard not to damage plants, but sometimes the mowing and/or trimming will cut a plant off. In most cases, the plant will grow back. However, the Cemetery cannot be held responsible if this type of accident occurs. From time to time, the Cemetery uses chemicals to control weeds, but if this should damage a planting, the Cemetery cannot be held responsible.

 

No individual will be permitted to do work affecting lots within the Cemetery except with the permission of the Superintendent.

 Any plant found to be infested with disease shall be promptly removed and destroyed. Where trees or shrubs trespass upon neighboring lots, drives, or walks, they may be removed by the Cemetery staff.

 No tree forming a part of the general landscape plan, whether private or not, may be removed without permission of the Superintendent.

 

RULE 10

By special permission of the Cemetery Advisory Commission and approval by the City Council, private mausoleums may be erected by lot owners on special lots or groups of lots. Such structures shall not cover more than twenty-five per cent (25%) of the area of the lot, and shall be endowed with a perpetual maintenance fund sufficient to insure regular repair and upkeep, or removal of the structure if it deteriorates.

No private mausoleums shall be erected until written permission has been given by the Cemetery Advisory Commission and the City Council, to whom scale plans and specifications shall have been submitted in advance. The Cemetery Advisory Commission shall have the authority to contact competent authorities before approving such plans.

 

RULE 11

To insure keeping of proper records, cremated remains (ashes) shall not be buried on any lot until permission is issued through the Cemetery Office.

 

RULE 12

All funerals are under the jurisdiction of the Cemetery Superintendent after passing the cemetery entrances. He is empowered to forbid the use of improper language in the cemetery, the carrying of firearms except for military type funerals, and to expel from the cemetery any person breaking the rules and regulations.

 

RULE 13

There will be no vehicles allowed off the surface area of the roads in the Cemetery without the prior approval of the Cemetery Superintendent. Those caught violating this policy will be charged for all costs associated with the repair, landscaping, reseeding, sodding, and associated materials, labor, equipment costs and all incidental costs.

 

RULE 14

Transfer of ownership of burial spaces or lots will not be recorded in Cemetery records unless a copy of the Original Quit Claim Deed or similar deed, signed and notarized, is received by the City Clerk's Office.  

 

RULE 15

Burial and Special Lot Rules:

1. No Sunday or Holiday burials will be allowed.
2. In order to have a Monday morning burial service, the Funeral Home must let the Cemetery Staff know before 11:00 A.M. on Friday.
3. GAR Spaces by flag pole are not to be sold. They are for the use of service persons and family.
4. County Burials are to be put where one space is left on a lot or in an alley that has not been sold.
5. The Cemetery will not buy back lots or spaces.
6. Payments for opening and closing fees will be paid before the grave is opened or right after the service.
7.  There must be a 48-hour notice for any burial during winter months of November through March, due to the frozen ground.