Minutes of the Centerville City Council work session held Tuesday, March 18, 2003 at 6:00 p.m. in the Centerville City Council Chambers, 250 North Main, Centerville, Utah.

MEMBERS PRESENT:

Mayor: Michael L. Deamer

Council Members:
David R. Gill
R. Dean Layton
Debbie L. Randall
Brian Gold

MEMBERS ABSENT: Nancy F. Smith

STAFF PRESENT:

Steve Thacker, City Manager
Blaine Lutz, Finance Director/Asst. City Manager
Bruce Cox, Parks and Cemetery Supervisor
Jolene Jackson, City Treasurer
Karrie Carlson, Recording Secretary

CEMETERY GOALS, POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

Steve Thacker, City Manager, explained that this discussion of cemetery goals and policies is a foundation for the Council’s action on an ordinance scheduled for the April 15, 2003 Council meeting. He reviewed with the Council future projections of available burial lots in the cemetery both with and without the proposed expansion. He explained that at present the available cemetery lots will sell out in approximately seven years and if the City were to expand the cemetery it would take approximately twenty years for the lots to sell out. This is if current sales remain the same and if no burial policies are changed (i.e., to allow double stacking in a single plot). Mr. Thacker responded to questions and comments from the Council.

Bruce Cox, Parks and Cemetery Supervisor, addressed the Council to explain some of the maintenance issues that concern the cemetery. He reviewed the current maintenance schedule for the cemetery during the growing season (April 1^st to October). Mr. Cox also discussed with the Council the proposed policy of decorations in the cemetery during the growing season and the Memorial Day holiday. He noted that decorations during the non-growing season (November - March) are left throughout that season because they pose no maintenance problems.

The Council and staff discussed at length the issue of allowing raised headstones in the cemetery. There currently are specific areas in the cemetery which allow only flat headstones. The Council discussed the possibility of allowing raised headstones in the proposed expansion area and/or entire cemetery. It was the general consensus of the Council that if raised headstones were allowed a higher fee would need to be assessed for the added maintenance that is required for a raised headstone and each headstone would need to meet strict size and height requirements. The Council directed staff to schedule a time on the April 15^th agenda to allow for public comment on the proposed ordinance.

WEBSITE SOFTWARE PRESENTATION

Blaine Lutz, Finance Director, gave a presentation of StarGov website software and its capabilities. He explained that currently Ogden City uses a version of StarGov and says they are very happy with the service they have received from Infobytes, Inc. and the ease of use for the software. This new software will have many available products our current site doesn’t provide, such as, word search, and polling capability as well as yellow pages for local businesses. The start up fee for this software is $2,000 and then a $120 monthly fee would be assessed. Mr. Lutz explained that the conversion process to switch to this new software is very minimal. He noted that this software would be a savings to the City as well as providing City staff and the end users (the citizens) a better product. He responded to questions and comments from the Council and Jim Haslam, Consultant/Committee member who studied web services for Centerville City and the current web provider, Larry Smith. At the close of the work session Councilwoman Randall expressed concern for the process the committee used to make its recommendation. Her concerns were fully discussed in the regular City Council meeting agenda item No. 8.

At 6:55 p.m. the meeting was adjourned.

Marilyn Holje, City Recorder
Karrie Carlson, Recording Secretary