[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Board of the
Town of Williamson 6-23-2009 by L.L. No. 1-2009[1]; amended in its entirety 5-11-2021 by L.L. No. 1-2021.
Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
[1]
Editor’s Note: This local law also superseded former
Ch. 74, Cemetery, adopted 11-12-1996.
A.Â
For the mutual protection of the lot owner and the cemetery as a
whole, the following rules and regulations have been adopted by the
Town Board of the Town of Williamson as rules and regulations of all
Town-owned cemeteries in Williamson, New York. All lot owners, visitors
and cemetery vendors and all lots sold shall be subject to said rules
and regulations that may be adopted from time to time as deemed necessary
by the Town of Williamson.
B.Â
The Town is hereby empowered to enforce all ordinances, rules and
regulations regarding cemetery function and operation and to exclude
from a cemetery any person violating the same. The Town shall have
charge of the grounds and buildings, including the conduct of funerals,
traffic, employees, plot owners and visitors.
A.Â
Concrete vaults or concrete liners will be required for interments
in all graves, except in the case of a child under one year of age,
for which a plastic vault is allowed.
C.Â
Ashes from cremation require a suitable permanent container.
D.Â
No burials or remains shall be put in winter storage without a transit
permit.
E.Â
No grave shall be dug in the winter between December 1 and April
1 if the Town Clerk deems frost, weather or any other conditions unfavorable.
F.Â
No cremation or burial will be done unless paid in full.
G.Â
Cremated remains will not be permitted to be scattered in any part
of a cemetery.
A.Â
The Town Clerk is responsible for the original sale of graves and/or
lots.
B.Â
The purchase of cemetery lots includes perpetual care, which involves
normal mowing, seeding and routine care.
C.Â
Permission of the grave and/or lot owner to anyone other than a family
member to use a grave within a specific lot shall have a notarized
letter so stating on file at the Town Hall.
D.Â
The private resale of lots is strictly prohibited.
E.Â
Under unusual circumstances, the Town Board may recommend the repurchase
of a grave and/or lots for the original purchase price. The Town is
under no obligation to repurchase any grave and/or lot for any reason
whatsoever.
A.Â
All markers and monuments shall have a foundation of sufficient depth
to be below the frost line (36 inches or 54 inches for large markers)
and shall be under the control of the Town Board or designee.
B.Â
Monuments and markers shall be made of granite or standard bronze.
C.Â
All grass markers shall be set level to the ground for mowing expediency.
D.Â
The width of the monument is governed by the width of the lot. The
width of the monument shall not exceed 50% of the average width of
the lot, excluding the foundation.
E.Â
Monuments or markers shall be delivered to the designated site and
set in place by the dealer. The dealer is responsible for all damages
to lots or property. Deliveries and settings shall be scheduled between
April 1 and December 1.
F.Â
Monuments are to be set on the head end (west side) of the lot, with
the lettering facing west.
G.Â
All monuments/markers shall be placed on concrete foundations having
dimensions two inches greater in length and width than the base of
the monument/marker, and a depth of up to three feet.
H.Â
All foundations shall be installed by the Town at a cost to the family/lot
owner/monument company.
A.Â
All items (excluding monuments and veteran or firemen flag holders)
.shall be removed from gravesites by April 1 and October 1 and new
decorations shall not be placed until April 15 and October 15. Any
items not removed between those dates will be disposed of by the Town.
B.Â
Funeral flowers will be removed as soon as they fade, wither, and
become unsightly.
C.Â
No glass containers of any kind will be allowed in a cemetery.
D.Â
The use of paper-made containers, wire holders for flower pots, wire,
plastic trellis or wooden fences on graves is prohibited.
E.Â
Placing of crushed stone, wood chips or shells on graves is strictly
prohibited.
F.Â
Watering cans and other utensils cannot be stored adjacent to markers
or graves.
G.Â
Urns should be placed as close as possible to the monument, either
to the left or right of the monument, so that they will not interfere
with the mowing and trimming equipment.
H.Â
No more than one eight-inch or larger urn or pot will be allowed
on a gravesite.
I.Â
No temporary crosses, statues, votives, solar lights, toys or novelties,
food or beverage items are permitted on gravesites.
J.Â
Only one real wreath shall be permitted per gravesite.
K.Â
The Town reserves the right to remove any and all decorations, flowers,
wreaths, containers, etc., deemed unsightly or that interfere with
grounds maintenance. The Town is not responsible for lost or removed
items.
A.Â
Planting of perennials/annuals/bulbs are permitted only to the left
or right of the stone/monument, and no higher than the height of the
stone/monument within the owner's lot.
B.Â
No shrubs, bushes or trees may be planted on lots or graves, donations
of plants, shrubs, bushes or trees are acceptable. Please contact
the Town Board or its designee for details.
C.Â
Absolutely no artificial plants, wreaths, flowers, or markers are
permitted in a cemetery.
A.Â
Automobiles must be kept on roads/paths for that purpose at all times.
No driving is allowed on any section or over lots or lawns under any
pretense whatsoever.
B.Â
Vehicles may not be permitted to enter a cemetery during periods
of inclement weather. The roads in a cemetery are seasonal use only
and not maintained during winter months.
C.Â
No unlicensed or recreational vehicles (snowmobiles, four-wheelers,
dirt bikes) are allowed in a cemetery at any time.
The Town of Williamson disclaims all responsibility for cemetery
losses or damages from causes beyond its reasonable control and especially
from damage by an act of God, the elements, earthquakes, war, common
enemy, air raids, invasions, insurrections, riots, order of any military
or civil authority, thieves, vandals, strikers, malicious mischief-makers,
explosion, unavoidable accidents or any cause, similar or dissimilar,
beyond control of the management, whether the damage be direct or
collateral. Any or all items deemed in violation will be removed at
any time by the Town.
A.Â
No horseback riding or walking dogs in a cemetery at any time.
B.Â
Violations of the above rules and regulations shall be prosecuted
by law.
C.Â
For information regarding the rules and regulations of all Town-owned
cemeteries in the Town of Williamson, it is advisable for the parties
directly concerned to obtain such information from the Town Clerk's
office of the Town of Williamson.