Platte City, MO City Cemetery

The City Cemetery property, consisting of the Platte City Graveyard, Platte City Cemetery, Platte Memorial Park and River View Cemetery, shall be managed by a Cemetery Committee consisting of not less than three (3) persons nor more than five (5) persons to be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the Board of Aldermen.

The Cemetery Committee shall meet from time to time, consider policy and make recommendations to the Board of Aldermen.

Section 140.020 Sale of Lots.

[CC 1992 §135.020; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003; Ord. No. 1435 §1, 8-24-2005; Ord. No. 1547 §1, 9-5-2007; Ord. No. 1702 §1, 8-23-2011]

The City shall sell cemetery lots to persons wishing to purchase same in the Platte City Cemetery at prices to be set by the Board of Aldermen. Cemetery lots shall be sold at the lot sale price plus the cost of recording the deed(s) as follows:

Grave lot: $600.00.

Recording fee per deed: $34.00.

Payment in full must be received by the City Clerk and delivered to the City Collector prior to the delivery of said deed(s).

The City Clerk or designee shall keep a written and computer record of said lot purchase.

The City Clerk or designee shall deliver to the County Recorder of Deeds in a timely manner the completed deed for any lot sold, which shall be duly recorded and returned to the purchaser.

Section 140.030 Perpetual Care Cemetery Fund.

[CC 1992 §135.040; R.O. 1979 §17.300; Ord. No. 380 §2, 4-11-1984; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003]

There shall be established a Perpetual Care Cemetery Fund used for the sole purposes of preservation, care, upkeep and adornment of the Platte City Cemetery properties.

The full amount of the purchase price of a grave lot will be deposited in the Perpetual Care Cemetery Fund. The accumulated balance from lot sales shall not be encroached upon, but shall serve to generate interest income. Interest income alone shall be used for the perpetual maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery.

The income from the Perpetual Care Cemetery Fund shall be expended for the preservation, care, upkeep and adornment of the Platte City Cemetery properties and for no other purpose whatsoever.

The principal of the Perpetual Care Cemetery Fund shall not be encroached upon for any purpose except for the repurchasing of cemetery lots previously sold. Money may be transferred out of the fund to be invested in bonds of the United State Government or other accounts backed by the full faith and credit of the United States Government or insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Section 140.040 Cemetery Maintenance Fee.

[Ord. No. 1284 §1(135.045), 1-29-2003; Ord. No. 1435 §2, 8-24-2005; Ord. No. 1547 §2, 9-5-2007; Ord. No. 1631 §2, 8-26-2009; Ord. No. 1702 §2, 8-23-2011]

There is hereby established a cemetery maintenance fee to be used for the purpose of grounds care which shall include, but not be limited to, mowing, tree maintenance, weed control, insect control, pest control and road maintenance.

The cemetery maintenance fee may be used for monument repair should said monument be in need of repair and at such time a family member within the third degree cannot be located.

The cemetery maintenance fee shall be collected at the time of a burial request in addition to the grave opening and closing fee. The cemetery maintenance fee shall be one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).

The cemetery maintenance fee shall be combined with interest earned on the Perpetual Care Fund and private donations for the purpose of maintaining the cemetery.

Section 140.050 City Sexton.

[CC 1992 §135.050; R.O. 1979 §17.400; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003]

At the regular Board meeting in April of each year, the Mayor shall, with the approval of the Board of Aldermen, appoint a person as Sexton who has been a resident of the City for a period of at least one (1) year prior to appointment.

The Sexton shall hold office for one (1) year or until a successor shall have been appointed and qualified.

The Sexton shall, at the expiration of his/her term of office, deliver to his/her successor all books, charts, plats, tools and other things pertaining to his/her office and shall impart to his/her successor all useful information in his/her possession as may better able his/her successor to discharge the duties of Sexton.

The Sexton's fee shall be established by resolution of the Board of Aldermen.

Section 140.060 Duties of City Sexton.

[Ord. No. 95-31 §2, 7-25-1995; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003]

The Sexton shall identify and mark all graves upon notification of a burial.

The Sexton shall supervise the digging of all graves which shall be a uniform minimum depth of five and one-half (5½) feet for standard burial and a minimum depth of twenty (20) to twenty-four (24) inches for cremation urn burial.

The Sexton shall supervise the erection of monuments as described in Section 140.070 of this Chapter.

The Sexton shall investigate in a timely manner complaints received regarding the City Cemetery.

The Sexton shall assist in the prosecution of all violations of the provisions of this Chapter.

The Sexton shall during the months of November through March remove funeral service flowers within seven (7) days of burial.

The Sexton shall from time to time review the lawn maintenance of the City Cemetery to ensure that lawn care is being conducted in accordance with the specifications.

The Sexton shall perform duties as assigned by the Cemetery Committee.

Section 140.070 Erection of Monuments.

[CC 1992 §135.060; R.O. 1979 §17.500; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003; Ord. No. 1301 §1, 5-13-2003]

The owners of lots shall be permitted to ornament such lot in any reasonable way and to erect thereon a reasonable monument, except that no lot shall be enclosed by any fence or railing.

The monument shall be erected in the following manner:

Monument companies must contact and make arrangements with the City Clerk or Sexton forty-eight (48) hours prior to installation of footing.

Installation of footing and/or monument must take place between the hours of 7:30 A.M. and 5:30 P.M. Monday through Friday. (Note: Special arrangements for Saturday installation with proper notice.)

The contractors will provided a copy of a signed work order and a diagram showing layout and location of monument forty-eight (48) hours prior to the installation of the footing. (Note: Can be faxed 816-858-5402.)

Contractor will be charged a twenty-five dollar ($25.00) installation/inspection fee per monument to be paid prior to the installation of the footing.

The City will flag all monument locations for the contractor. (White flags.)

All monuments will be placed at the head of the grave facing the east, unless otherwise specified and approved. All foot markers will be set flush with the ground.

All monuments to include headstone, vases, decorative sculptures and lanterns, etc., will be set on a concrete pad.

Stones under twenty-four (24) inches in length will have one (1) pier of six (6) inches minimum diameter that is three (3) feet deep or rests on the burial vault.

Stones between twenty-four (24) and forty-eight (48) inches will have a minimum of two (2) piers set no less than eight (8) inches from either end of the stone, a six (6) inch minimum diameter that are at least three (3) feet deep or rests on the burial vault.

Stones over forty-eight (48) inches will have a minimum of three (3) piers set appropriately spaced to provide maximum support for the stone with a six (6) inch minimum diameter that are at least three (3) feet deep or rests on the burial vault.

Stones more than sixteen (16) inches in width will have footing poured at all four (4) corners.

Footing will be constructed of concrete blended appropriately with water. (No dry cement is to be poured into the ground.)

All footings must cure for five (5) days prior to actual installation of monument and covered in temperatures thirty-two degrees (32°) and below for cure time.

All footing installations will be inspected by Cemetery Sexton or Building Inspector prior to contractor leaving cemetery.

The length of monuments, including the pad, shall not exceed the width of the grave lot. The width of the monuments, including the pad, shall not exceed thirty-six (36) inches.

All monuments and footings will be installed with contour of ground.

10.

Contractor will not park truck or equipment on cemetery lawn.

11.

Contractor will place any excess dirt resulting from footing installation in designated area. (Note: No dirt is to be deposited on cemetery lawn.)

12.

The contractor will contact City Clerk or Sexton twenty-four (24) hours prior to actual monument installation.

Contractors shall indemnify the cemetery and City of Platte City and hold it harmless from any injuries suffered by contractor's employees while on cemetery premises as a result of the negligence or carelessness of the contractor or the contractor's employees or agents. Contractor's will also indemnify the cemetery and City of Platte City and hold it harmless from and against all loss, liability, damage and expense incurred by cemetery resulting from the contractor's employee's tortious acts or omissions.

Contractors shall maintain at least one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) in liability insurance coverage and maintain statutory Workers' Compensation coverage on all officers, partners, directors and employees involved in monument installation at the Platte City Cemetery.

Contractor shall annually provide a copy of said coverage to the City Clerk, City Hall 400 Main Street, Platte City, Missouri 64079.

Contractor shall guarantee all products for a period of at least two (2) years, during which time the contractor will make repairs or corrections in materials and installation within thirty (30) days after receiving notification from the City Clerk or Sexton.

Contractors are prohibited from falsely representing to owners that they are affiliated in any way, directly or indirectly, with the Platte City Cemetery.

It shall be unlawful for anyone to set any monument in the cemetery without first registering with the City, providing proof of all required insurance and agreeing to abide by all rules and regulations established for the erection of monuments in the cemetery.

Section 140.080 Burial of Bodies.

[CC 1992 §135.070; Ord. No. 379 §1, 4-11-1984; Ord. No. 95-31 §3, 7-25-1995; Ord. No. 1201 §1, 5-29-2001; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003]

Every dead body which is buried in Platte City Cemetery properties shall be enclosed in a coffin or a casket, such coffin or casket shall be placed in a vault (sealing or non-sealing burial case).

The ashes of a cremated body which are buried in Platte City Cemetery properties shall be enclosed in an urn, such urn shall be placed in an urn vault (sealing or non-sealing burial case).

No more than two (2) urns and vaults will be allowed on one (1) grave lot.

It shall be unlawful for any person to abandon, dispose of, desert, leave or scatter the ashes of a cremated human body or all or part of a dead human body within the City of Platte City without burying said ashes or body in the Platte City Cemetery in compliance with this Chapter.

All violations to this Chapter shall be considered misdemeanors which, upon conviction, shall be punishable according to Section 100.100 of this Code.

Section 140.090 Maintenance of Lots.

[CC 1992 §135.080; R.O. 1979 §17.600; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003]

No grave shall have a mound or any elevation of earth over said grave above the level of the earth adjacent thereto to exceed, along the centerline of said grave, a height of four (4) inches with a gradual slope to the outer edge thereof to a level of the earth adjacent thereto.

Section 140.100 City Care of Cemetery.

[CC 1992 §135.090; R.O. 1979 §17.700; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003]

The Board of Aldermen may contract with any citizen of the City or other person for the care, repair, maintenance and mowing of the cemetery property upon such terms as the Board may deem advisable. Such contract shall be accepted by resolution of the Board.

Section 140.110 Cemetery Regulations.

[CC 1992 §135.100; R.O. 1979 §17.800; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003; Ord. No. 1435 §3, 8-24-2005; Ord. No. 1874, 8-28-2018[1]]

Parking is specifically prohibited on the grass or other non-paved areas in the cemetery unless specifically authorized by the City.

No person shall:

Pull down or in any manner destroy any gate, fence or railing around the cemetery or graveyard or turn loose any animal onto said cemetery property.

Without lawful authority erase or deface any inscription upon any Monument, slab, head or footboard or stone; or write, carve, scratch or in any manner deface any grave, stone, head or footboard.

Pull down or dig up or destroy in any manner any species of flower, shrub, shade or ornamental tree.

Discharge any kind of firearm on any cemetery property, except in the performance of a burial ceremony.

Drive on or through the cemetery lawn, including funeral processions and loading and unloading of vaults, caskets, tent equipment or other items.

Flowers, Mementoes And Grave Decorations.

Flowers, mementoes and grave decorations placed at a gravesite may remain until ten (10) days following the day of interment, at which time all items not within a vase, holder or container permanently fixed to the headstone shall be removed.

Flowers, mementoes and grave decorations within a vase, holder or container permanently fixed to the headstone may remain indefinitely or until they are visibly worn, tattered, soiled, or faded at which time they shall be removed.

Flowers, mementoes, decorations and holders which are not considered be permanently attached to the headstone include but are not limited to shepherd hooks, planted flowers, statutes, beads, wind devices, flags and landscape molding.

Flowers, decorations, flags, statutes, flowers, jewelry and other mementoes may be placed at gravesites ten (10) days prior to Memorial Day but are subject to removal on or after June 10th of each year unless the items are within a vase, holder or container permanently attached to the headstone, all other items may be removed.

Items removed from the cemetery will be disposed of by City or its contractor.

[1]

Editor's Note: Ord. No. 1874 also changed the title of this Section from "Offenses" to "Cemetery Regulations."

Section 140.120 Penalty.

[Ord. No. 1435 §4(135.105), 8-24-2005]

Persons found guilty of violating any provision of this Chapter shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of Section 100.100 of the Platte City Municipal Code. Each violation shall be deemed a separate offence.

Section 140.130 Burial Fees.

[CC 1992 §135.110; Ord. No. 1284 §1, 1-29-2003; Ord. No. 1435 §5, 8-24-2005; Ord. No. 1547 §3, 9-5-2007; Ord. No. 1631 §3, 8-26-2009; Ord. No. 1702 §3, 8-23-2011; Ord. No. 1875, 8-28-2018]

Grave opening and closing costs as follows:

Standard Burials:
Weekdays	$700.00
Weekends	$800.00
Holidays	$850.00

Cremations or Infant Burials:
Weekdays	$355.00
Weekends	$455.00
Holidays	$505.00

Oversized Vaults:

$75.00 additional charge.

Holidays, for the purpose of this Section, shall be declared Federal public holidays and which are also observed by the City of Platte City, Missouri.