All lots shall be sold subject to the rules and regulations
of the cemetery. No lot shall be used for any purpose other than the
burial of human remains and the placing of appropriate monuments and
memorials. Burial lots are exempt from ordinary taxes and cannot be
seized on execution. No mortgage or other encumbrance shall be given
on any lot. An interment once properly made shall not be disturbed
except on written consent of the original owners or their heirs or
as may be provided by state law.
When a lot is paid for in full, a deed of title, for cemetery
purposes only, shall be issued to the purchaser by the City Clerk's
office. This section does not apply to indigent interment cases.
The transfer of lots or part of lots to another person must
be requested in writing to the City Clerk's office. All transfers
of lots or parts of lots to another person shall be reviewed by the
City Attorney prior to final approval. All transfers of parts of lots
less than that originally sold by the city to the lot owners must
have the approval of the Board of Commissioners or their authorized
representative.
The Mayor and Board of Commissioners, by motion or resolution,
shall determine the prices at which the various lots in the city cemetery
shall be sold and also the charges to be made by the city for interment,
disinterment, and other services, if furnished.
[Amended 10-28-1993,
Ordinance 1993-5]
A percentage of all lot sales and interments shall be deposited
in a perpetual care fund as provided by the laws of the State of Oklahoma
(1991 O.S. Title 11, Section 26-109.)
The uses and restrictions placed on such fund shall be observed
and the city shall be in full compliance with the statutes.
All funds derived from the sale of cemetery lots shall be deposited
into the general fund of the city. The Board of Commissioners is authorized,
on behalf of the city, to accept and take contributions from persons
to improve, mow, provide care, and for designated purpose in the cemetery.
No person shall:
1.
Enter a cemetery except through established gates.
2.
Throw rubbish or debris on walks or drives or any part of cemetery
grounds.
3.
Pick or mutilate any flowers, either wild or domestic, or disturb
any trees, shrubs or other plants.
4.
Consume liquors, beer, or controlled drugs within a cemetery or carry
the same on the premises.
5.
Permit any animal to enter or remain in a cemetery.
6.
Discharge any firearms or air rifles adjacent to a cemetery. The
regulation shall not apply to authorized volleys at burials.
No children under 16 years of age shall enter a cemetery unless
attended by adults responsible for the children's conduct.
The city shall not be responsible for any damage to lots, structures
or objects thereon, or for flowers or articles removed from any lot
or grave.
All traffic laws of the city that are applicable to the operations
of vehicles in cemeteries shall be strictly observed. Persons driving
in cemeteries shall be responsible for any damage done by the vehicle
in a driver's charge. In addition, no person shall:
All plantings and other improvements to lots shall be done with
the approval of the board or the Board of Commissioners or their duly
authorized representative as the case may be.
The following rules shall be observed in the care of cemetery
lots:
1.
Copings, fences, structures of wood and hedges in all new additions
to the cemetery are prohibited.
2.
Those structures or enclosures established on any lot previous to
the adoption of these regulations which have in the judgment of the
cemetery management become unsightly by reason of neglect or age shall
be removed.
3.
No elevated mounds shall be built over graves, and no lot shall be
filled above the grade of surrounding terrain.
4.
Cut or artificial flowers are permitted when, placed in an approved
flush type vase next to the memorial. No glass jars, bottles, tin
cans, crockery or earthenware pots are permitted. Artificial wreaths
and boxes will be permitted as a grave decoration only during the
non-growing season (November to March), except on Mother's Day,
Father's Day, Easter, and Memorial Day. No planting will be permitted.
Any planting, decoration, or other object or objects placed on or
above a grave or lot shall be removed, when in the judgment of the
city such action is warranted.
5.
Chairs, settees, benches, and vases that have previously been permitted
must be properly maintained. Failure to properly maintain shall be
cause for removal.
6.
Rubbish, refuse and unused containers shall not be left on the lots.
7.
No person, firm or corporation may enclose any city cemetery lot
in the cemetery by curb, fence post, rails, pipe or any other means
in all new and future additions to the Weatherford Cemetery.
1.
No interment shall take place without a burial permit, nor until
all law, ordinances, rules and regulations relative to burials have
been complied with.
2.
No grave shall be opened unless the grave space has been paid for,
with the exception of indigent cases, or when the funeral director
assumes the responsibility of payment for such grave space or spaces.
3.
Funeral directors making arrangements for burials shall be responsible
for all interment charges if not paid by the owner or agent.
4.
If the deceased to be interred is not a member of the immediate family
of the lot owner, permission in writing from such owner must be filed
with the City Clerk. This permission must be filed before the interment
is made.
5.
All interments shall be encased in at least a two-piece concrete
box and/or metal or fiberglass vault.
1.
Only one grave shall be permitted.
2.
The city shall not be held responsible for errors in location of
graves on lots arising from improper instructions of lot owners.
3.
Orders from funeral directors shall be construed as orders from owners.
4.
Under no circumstances shall the city assume responsibility for errors
in opening graves when orders are given by telephone.
1.
Grave Markers:
a.
Granite or marble markers must be of an acceptable quality of at
least four inches in depth, and must be set on a foundation except
when extending into the ground 18 inches or more.
b.
All lettering and designs on granite or marble markers must be indented
or sunken.
c.
Only one marker will be permitted on a grave.
d.
The top dimensions of a marker must be no less than 10 inches by
20 inches.
e.
All markers must be of granite, marble, or U.S. Standard Statuary
Bronze and foundation shall be flush with the ground.
2.
Monuments:
a.
The foundation for all monuments must be at least six inches in depth
with six inch extended border and the monument base flush with the
ground. The foundation shall be of wet cement poured in place or,
a pre-fabricated base may be used, provided it meets the above six
inches standards, and silicon sealing material is used to secure the
monument to the pre-fabricated base.
b.
Bronze military markers set separately, shall be placed on a foundation
at least six inches in depth with a three inch extended border.
c.
Foundations will be installed by the monument company and debris
hauled away before the monument is set.
d.
Only one family monument will be permitted on any lot, and the monuments
on said lot shall be constructed of bronze, granite, or marble.
e.
All bronze shall be U.S. Standard Statuary Bronze and all granite
or marble shall be of good acceptable quality.
f.
On regularly formed lots the monuments must always be placed in the
center. Family or companion monuments shall be set at the west side
of the lot. If such is used, all markers shall be located at the foot
of the grave.
g.
The following sizes must be observed for monolith or two-piece monuments:
3.
Corner Posts:
a.
Any special corner posts which are installed at the expense of the
lot owner must be of bronze, granite, or marble, and set flush with
the ground and have the lot number on the surface.
b.
All corner posts must be four inches square and if of granite or
marble they must have indented or sunken lettering; and be at least
four inches deep.
c.
Only one set of corner posts will be permitted on any lot.
The city shall reserve the right to establish opening and closing
hours to the public as set by resolution of the City Commission from
time to time.
Disinterment and removal of a body shall not be made without the permission as provided in Section 6-16. Graves shall not be opened for inspection except for official investigation and as may be ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction.
All of the ordinances of the city, where applicable, are hereby
extended to all city-owned cemeteries which may exist outside the
corporate limits of the city, and shall be in full force and effect
therein.
The management and employees engaged in work at the city cemetery
duly authorized by the City of Weatherford shall have and exercise
police power and make arrests and file complaints against persons,
firms, or corporations committing an offense in the city cemetery,
insofar as the same may be necessary for the protection of property
and good order of the cemetery.
