The Cemetery Trustees, Ruth Hammen, Fred Shaw and Brenda Boswak met on April 6, 2026 @ 9:30 a.m. at the Historical Society building. Ex-officio, Matt Stolnis, did not attend the meeting.
OLD BUSINESS The warrant article submitted by the Board of Selectmen: To see if the town will vote to raise and appropriate the sum of $35,000 for the purpose of tree removal within the town-owned cemeteries as designated by the cemetery trustees. The amount of $35,000 to be raised by general taxation passed. The Cemetery Tree Removal budget line of $9,000, passed.
Don, Cotnoir, NH Monuments, submitted an estimate for gravestone restoration this season. The Cemetery Trustees agreed to prioritize Kaime Cemetery gravestones. Brenda will contact Don to place us on his schedule.
NEW BUSINESS Brenda purchased Betsy Ross design stick flags for the Trustees to view and discuss. The Cemetery Trustees agreed to place these on the Revolutionary War veterans’ gravesites in commemoration of America’s 250th birthday.
The Board of Selectmen has instituted a soft freeze on spending for town expenses. Brenda will clarify with the Selectmen tomorrow evening how that affects our gravestone restoration project expense.
The Cemetery Trustees sent a letter to Ronald & Melissa Grossi, abutters to the Brown Cemetery on Ring Road, outlining the tree removal project for that cemetery and requesting they contact us for a discussion of possibly using their property for access to the trees in the cemetery right-of- way. They acknowledged receiving the letter and we will follow up with scheduling a time to meet with them.
There is damage to the Leavitt Cemetery boundary fence from a fallen tree that was located on an abutter’s property. One gravestone was slightly damaged. Brenda will contact the abutter to notify them and request them to clean up the debris and repair the fence.
Selectmen Matt Stolnis is now the Ex-Officio for the Cemetery Commission. Mr. Stolnis accompanied Brenda on a tour of all 21 cemeteries and assisted with tagging trees for removal in preparation for beginning a blind bid process for the project. The Cemetery Trustees requested the Board of Selectmen include us in the bid process. We created a DRAFT of a Scope & Detail of the tree removal project. Brenda will submit it at the Department Head’s meeting tomorrow evening.
Ruth received a phone call requesting access and lot information from a monument company seeking to install a monument in Pineground Cemetery on the Hammond lot.
The Pineground Cemetery driveway gate was opened last week. Leavitt Cemetery driveway gate will be opened today. We will request the Town Administrator to post this information on the town website.
Brenda has coordinated with the local Boy Scout Troop to assist with placing gravesite flags in the town cemeteries on May 15.
We reviewed the 2025 Cemetery General Expense spreadsheet and found a discrepancy. We will contact the Town Treasurer to explain two entries that we believe were made in error.
Ruth will be attending the New Hampshire Cemetery Association Spring seminar tomorrow.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Brenda Boswak, Cemetery Trustee, Secretary