Trott Brook Cemetery Rules and Regulations

Adopted by the City Council July 12, 2005

Definitions

• Burial Lot Rights Application: Proof of ownership of grave(s) in the Trott Brook Cemetery.
• Burial Lot Rights Transfer Application: Proof of the transfer of ownership of grave(s) in the Trott Brook Cemetery.
• Cemetery: A burial park for earth interments.
• Cemetery Hours: The Trott Brook Cemetery shall be open from sunrise to sunset.
• Cemetery Supervisor: Employee of the City designated by the City Administrator or Public Works Director to oversee the maintenance and operations of the Trott Brook Cemetery.
• Cremation Burial: Burial of cremated human remains in a designated lot.
• Cremation Burial Vault: A container made of concrete or other suitable material as approved by the Cemetery Supervisor, for the purpose of containing an urn or cremation container.
• Cemetery Plot: Cemetery subdivision containing grave lots.
• Disinter/Disinterment: To exhume the remains of the dead.
• Grave Lot(s): A designated parcel within the Trott Brook Cemetery for purposes of containing the remains of the dead.
• Inter/Interment: To bury the remains of the dead.
• Interment Fee: The cost of opening and closing the grave.
• Marker: A flat stone or other suitable material set at grade level and inscribed with the name of the deceased and any other pertinent information.
• Monument: A vertical stone or other suitable material inscribed with the name of the deceased or family name and any other pertinent information.
• Vault: A concrete burial chamber for a casket or urn.

Policy Statement

Trott Brook Cemetery is owned and operated by the City of Ramsey, Anoka County, Minnesota. It is under the supervision of the Administrative Services and Public Works Department.

The City of Ramsey is committed to maintaining a quiet, peaceful and respectful cemetery, as a place for those who have gone before us. To secure this effect and preserve the appearance of the Trott Brook Cemetery requires the cooperation of all lot owners and visitors.

For the mutual protection of every lot purchaser in the Trott Brook Cemetery, the City of Ramsey hereby adopts the following rules and regulations. All lot owners and all lots sold shall be subject to the said rules and regulations, amendments, or alterations as adopted by the City from time to time.

Lots of the Trott Brook Cemetery shall be sold at such rates as the City designates at that particular time. The Ramsey City Council may review the charges made for grave openings, marker settings and winter/summer interment charges. If it is deemed advisable, the City may adjust fees accordingly on an annual basis.

Purchase of Grave Lots

Persons wanting to purchase a grave lot in the cemetery are referred to Administrative Services. The Administrative Services Department will have an inventory showing plots with available grave lots, prices, and other information as may be required and will assist those wanting to purchase the grave lot. All lots will be sold subject to these rules and regulations, or any amendments hereafter.

The grave lot owner shall have the right to use a grave lot or portion of a grave lot for burial purposes only in accordance with the terms of the cemetery rules and regulations. Once full payment is received, a burial lot rights application will be issued and recorded in the City records as evidence of ownership of the grave lot.

The grave lot owner shall have acquired the grave lot for their self and members of their family. However, the grave lot owner may transfer burial rights by filling out a burial lot transfer application from the City (which must be notarized and placed on file with the City) for the burial of other persons.

All burial rights in cemetery grave lots purchased from the City occupy the same position as real estate at the death of the owner. Only such persons whose names appear on the cemetery records of the City will be recognized as owners or part-owners of the grave lots. In case of the death of a grave lot owner, when the cemetery grave lot is to be transferred by a will, a transfer form must be filled out and returned to the city with a certified copy of the will. If the deceased grave lot owner left no will, satisfactory proof of descent must be provided. It is recommended that grave lot owners, in making their wills, include a provision covering all cemetery grave lots and new ownership to one person.

All fees shall be payable to the City of Ramsey.

Under state law, the grave lot owner may not mortgage a grave lot.

Fees and Charges

All fees are set by the Ramsey City Council and may be adjusted annually.

Refer to the fee schedule adopted by the City Council on an annual basis for lot fees.

Interments

No interment shall be made in the Trott Brook Cemetery except upon notice to Administrative Services.

Traditional grave lots shall contain a maximum of one of the following:

• One full burial
• One full burial and one cremation
• Two cremations
• Two infants in one casket
• A mother and child in one casket. Vertical stacking of caskets is prohibited.

No casket or urn shall be interred in the cemetery unless it is enclosed in a concrete vault or box. Ashes must be placed in an urn of like material prior to the burial.

No grave lot shall be opened nor interment made until all interment fees have been paid. Should the grave lot owner or funeral director fail or neglect to designate the location, the City of Ramsey reserves the right to make the interment in a location designated by the City.

The funeral director will handle the hiring and fees of the gravedigger.

All burials shall take place as to follow the complete burial process during City Cemetery hours. The City reserves the right to limit the number of burials, which can be performed on a single day.

Only human remains shall be interred in the Trott Brook Cemetery. Burial of animals is not accepted.

Disinterments

Disinterments of bodies from graves in the Trott Brook Cemetery will be made only in accordance with the requirements of the State Board of Health.

Grave lot owners or their heirs, desiring graves opened, must secure the necessary disinterment permit from the state and deliver it to the City prior to digging. All removals will be made by the City under the supervision of a licensed embalmer.

For sanitary reasons, graves will not be reopened for inspection except for official investigation.

Cemetery Maintenance and Care

The Ramsey Public Works Department provides maintenance to the cemetery grounds to include the grass, leaf disposal, filling sunken graves, raising markers, roads, fences, trees, shrubs, and buildings. Local individual volunteers and/or volunteer groups may pitch in their time for seasonal maintenance. Lot owners or residents who have issues with the care of the cemetery should contact the City of Ramsey.

Each spring, during spring cleanup in the cemetery prior to Memorial Day of each year, all materials in pots or stands will be removed and disposed of to allow for regular maintenance.

The City of Ramsey and its employees shall do all landscaping, grading, and seeding/sodding. All graves will be seeded/sodded and kept flush with the adjacent ground.

The City cannot be held responsible for any damages, loss or theft of any personal property such as flowers, plants, decorations, vases, markers, monuments, etc.

Monuments and Markers

All markers must be flat and set even with the ground, with the option of providing a concrete border to protect the edges of the marker.

All monuments must be placed on a concrete slab that is set even with the ground to act as a foundation and as a barrier between the monument and the grass.

Concrete slabs may only be placed within the plot to act as a barrier or foundation for the markers or monuments. Concrete may not be placed to border or cover the entire gravesite.

All new grave markers and monuments shall be placed within the lots that are being represented. If one marker or monument is representing contiguous lots, the marker or monument will be placed in the middle of the lots.

The individual or family grave marker or monument maintenance is the sole responsibility of the immediate family. The City will not be expending costs to maintain markers or monuments. Any group that wishes to take on the responsibility of maintaining and resetting markers or monuments that become deteriorated may do so using their own funds.

All monuments and markers within the Trott Brook Cemetery prior to the adoption of this policy will be grandfathered in. Should the grandfathered markers or monuments need to be reset, current rules and regulations should be followed as best as possible.

Plantings and Decorations

Flowers and plants must be planted in pots that sit above ground. The City is not responsible for any damage that may occur to these pots. Any fresh flowers that become unsightly will be removed by the City staff using their best judgment. Pots or stands that are left unused on a grave for a period of one year will be removed by staff.

No flowers, trees, shrubs, etc., may be planted in the ground, nor may fences be erected by an individual or group besides the City Staff. If someone would be willing to make a tree or shrub donation for the Trott Brook Cemetery, Administrative Services must be notified. Administrative Services will find a reasonable location to plant the tree or shrub so that it does not harm the property within the cemetery.

Trees, shrubs, and other plants already planted within the cemetery will be grandfathered in after the adoption of this policy.

Artificial decorations, such as statues, dolls, bird feeders, toys, and plant hangers, may be placed directly adjacent to the monument as a seasonal display.

Trott Brook Rules & Regulations (PDF)