Yorkton Council made amendments to the City’s Cemetery Bylaw at its regular meeting Monday.
With the purchase and implementation of new Cemetery Software at the beginning of 2017, administrative processes changed resulting in the current Bylaw having schedules that don’t apply to the new processes, explained Darcy McLeod, Director Community Development, Parks & Recreation, with the City.
“Bylaw revisions were required to update the Bylaw to reflect current administration forms and documents,” he said.
Monument installation requirements were not clear in the Bylaw, allowing anyone to install a monument within the City of Yorkton Cemetery.
With safety and liability being a primary concern as well as maintaining standards, regulations need to be revised and clarified in the Bylaw to ensure the proper procedures and processes are in place. Bylaw revisions were made to clarify the document requirements for the proper installation of monuments in the City of Yorkton Cemetery, explained McLeod.
“Further, fees and charges need to be approved,” he noted.
“The fees and charges are the result of estimating actual costs to the City as well as comparing rates with other municipal cemeteries in Saskatchewan.”
Administration based the 2020 fees on the average Saskatchewan Cemetery costs except in cases where the increase was significant.
“A three percent increase was then applied to each year thereafter,” said McLeod.
“Although a three-year plan is proposed, fees and charges are reviewed annually as part of the operating budget.”
As an example a traditional 36-inch plot, hill location has cost $1165 in 2019. It will rise to $1200 in the current year, $1240 in 2021 and $1280 in 2022, with the amendments unanimously approved by all three readings Monday.
