Meeting Minutes – April 14, 2014
MINTURN CEMETERY DISTRICT
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
April 14, 2014
Members Present:
Dick Cleveland
Mike Martinez
John Sheehan
Members Absent:
n/a
Staff:
Sidney Harrington
Ray Sforzo
I CALL TO ORDER
John Sheen called the regular meeting to order at approximately 4:00 p.m. at the Riverview Cemetery Mausoleum, Minturn, CO.
II ROLL CALL
John, Dick and Mike were present.
III PUBLIC COMMENTS
n/a
IV APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES
Dick motioned to approve the meeting minutes from March 10, 2014. Mike seconded the motion and all were in favor.
2013 AUDIT PRESENTATION BY ROBERTSON MARCHETTI, P.C. AND MCMAHON & ASSOCIATES
Ken Marchetti and Dan Cudahy presented the 2013 Minturn Cemetery District audit report to the Board and staff. Dan reported that the audit went smoothly and there were no disagreements with management. Internal controls look good and there is adequate segregation of duties for a small organization like this. Financial statements were reviewed and the District is in excellent financial condition. An audit report doesn’t get any cleaner than this. Dick asked if we should be adjusting the budget to eliminate net expenditures over revenue. Dan advised that there is nothing wrong with tapping into reserves when you have them. Ken added that 2013 had larger than normal capital expenses.
John motioned to accept the audit, Dick seconded and all were in favor.
STAFF DISCUSSION
A. Ray gave a property management report:
Ray researched fuel tanks with Collette – they have a 300 gallon minimum tank order but would allow us 100 gallons at $3.60 per gallon (non-roadway. rate). Ray says winter and summer needs vary and we use about 75 gallons of fuel in the winter and about 25 gallons in the summer. Ray is also considering a 40 or 50 gallon tank that sits inside the bed of a truck. He will continue to do research to determine the best fit for our needs.
Additionally, Ray would like to explore a new, lighter machine for spreading gravel. The Town of Avon has one and so does Vail. It has a dump attachment, gravel spreader, and it can remove snow on walkways. The Bobcat is a heavier piece of equipment and can cause damage to the grass. Ray will do some capability and cost comparisons of equipment and report back at a later date.
Cemetery snow removal made out well financially by going with a per-plow contract; however, we still had to call for a plow instead of automatic plowing at 2 inches. It takes approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to plow the cemetery properly when there is 6 inches of snow. We supplemented outside contractor snow removal with our own efforts and it worked out well. It remains a little frustrating that we do not receive plow service first thing in the morning when the gates are opened. Dick commented that it may be unreasonable for us to expect this kind of service during a snow cycle or during the core winter months. Sidney suggested that the per-plow price may have been under-bid.
Spring landscaping and cleanup has begun with the thaw. Last year Rocky Mtn. Custom Landscapes did a good job moving the cemetery as long as Ray was keeping an eye on them. RMCL gives a fair price for mowing; however, their ornamental bed maintenance, irrigation services and scheduling practices do not meet our expectations. Ray recommends we continue to work with RMCL and ensure that our schedule is met and that no service is performed without notice. Furthermore, Ray recommends utilizing Fitz Landscaping for bed maintenance. Dick motioned to contract with RMCL for mowing and John seconded.
Ray would like to “critter-proof” and insulate the maintenance building in the lower cemetery to enhance our storage and use capability in all seasons, especially for staging winter burials. Discussion ensued regarding cost of enhancement and need for heat – propane is an option. Ray will continue to review heat options/critter-proofing and gather pricing for improvements.
The public restroom thermostat required replacement last month. There is another building issue where the roof line is concerned. The freeze/thaw drip line causes water to drain at the bathroom entry and directly into the building. Ray would like to add heat tape and gutter to the roof to assist with water drainage. Ray will get pricing for this as well as for a slot drain.
B. Sidney gave an Administrator report:
Water update: Tom Platzer with Aquatec was here recently to test the water and we got a positive chlorine reading down in the new public restroom; however, there is still no positive chlorine reading up here in the mausoleum. When Sidney met with Jim McNeil and Tom, a reverse osmosis water purifying system was discussed to solve the problem of chlorine not circulating. Ray met with John Volk of Quality Control Professionals, to obtain a second opinion of our water system troubles. John works for the Town of Minturn. Is drinking water from the mausoleum a priority? We do not produce water for consumption so we do not have to adhere to state water requirements. The Board and staff agreed that offering drinking water to patrons is easily done via bottled drinking water. It is no longer necessary for us to carry on with Aquatec on a regular basis (other than regular maintenance) and we will explore alternatives and proposals from others.
A display ad that ran in the Vail Daily resulted in several resume submittals for District legal counsel. Sidney asked the Board for a recommendation of candidates for interviewing.
Discussion followed regarding attorney candidate qualifications. The Board determined that Hayes Phillips Hoffman and Carberry (HPHC) is well qualified in government legal counsel. The District has limited legal counsel needs and working with HPHC’s Matt Mire is likely a good choice. Dick added that HPHC’s range in experience is a benefit. John is also familiar with Matt. Sidney will arrange a meeting with Matt Mire.
Sidney presented the agreement for the Estate of Allen Christensen to the Board for acceptance and signature. A $3000 settlement payment will be sent to John Dunn, the attorney handling the estate.
Sidney reported that payment for the Lucero burials has been received in full.
Burial sites that have not been touched since 1939 are currently being reclaimed by the District per CO state laws for reclaiming graves. Sidney reported that she and Ray will continue to utilize the GPR study from Ramaker to properly mark burials in the cemetery.
Sidney asked about selling burial services pre-need. The Board confirmed that it is okay to sell all of the burial services (plot, excavation, lowering device, layout) pre-need and for future use. Sidney will keep appropriate records in CIMS.
The annual cemetery and funeral convention is taking place in June this year at Estes Park. Sidney passed out conference information to the Board and staff.
VI BILL PAYING
The following electronic funds transfers were made:
EFT 4/2/2014 Century Link 283.04
EFT 4/2/2014 Vail Honeywagon 31.19
The following checks were signed:
4/14/2014 1661 ABC Parts, Inc 182.08
4/14/2014 1660 Aqua Tec Stystems, Inc. 322.00
4/14/2014 1659 Beyond The Tree Woodworks 3,102.75
4/14/2014 1651 Chase Ink 536.05
4/14/2014 1658 Digital FX 500.00
4/14/2014 1662 The Estate of Allen Carl Christensen 3,000.00
4/14/2014 1657 Hayes, Phillips, Hoffmann & Carberry 314.50
4/14/2014 1656 Home Depot 29.40
4/14/2014 1655 Martinez Trucking, Inc. 2,940.00
4/14/2014 1654 Ramaker 1,200.00
4/14/2014 1653 Roberston & Marchetti, P.C. 583.99
4/14/2014 1650 Sforzo Enterprises, Inc. 4,305.00
4/14/2014 1634 Sidney Harrington 2,240.00
4/14/2014 1652 Vail Daily 1,085.61
4/14/2014 1633 Xcel Energy 807.75
IX FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Gutter
Legal counsel
IX ADJOURNMENT
Dick motioned to adjourn the regular meeting and Mike seconded at approximately 6:18 PM.
The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 14, 4:00 p.m., at the Minturn Riverview Cemetery Mausoleum, Minturn, CO.
Respectfully Submitted:
Sidney Harrington
Administrator
ATTEST:
______________________
Mike Martinez
Minturn Cemetery District
Secretary/Treasurer
