Administrative Regulation 12.26

ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATION:   AR: 12.26 DATE APPROVED: February 12, 2013
SUBJECT: Stage Stand Cemetery - Operational Policies and Procedures ORIGINATING DEPARTMENT: Community Services

POLICY:

Citrus County owns, operates and maintains Stage Stand Cemetery located at 4511 S. Suncoast Blvd., Homosassa, FL

PROCEDURE:


Sec 1. – Intent.
The Citrus County Board of County Commissioners owns, maintains and manages the Stage Stand Cemetery for the benefit of its citizens.  The Cemetery shall be used solely for the burial of human remains.  Human remains means the bodies of deceased persons in any stage of decomposition, including cremated remains.

Section 2. – Burial right for interment.
The Citrus County Board of County Commissioners shall offer burial rights for the interment of human remains within the Stage Stand Cemetery.  The burial rights offered by the County apply to an identified interment space within the Stage Stand Cemetery and shall not purport to transfer title to real property within the County’s cemetery.  The County Parks and Recreation Division shall maintain a record of all burial rights sold, a record of all burial right certificates and an inventory of remaining interment spaces.  Any individual or business desiring to inter human remains in the Stage Stand Cemetery shall present a Funeral Directors Application and evidence of burial right ownership to the County Parks and Recreation manager, or his designee, before interment occurs.  Prior to interment, the Funeral Home is to ensure perspective plot is vacant and available for use.  No individual or business may inter or disinter human remains within the Stage Stand Cemetery without notifying the County prior to such interment or disinterment.

Sec. 3. – Fees.
County will charge various fees associated with the purchase of burial rights and other services as follows:

Plot Reservation – Resident - $200.00
Plot Reservation – Non-Resident - $500.00
Transfer of Reservation Fee - $50.00

Sec 4. – Interment Requirements.
Interment and disinterment of human remains is to be conducted by a licensed Funeral Home.  The licensed Funeral Home will be responsible for meeting Federal and/or State requirements for interment and disinterment of human remains and will provide temporary markers inscribed with the name of the deceased until a permanent headstone or marker is installed.

Sec. 5. – Sale or transfer of burial right.
In order to maintain a complete and accurate record of all burial rights, an individual desiring to sell or transfer a burial right shall notify the County Parks and Recreation Division, in writing, of the proposed sale or transfer and provide a copy of an original receipt showing purchase of a reservation.  Upon the County’s receipt of such notification the County will issue a written transfer letter.  The individual shall then transfer the burial right to the County Parks and Recreation Division, which will then transfer the burial right to the transferee.  The County may charge an Administrative fee for such transfer as depicted in this document.

  1. The County assumes general upkeep and care of the Stage Stand Cemetery which includes general mowing, tree trimming, etc.. The County does not provide special care to any portions of the cemetery.
  2. It is understood that certain individuals, groups and organizations may from time to time wish to provide special improvements within the cemetery for the beautification of the cemetery and overall public benefit. If an individual wishes to perform or have a contractor perform additional or special work to any area of the cemetery, the individual may submit a written request describing the special work to the County’s Parks and Recreation manager.  Such written request must include a complete description of the proposed special work including plans or drawings of the proposed special work, if necessary.
  3. The Parks and Recreation manager will consider the request and make recommendation to the County Administrator, or designee as to the desirability of completing such special work. The County Administrator’s, or designee decision to grant or deny such request represents the County’s final decision regarding the special request.
  4. Before beginning construction of approved special work, the individual making such request shall provide to the County a refundable security deposit in an amount to be set by County Board of County Commissioner resolution. The County will refund this deposit or a portion of this deposit upon the completion of the special work and after the County has performed a final inspection of the special work.
  5. In the event any damage or injury is occasioned by the construction of the special work, the County will deduct the costs of all repair, replacement, or reconstruction from the deposit.

Sec. 7. – Stage Stand Cemetery rules and regulations.
The following rules and regulations shall apply to the Stage Stand Cemetery.  At any time a violation of these rules and regulations is encountered by the County, it may be remedied by the County without notice.  The County, without notice, may remove all articles or objects found upon cemetery property that are in violation of these rules and regulations.

  1. No enclosures or barriers are permitted within the cemetery except for marble or granite slabs. Slabs may be permitted by the County only upon prior request and permitting and only after the appropriate permit fee has been paid to the County.
  2. Government markers, when used as foot markers, shall be installed flush with the surface of the ground.
  3. The planting of trees or shrubs is prohibited, with the exception of small decorative plants that will not create future maintenance issues.
  4. No decorative objects of any nature or kind are permitted to remain upon any interment space within the cemetery. Decorative objects may include but are not limited to chairs, shells, or lawn ornaments.  Ceramic figures or toys may be placed upon interment spaces and may remain thereon for a reasonable period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days.
  5. Arrangements, wreaths, potted plants, artificial flowers in baskets or unbreakable containers may remain upon interment spaces so long as such are placed in close proximity to the front or the side of the headstone, however these items may be removed due to condition or placement.
  6. Permanent seating may be placed within the cemetery only after the County has issued a permit for such. Such seating shall only be placed upon existing interment spaces and may not encroach upon cemetery common property.
  7. Permanent mounding of interment spaces is prohibited. Mounding is only acceptable for a reasonable period of time after interment to allow for settling however the interment space must return to a level state consistent with surrounding grade.
  8. The County or its employees assumes no liability for any damages, including mental anguish, in the performance of its normal operations, or loss or damages caused by vandalism or other acts beyond its reasonable control.

Sec. 8. – Removal of trees, shrubs or plants.
The County retains the right to plant or remove trees, shrubs or plants within the cemetery in its sole and absolute discretion.  No individual may remove existing trees, shrubs, flowers or plants from any area within the cemetery.

Sec. 9. – Burials for indigent persons.
Pending space availability, the County shall establish a section of the cemetery dedicated for indigent burials.  The County is under no obligation to provide this service at this cemetery.  At the death of an indigent person, the funeral director shall bring evidence of such indigency to the County Parks and Recreation manager and Support Services Senior Programs Assistant.  If indigence shall be determined, that person shall be buried in the County cemetery at no charge at a location to be determined by the County Parks and Recreation manager.

Sec. 10 – Dispute resolution.
All disputes are to be submitted in writing to the County Parks and Recreation manager for resolution.  All attempts to rectify the dispute will be made.  Due to the age of this cemetery, it is understood that available records may be inconsistent.  In the event that interments have occurred within plots with other reservations, the County will make an earnest attempt to accommodate the individual with the reservation.  If available, alternative plots will be offered or a refund of the original purchase price made.


FOOTNOTES & REFERENCES RELATED TO AR's: