City’s semi-annual cemetery cleanup to begin Feb. 1
City of Breckenridge employees will begin its semi-annual cleaning the Breckenridge Cemetery on Monday, Feb. 1, in preparation for the grass and flower season.
In October, the City Commission approved Ordinance No. 20-12, which detailed several changes to the chapter of the City Code of Ordinances that deals with the cemetery. The revised ordinance includes rules for the city’s new columbarium, which is a structure with niches to contain cremated remains.
If any grave site or niche is found to be in violation of the rules, the City may remove and discard the subject of the violation without liability, according to the ordinance. Failure to comply with the rules can be charged with a Class C misdemeanor and, if convicted, subject to a fine of up to $500 for each day the violation continues.
The City staff wants the public to be aware of the following new rules regarding the Cemetery. To read the complete ordinance, click here.
- Rule 18 – No gravel, stone, brick, cement or artificial walks will be allowed upon the lots. No boxes, shells, toys, glassware, trinkets or similar items (other than sleeved vases), except they being attached to the base of an upright monument will be permitted to be placed on any space or lot.
- Rule 19 – No fencing, coping, or enclosure of any nature whatever will be allowed upon lots or graves, except cornerstones for lots which must be level with the ground and made of unpolished granite or bronze to replace markers placed by the City. Initials allowed on only one corner.
- Rule 21 – Solar lights are not permitted.
- Rule 22 – Flower saddles allowed on upright stones only.
- Rule 23 – No benches, chairs or like items shall be permitted on any space or lot. The placing of flowers on a space or lot shall be in a sleeve-type metal container or hanging from a “shepherd’s hook” type hanger. Only one flower arrangement per space will be permitted. The planting of trees, shrubs and bushed will not be permitted without prior approval.
- Rule 24 – For the following special dates, floral arrangements consisting of blankets (maximum size 4-foot-by-6-foot), easels and potted plants may be placed on grave sites three days before through three days after the date, except for Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, which will be five days before and five days after: Easter Sunday, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. At the expiration of the third day after the special date, if the individuals involved have not removed the decorations, the cemetery personnel have been instructed to remove them and not to keep them over 30 days. The City reserves the right to remove any plant, tree or shrub should the same become detrimental or unsightly.
- Rule 29(c) – Any temporary marker that has been in place longer than 90 days will be removed.
The Breckenridge Cemetery is open to the public between 8 a.m. and sundown, and all work performed in the cemetery by anyone other than City employees must be conducted between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Monday through Friday.
For more information, call the cemeterian at 254-559-2075 or call City Offices at 254-559-8287.