Grants cemetery expands, adopts new rules, costs
City purchases 23 lots on five acres of land east of North Sage Street

By Tom Purdom
Staff Writer

GRANTS — City officials recently bought five acres of land adjacent to the city cemetery, changed fee schedules for urn plots and approved a new rule limiting the time burials can take place.

The city bought 23 lots on about five acres of land on the east side of North Sage Street for $65,100 and then added in another $6,000 for closing costs.

The land was owned by La Jolla Development, Willard Smith, vice president.

John Rhoderick, assistant city engineer, said eventually the property will be turned into cemetery plots. "We don't have any immediate needs to develop this property," Rhoderick said. "We have a substantial number of plots available in this new section of cemetery we're still opening."

At the same time, Rhoderick said it makes sense to go ahead and buy the property with the money the city has rather than letting someone else develop the property. "There won't be plans to make modifications to this for quite some time," Rhoderick said.

City Manager Bob Horacek said the city may put a storage building on the property in the meantime.

Rhoderick said the new property may mean up to 4,000 more plots in the future. Horacek said about 125 additional plots per year are being used.

A new cemetery rule was discussed and approved, limiting internments from Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Councilor Ruben Aranda said the reason the new rule is being sought is for reasons of safety for crews who must cover graves after the burial. Primarily, during the fall, when darkness comes earlier, it sometimes put crews covering graves into the darkness operating heavy equipment. Operations Management International contracts with the city of Grants to care for city parks, including the cemetery, as well as operate and care for the city water and sewer systems. Aranda works for OMI and runs the parks department for the company.

Aranda said the mortuaries should be notified of the new rule.

At first the rule had a $150 charge for burials happening after the deadline, but council members did not like that idea and approved only the 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. time limit.

Aranda said the rule change is not meant to punish anyone, but only for safety sake. He said the $150 charge was to cover overtime costs for workers covering graves.

In still another cemetery move, the councilors approved new prices for en plots:

• The old standard charged $300 for a city resident adult en plot. The new charge is $150.
  
• The old standard charged $100 for a city resident child en plot. The new charge is $150.
  
• For a Cibola County adult the old charge for the en plot was $500. The new charge is $250.
  
• Cibola County child en plots were $100 and the new cost is $250.
  
• Out of county adult urn plots were $800 and the new cost is $400.
  
• Out of county child en plots were $100 and the new cost is $400.
  

Contact reporter Tom Purdom at (505) 285-6184.