JAY — Selectpersons will consider an amended Cemetery Policy on Monday that would get the town out of grave-digging and burials and would set new prices for cemetery lots. 

The meeting will follow a special town meeting at 6 p.m. at the Town Office.

The proposed amendment gives responsibility for grave-digging and burials to funeral home directors, Town Manager Shiloh LaFreniere said. The town’s responsibility will be limited to the sale of lots and finding lots for owners and funeral homes.

Town sexton Larry Wright, assisted by the Public Works Department, does all grave openings and burials.

“With the recent budget reductions and less personnel, this is becoming more difficult,” LaFreniere said.

The funeral home directors will hire whom they want to provide the service. They also will set and collect the fees to cover that cost.

Initially, it was thought that not many towns provide grave-digging and burial services but LaFreniere found that several do, she said.

Another change is the number of cremations allowed in one lot. It was previously two, and under the amended policy it would be four.

The updated policy also reflects higher prices for cemetery lots per grave. It would increase the price by $75 to make it $200 for residents and $275 for nonresidents.

NOTE: Wording in this story has been changed to reflect the correct price for cemetery lots. It was an editing error.

dperry@sunmediagroup.net