Resolution 2003-290
RESOLUTION NO. 03-
16.~.' ";'
~':;I.,;,
?qn
A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A POLICY TO GOVERN THE OPERATION
OF LAKE TRAFFORD MEMORIAL GARDENS
WHEREAS, on July 27, 1982, the Board of County Commissioners of Collier
County, Florida adopted a policy (Resolution 82-105) governing the rights of interment,
administration, maintenance and development of Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens
(Cemetery), said Policy including the disposition of indigent deceased; and
WHEREAS, on September 22, 1987 by Resolution 87-224, and on May I, 1990
by Resolution 90-242, thc Board of County Commissioners adopted revised Policics for
the operation of the Cemetery; and
WHEREAS, the need exists to provide a separate, revised policy for the
operation of the Cemetery to more clearly define the rules and regulations which govern
the administration and development of Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA, that all previous rules and
regulations for Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens be and hereby are revoked and
rescinded, and that the attachcd Policy, a copy of which shall be set forth in the Minutes
of the Board of County Commissioners for this day, be and hereby are declared to be
those Rules and Regulations which shall henceforth govern the administration,
maintenance and development of Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens.
THIS RESOLUTION adopted after motion, second and majority vote.
DA TED:
ATTEST:
DWIGHT E. BROCK, CLERK BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA
By,~,J).C' By,::k- -1J . _
. , Deputy Clerk Tom Hen~
attest .. to Ctla 'l'tlI~..q -0.3
Signature G!11~,
Approved as to form and legal sufficiency:
rtcL t ^-----
Heidi F. Ashton
Assistant County Attorney
{~;......
;' ~.tb;
POLICY
16 E 1 '~'~~I
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OPERA TION OF LAKE TRAFFORD MEMORIAL GARDENS
SECTION ONE: Purpose
On July 27, 1982, the Board of County Commissioners adopted a policy governing the
rights of interment, administration, maintenance and development of Lake Trafford Memorial
Gardens, said policy including the disposition of indigent deceased.
The need exists to provide a separate, revised policy for the operation of the Gardens to
more clearly define the rules and regulations, which govern the administration and development
of Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens.
SECTION TWO: Establishment of Rules and Regulations to Govern Administration and
Maintenance of Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens
A. Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens, a cemetery acquired and maintained by Collier
County for the public benefit under authority of Chapter 63-1243, Special Acts of the Florida
State Legislature, and as recorded in Plat Book 8, Page 32 through 40 of the Public Records of
Collier County, Florida, is subject to the following Rules and Regulations prescribed for the
protection of owners' interment rights therein and for the administration, maintcnance and
development of the "Gardens."
B. Rescission of previous Rules and Regulations - All previous Rules and Regulations
for Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens are hereby rescinded.
SECTION THREE: Scope of Responsibility
The Administrative Services Division Administrator or designee shall be responsible for
sale of lots, burial of indigent persons, maintenance, monitoring of burial procedures to ensure
compliance with the Rules and Regulations established herein, and general administration and
keeping of records concerning Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens.
SECTION FOUR: Regulations Pertaining to Interment
A. Lots or grave spaces shall be used only for burial of human dead. Only one interment
shall be made in a grave (with the exception of interment of mother and infant, or two children in
one casket.)
B. Purchase of lot or grave space shall convey only the right of burial therein, subject to
such regulations as may be in force at the time of burial.
C. Burials in aboveground vaults shall be prohibited.
D. Sites shall be located and staked by Real Estate Services or by contract with a private
individual, firm or organization if the Administrative Services Division Administrator gives such
approval.
E. Burial Casket and Liner Requirements:
(I) Burial in the Adult Section of thc Gardens shall rcquire, at a minimum, a
manufactured, cloth covered casket and a metal or concrete liner.
(2) Burial of decomposed bodies shall require, at a minimum, a metal, sealed
casket similar to the brand name Ziegler and a metal or concrete liner.
16El'1f
(3) Burial in the Infant Section of the Gardens shall require, at a minimum, a .
vault-casket combination, dome-sealed, polyfoam fiber plastic, weather
proofed casket; a vault casket combination shall not require an additional liner
for interment.
(4) All caskets and liners shall be approved by the Administrative Services
Division Administrator or designee and no burials other than with approved
caskets and liners shall bc permitted.
(5) Failure to meet these required burial casket and liner requirements will result
in having any and all interment procedures delayed until these requirements
are satisfied.
F. Notice of scheduled funerals must be given to, and an authorization to bury must be
obtained from the Administrative Services Division Administrator or designce no less than
twenty-four (24) hours before the announced time of the funeral.
SECTION FIVE: Indigent Burials
A. The Administrative Services Division Administrator or designee shall assign burial
spaces for those persons whose finances do not permit the purchase of a grave. Those spaces
will be made available at the request of the Collier County Human Services Director or designee.
Thc selection of such spaces by the County shall be final.
B. The Administrative Services Division Administrator or designee shall be responsiblc
for the opening and closing of gravesites for indigent burials and indigent veteran burials. The
burials of indigent and indigent veterans will be in accordance with the request of the Collier
County Social Services Director or designee.
C. A Request for Deed Certificate to Right of Interment form shall be madc out for each
lot used for burial of an indigent person. The first copy of the Request shall be filed by the
Human Services Director, and the second copy with Rcal Estate Services. No Deed Certificate
shall be made out with respect to the burial of an indigent person.
SECTION SIX: Veteran Section
All vetcran gravesites in Lake Trafford Memorial Gardens shall have flat bronze or
marble grave markers. These markers will be fastened into a concrete slab the size of 27" x IS"
x 4" and securely set flush with turf.
The maintenance for the Veteran Section will be in accordance to the Maintenance
Procedures further explained in Section Nine.
SECTION SEVEN: Sale of Lots
A. Purchase of interment rights shall be from Collier County only. No sales shall be
made other than to natural persons, except to funeral homes for immcdiate use. No resale or
transfer of interment rights other than by involuntary operation of law shall be permitted, except
that the County shall repurchase by quit claim deed any unused right upon request from the
owner thereof for the original price, less recording or othcr fees, and any other actual
determinable expenses. No lot owner shall accept remuneration for the use of his/her lot. No
single buyer shall be permitted to purchase lots in number beyond his reasonable anticipated
requirements as determined by the County. Thesc provisions are expressly for the provision of
any speculation in interment rights.
B. Procedures for sale of lots - The Administrative Services Division Administrator or
designee shall:
(0 Takc caIIs from prospective purchasers.
2
16 E 11,
(2) Execute Request for Dced Certificate to Right of Interment and collect
purchase price:
(a) First copy of Request for Deed Certificate to Right of Interment shall
be given to purchaser as a receipt.
(b) Second copy of Request for Deed Certificate to Right of Interment
shall be retained in Real Estate Services' Lake Trafford Cemctery
files.
(c) Upon execution of a Request for Deed Certificate to Right of
Interment by the Administrative Services Division Administrator or
designee, a Deed Certificate shall be completed and sent to the
Board of County Commissioners' office for exccution by the
Chairman. Upon execution, the Deed Certificatc will be dclivered to
the Clerk of the Courts for rccording. After recording, the Deed
Certificate will be mailed by the Administrative Services Division
Administrator or designee to the purchaser as soon as practical. A
copy of the recorded Deed Certificate will be filed by Real Estate
Services in the Lake Trafford Cemetery files.
(c) When a burial takes place, thc date relating to the deceased will be
entered into the "Record of Interment" section of the Request for
Deed Certificate to Right of Interment. Cross-index cards by
deceased names and Deed Certificate numbers will be completed and
filed.
(d) Arrangement for burials on privately-owned lots would be made
through funeral homes, which provide the site preparation crews.
C. Proceeds from Sale of Lots
(1) Sales price of lots shall be as determined by resolution of the Board of County
Commissioners.
(2) Full payment for grave spaces shall be made in cash or by check.
(3) Proceeds from sale shall be transmitted to the Finance Department, and a
receipt therefore shall be obtained for the Real Estate Services' Lake Trafford
Cemetery files,
(4) The owner of interment rights in any unused lot or group of unused lots may
make application to the Administrative Services Division Administrator or
designee for a return of the purchase price for such lot or lots, less recording fees
and any other determinable actual cost. Upon rcceipt of such a request, the
Administrative Scrvices Division Administrator or designee shall have the owner
execute a quit claim deed for the lot or lots in favor of Collier County, and give
the owners in exchange thereof a receipt specifying thc amount of refund to be
payable upon acceptance of the quit claim deed. Real Estate Services will secure
a refund check from Collier County's Finance Department and mail to the owner
at the address shown on the quit claim deed.
(5) The proceeds from the sale of interment spaces shall be used to help defray
expenses of development, administration and maintenance of the Gardens. All
such funds received over and above such expenses may be deposited in a trust
fund on a yearly basis. Such trust fund, when it shall become large enough that
there is sufficient income for the purpose, shall constitute a perpetual care fund
for further development and maintenance of the Gardens.
3
16E1 ,..,
D. Approved Documentary Forms - the forms listed below are approved for use by the
Administrative Services Division Administrator or designee in accordance with this policy.
(1) Request for Deed Certificate for Right of Interment with Rulcs & Regulations
on reverse side.
(2) Deed Certificate.
(3) Florida Department of Revenue, Return for Transfers of Intcrest in Florida
Real Property.
SECTION EIGHT: Grave Markers
A. In order to preserve uniformity, grave markers shall be approved by the
Administrative Services Division Administrator or designee. The Administrative Services
Di vision Administrator shall have the right to change gravesite requirements when deemcd
necessary.
B. Grave memorials shall be set on the allocated grave space only. No memorial may be
set to embrace two or more grave spaces unless first approved in writing by the Administrative
Services Division Administrator.
C. Only flat bronze or marble tablets, set flush with the turf, may be used as grave
markers. The Administrative Services Division Administrator, prior to the delivery of the
markers to the Gardens, must approve any other grave marker types.
D. The Administrative Services Division Administrator or designee shall have the right
to remove any and all grave markers, grave memorials or personal property placed on a grave
space that is not in accordance with this governing policy.
SECTION NINE: Maintenance Procedures
A. Grass shall be mowed and shrubs and bushes trimmed as needed.
B. Grounds shall be policed and trash removed when accumulations become noticeable.
level.
C. Graves shall be tended and dressed as required; fill shall be added to maintain ground
D. Seed and fertilizer shall be used as needed to maintain grounds.
E. Gardens may be maintained (to include duties of caretaker) by Collier County's Parks
& Recreation Department or Facilities Management Department, or by contract with
a private individual, firm, or organization if the Administrativc Services Division
Administrator gives such approval.
F. The cost of work done at the Gardens shall bc budgeted as a separate section of the
budget.
SECTION TEN: Other Appurtenances
A. Enclosures of any nature, such as fences, arches, hedge or ditch around a lot or group
of lots are prohibited. Grave mounds are also strictly prohibited.
B. No trees, plants or shrubs shall be planted, pruned or removed except with the prior
written approval of the Administrative Services Division Administrator, or designee.
4
SECTION ELEVEN: Conduct
16fl
Any activities within the confines of the Gardens, which are conducted in disregard of its
solemnity, including but not limited to, drunkenness, hunting, picnicking, or the
disposition of trash or litter thereon, are strictly prohibitcd, and offenders shall not be
permitted on the premises and may be subject to prosecution.
SECTION TWELVE: Reservation of Authority
This Policy shall be amended or rescinded only by the authority of the Board of County
Commissioners.
SECTION THIRTEEN: Effective Date
fl.lh This Policy is ,approved and adopted by the Board of County Commissioners this
~day of'<Yr*ml::tr. 2003.
ATTEST:.. J'
DWI~.Hi E. BROCK, CLERK
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
CO~~NT FLORIDA
BY:
~:~ V;.e..
, .' ,Deputy Clerk
Atttst &1 to Cha1M11ft's
signature oolJ.
Tom Henning, Chairman
q .q.o a
Approved as to form and
legal sufficiency:
i1\cL J /Cr----
Heidi F. Ashton
Assistant County Attorney
5
.~,
. ~
,'(~