06/08/2009 Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Cemetery Improvement Proiect Ms. Wenger offered apologies for not scheduling a Cemetery Improvement Committee meeting this month. Work has been continuing. diligently on a couple fronts. Records continue to be consolidated into one main database. Several years ago Ms. Granfors created a Microsoft Access searchable database for the cemeteries for the Engineering Department. This database may be used as a model or expanded for use. The intention is to create a publicly searchable on-line database that can be searched by various types of data. The Planning Department SITES student, Phil Tomko began the work on this project. SITES student Emily Uhlik continued with work on the database. Both graduated this year. The July 18 and 19 dates for the Cemetery Restoration Workshop have been confirmed. The Ohio Historical Society may be able to subsidize as many as four registrations for the class. Ms. Wenger is trying to get a wider group of people to attend from various civic groups. Ms. Granfors will create a list of those who can firmly commit. Another main focus is fundraising. Municipalities are struggling financially. Little or no funding for this project can be expected in the 2010 budget. Therefore, we must focus on donations. Fundraising ideas include getting other boards and commissions involved. For example, the Cultural Activities Commission, through Dover Players, is considering allowing their fall production of Artful Murder to double as a cemetery improvement fundraiser by increasing ticket prices. Guests would receive information on the project and know they are getting more for their ticket price. Promoting the play will mutually benefit Dover Players and the cemetery improvement cause. Mr. Schumann said that Frostville Museum is an excellent venue for fundraising. It is his goal to open Frostville for various philanthropic group events. The charity is benefited as well as the Olmsted Historical Society through concession sales at the events. Lisa Nemeth of North Coast Productions is working with the Cultural Activities Commission on the Annual Juried Arts and Crafts Festival. She is interested in organizing another art show in the fall. Mr. Schumann will approach the OHS board concerning this and other event ideas. The 2009 OHS and Frostville Museum schedule is rather full. A fundraiser for the cemetery improvements fits with Mr. Schumann's vision of future events at Frostville. Mr. O'Malley wondered if the Cultural Activities Commission would consider taking their show on the road and performing at Frostville. Mr. Schumann said the barn seats 100 not including space for a stage however the schedule is full this year. Ms. Wenger agreed that Old Town Hall provides limited seating space. Perhaps another facility like Frostville or the Middle School could be used without charge to increase attendance. Ms. Wenger reported that estimates for cemetery surveys, approximately $8000, have been obtained. The cost is reasonable but there is no funding available in this year's budget. The fee covers three major services: existing conditions, staking new areas, and re-staking where needed. If toward the end of the year a surplus is found, the city may be able to finance the work. The conceptual planning can move forward but it is difficult to continue with physical planning without the results of the survey. Ms. Wenger is working on scheduling a speaker for the committee, possibly Dr. Indira Gesink, a professor at BW College. Mr. Thomas aslced if the survey work includes finding graves that are urunarked. Ms. Wenger said a former SITES student, now a graduate student, has become a subject matter expert in cemetery restoration. He has experience with a company that provides ground penetrating radar in a Berea cemetery. The