Central Point Cemetery
Rules and Regulations
(Approved by Central Point City Council - April 22, 2021)
Purpose: It is the goal of the City of Central Point to maintain the Central Point Cemetery as a quiet and restful place for the deceased and to provide their families and friends with the assurance that the facility will be taken care of in a thoughtful manner. Our objective is not to attempt to interfere with individual tastes, but to enact rules and regulations that will benefit and protect all lot owners and provide for the efficient management and maintenance of the cemetery grounds.
1. General Regulations
A. Ownership and Management
1. The Central Point Cemetery is owned by the City of Central Point and managed by the Parks and Recreation Department. The Cemetery Manager will be the City’s representative, responsible for day-to-day management of the cemetery.
2. All questions concerning cemetery records, permits, interment arrangements and other services may be directed to the Cemetery Manager. Offices are located 140 S. 3rd Street, Central Point. The phone number is 541-423-1012 and the email is dave.jacob@centralpointoregon.gov.
3. The City of Central Point is in no way responsible for damage or loss to any lot, including markers, urns, or grave decorations.
4. The Central Point Cemetery is declared to be a historic cemetery as listed in the Oregon Historic Cemeteries Program.
B. Hours of Operations
The Central Point Cemetery will be opened from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
C. Services to be provided by cemetery personnel include:
1. Interment and disinterment – The Cemetery Manager will assist with locating grave sites only. It is the responsibility of the plot owners to make arrangements for preparing graves or exhuming a body; permit required.
2. Installation of marker; monument, or urns; Cemetery Manager will assist with
locating marker site and with use of appropriate materials and installation methods as per the Central Point Cemetery Management Plan; permit required.
3. Cemetery maintenance including mowing of the grounds at reasonable intervals, seasonal removal of leaves and other debris, trimming of grass around markers and monuments, and other cemetery repairs as needed.
4. General maintenance such as tree work, road work, trash removal, etc. will be performed as necessary. Organization and management of volunteer maintenance programs.
5. Assisting the public in locating gravesites.
D. Conduct in the Cemetery will be in accordance with all City of Central Point
Ordinances and will include the following: It shall be prohibited to:
1. Throw rubbish or debris on any part of the cemetery grounds.
2. Pick or mutilate any flower or disturb any tree, shrub, or other plant material.
3. Consume alcoholic beverages on the premises.
4. Smoke any substance or use tobacco in any form.
5. Permit any domestic animal other than dogs to enter the cemetery. Dogs must be on leash at all times within the cemetery grounds.
6. Discharge a firearm in the cemetery unless part of an authorized salute at
burial or memorial services.
7. Set off fireworks on cemetery grounds.
8. Damage any monument, maker, urn, or other structures on cemetery property.
9. Use any form of advertising or sell any product on the premises.
10. Drive in excess of 5 mph.
11. Drive off established roads without permission of the management.
12. Gain entrance to the cemetery except via established entry points.
13. Gain entrance to the cemetery before dawn or after dusk.
14. Use motorized pleasure vehicles such as snowmobiles, go-carts, motorcycles, etc. within the cemetery.
15. Disturb or harm wildlife on cemetery property.
2. Burial Plots
A. The Central Point Cemetery shall be used for the burial of human remains or ashes only. The burial of nonhuman remains is prohibited and nonhuman remains may be removed by the city.
B. Only preexisting contracts for burial plots sold prior to City ownership will be honored by the City. Proof of ownership of each plot is required and the responsibility of the plot owner(s). If proof of ownership is not available an affidavit may be submitted as proof of ownership. At a minimum, the affidavit shall contain the following information: Name of person requesting interment rights and relationship to person to be interred; name of person to be interred, burial space location; and a statement that no other person or agent has been given interment rights to said burial space.
C. Cremains shall be placed in an urn container and properly placed in the cemetery so that accurate records may be kept. No scattering of ashes is allowed.
D. The Cemetery Director will determine and mark where a burial space shall be opened for placement of a casket or urn.
E. The City shall require forty-eight (48) working hours’ notice prior to any interments and fourteen (14) working days’ notice prior to any disinterment or removal. Any interment, disinterment, or removal may be postponed longer if conditions beyond the control of the City cause undue hardship.
F. If a burial plot is not available in a family plot due to unforeseen circumstances, the Cemetery Manager, at his or her discretion, may work with the plot owner to find an available plot in another area of the cemetery.
3. Operational Policies
A. The Cemetery Director and city staff will not be available after normal working hours unless prior arrangements have been made. For purposes of these rules working hours or working days mean Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
B. After hours and weekends calls will be recorded and responded to by the Cemetery Manager during normal working hours. Messages can be left at 541-664-3321. For after hours and weekend emergency, call 911 or the city water, street, parks message line at 541-326-3682 depending on the nature and urgency of the emergency.
4. Funerals
A. Requirements:
1. Unless arrangements with the City have been made and appropriate applications, permits, and fees submitted; no interments will take place.
2. No interment will take place without a signed Interment Authorization Form as required by the State of Oregon.
3. All burial containers must be approved by the Cemetery Director.
4. Funeral directors making arrangements for burials will be responsible for all charges not paid by the plot owners.
5. One adult or child interment is permitted per grave space unless otherwise approved by the Cemetery Director.
6. Openings requested by funeral directors will be construed as requested by the plot owner. The City of Central Point shall not be responsible for errors in openings if given incorrect information by funeral directors or plot owners.
B. Services:
1. All funeral processions within the cemetery will be under the direction of the Cemetery Manager.
2. Workers will suspend their labors during graveside services.
3. Funeral designs and floral pieces will be removed by the City when they become unsightly.
4. Cemetery Director must be present at all grave openings and closings.
5. It is the responsibility of the plot owner or the funeral director to prepare grave sites for burials.
5. Lot Care
A. Monuments, Markers and Foundations:
1. Family plots consisting of three or more spaces may have a monument identifying the family name placed upon a space with the plots. The Cemetery Director will decide where the monument is to be placed.
2. For single spaces, one marker is permitted per grave space.
3. All monuments and markers are to be constructed of durable granite, cut stone, standard bronze, quality marble, or standard metal as used by veterans’ organizations as per the Central Point Cemetery Management Plan. Other materials have to be approved by the Cemetery Director, in the Cemetery Director’s sole discretion.
4. Monuments and markers may be installed upon a foundation constructed by the plot owner or their agent at the plot owner’s expense in accordance with Central Point Cemetery Management Plan. When completed site must be left in an orderly condition.
B. Decorations:
Decorations are defined as anything natural or artificial such as but not limited to figurines, flowers, stuffed animals, ornaments, wrought iron, urns, photographs and similar type objects.
1. In additional to any urn(s), a space owner may decorate a grave site with artificial or natural flowers which can be placed in a metal or plastic container suitable for display. Glass containers or decorations are prohibited. Military flag holder(s) and flags for those that served in the military, as well as those by recognized community organizations such as Rotary are exempt from these regulations. Stuffed animals are prohibited except those placed during initial interment. Decorations deemed to be excessive in the sole discretion of the Cemetery Manager will be removed.
2. Copings, fences, curbs, mound, structures of wood or equally perishable materials are prohibited. Structures or enclosures established on any space prior to the addition of these regulations, which have in the judgement of the management become unsightly, will be removed.
3. The planting of flowers, perennials and shrubs on a space is not permitted.
4. No tree or shrub may be pruned or removed without the consent of the Cemetery management.
5. Planting of trees will be done by cemetery personnel and only at locations approved by and maintained by the City.
6. Hanging decorations on any tree, shrub, and/or other structure in the cemetery is prohibited except when given permission by the Cemetery Director.
6. Rules Violations
These regulations are designed to preserve the appearance and dignity of the Central Point Cemetery. Staff may remove from the cemetery any person violating any of the above rules and regulations.
7. Change of Rules
Except as otherwise provided, the Central Point Cemetery shall be administered by the City Manager, or his or her designee, who shall have full authority to prescribe regulations governing the operation and maintenance of the cemetery. Proposed new or modified regulations will be reviewed by the Central Point Parks and Recreation Commission and shall be submitted to the Central Point City Council for review and approval at least 30 days prior to effective date.
