Adopted August 8, 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Purpose ……………………………………………………………………………… Pg. 2
Section 1. Title ……………………………………………………………………… Pg. 2
Section 2. Definitions ……………………………………………………………… Pg. 2
Section 3. Sale of Lot or Burial Space …………………………………………… Pg. 3
Section 4. Fees and Cost ……………………………………………………………
Pg. 5
Section 5. Care of Lots ……………………………………………………………… Pg. 6
Section 6. Correction of Errors ……………………………………………………… Pg. 6
Section 7. Interments ………………………………………………………………… Pg. 6
Section 8. Memorials ………………………………………………………………… Pg. 8
Section 9. Decorations ……………………………………………………………… Pg. 9
Section 10. Visitors …………………………………………………………………… Pg. 10
Section 11. Duties of Township Officials …………………………………………… Pg. 11
Dalton Township Cemetery Policy Approved 08/08/2011 Page 2 of 11

DALTON TOWNSHIP
CEMETERY POLICY
(Adopted August 8, 2011)
For mutual protection of lot owners and the cemetery as a whole, the following rules and regulations have been adopted by the Dalton Township Board as the Rules and Regulations for
Twin Lake Cemetery and Oakland Cemetery. All lot owners and visitors within the cemetery and all lots sold shall be subject to said rules and regulations including any amendments or alterations as adopted by the Township Board.
SECTION 1 - Title
This policy shall be known and cited as the Dalton Township Cemetery Rules and Regulations.
SECTION 2 - Definitions
Adult - A deceased person, for burial purposes includes ages two (2) and over.
Baby - A deceased person between the age of zero (0) and two (2) years.
Cemetery - Land owned by the Township of Dalton designated as a burial park for human remains.
Cemetery Board - Dalton Township Board
Cemetery Coordinator - Employee of the Township of Dalton responsible for the records, sale of lots of the cemetery and the enforcement of those regulations and laws of the State of Michigan with regard to the operations of cemeteries and the burial of human remains.
Cremations - Incineration of a corpse and resulting ashes.
Decorations - structures, ornaments, plantings, or other embellishments, excluding monuments or markers.
Disinterment - To uncover and remove human remains.
Double Grave Space - Area consisting of two (2) side-by-side grave spaces sharing a memorial or marker.
Flower Beds & Openings - An area over the grave plot for planting flowers which is confined to an area no larger than (and within a location measured by) the width of the grave and 12 inches out from the base of said monument.
Grave Plot - One grave within a platted lot.
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Holidays - Days determined by the Board of Dalton Township as non-business days; the Board approves a list of closings per each Fiscal Year.
Interment - To excavate a grave, place human remains, and cover with earth. (Burial)
Lot - Four to eight graves adjacent to each other in a numbered plat.
Marker - Memorial listing information of the deceased that is flush with the ground. Also, see monument.
Memorial - see marker. See monument.
Monument - Granite, marble or bronze statue or structure built as a memorial to a family or individual with in a lot that is not flush with the ground. Also, see marker.
Non-Resident - A person who does not live in the Township of Dalton at the time of purchase; also, a person who was not living in the Township of Dalton at the time of their passing.
Open and Closing - see Internment.
Resident - A person who lived in the Township of Dalton at the time of their passing. Also, when purchasing a burial space, a person currently living in the Township of Dalton.
Single Grave Space - Area consisting of one (1) grave space.
Traditional Burial - A full casket interment; not cremain or baby interment.
Transfer - The transfer of lots or grave plots to another individual in accordance to the rules and regulations (or ordinance).
Township - The Township of Dalton.
Township Supervisor - Employee of the Township of Dalton who provides general supervision to the Cemetery Coordinator as part of his/her duties.
SECTION 3 - SALE OF LOT OR BURIAL SPACE
(A) All sales of cemetery lots and burial spaces shall be made on a form approved by the
Township Board. All sales shall be approved by the Township Clerk in writing. The sale of a cemetery lot or space conveys a right of burial only.
(B) Grave spaces along with said burial deeds and rights may be transferred for a fee as described in section 4. All transfers must be approved by the Township Clerk.
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SECTION 4 - FEES AND COST
(A) The cost of a burial space and said rights shall be as follows:
*Resident: $250.00
*Non-Resident: $500.00
(B) The fee for an internment shall be as follows:
Traditional Burial on Weekdays:
*Resident: $300.00
*Non-Resident: $450.00
Traditional Burial on Saturday:
*Resident: $500.00
*Non-Resident: $800.00
Cremain and Baby Interments on Weekdays:
*Resident: $75.00
*Non-Resident: $125.00
Cremain and Baby Interments on Saturday:
*Resident: $160.00
*Non-Resident: $250.00
Interments of any type occurring after three (3) p.m. will be assessed an additional fee of
$85.
Interments are not available on Sundays or Holidays as determined by the Township of
Dalton.
(C) The cost of a headstone foundation is as follows:
*Resident: $0.20 per square inch.
*Non-Resident: $0.30 per square inch.
(D) The fee to transfer one or more burial spaces along with its said burial deed and rights shall be $25.00 per new deed. A deed may be transferred no earlier than thirty (30) days after it is issued, unless the deed holder passes and it is then transferred to an immediate family member. All transfers must be approved by the Township Clerk.
(E) The Township Board may alter all fees and costs by majority roll call vote. The
Township Board may consider increased costs and the need for having a reserve of funds for future maintenance and property acquirement when deciding new fees and costs.
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SECTION 5 - CARE OF LOTS
(A) General maintenance, which refers to repairs and improvements in the appearance and condition of the cemetery, is the responsibility of the Township and shall include upkeep of the drives, buildings, sewers, water lines, and fences.
(B) General maintenance shall not include the maintenance repair or replacement of any marker, memorial, or mausoleum placed or erected upon lots. Nor, does it mean the reconstruction of any damaged marble or granite work on any lot or grave plot caused by the elements, an act of God, trees, common enemy, thieves, vandals, explosions, invasions, riots, or by order of any military or civil authority.
(C) A Perpetual Care Fund, maintained by the Township on behalf of the cemetery, will hold and invest the principal sum deposited and use the annual income to defray the costs of the general operation of the cemetery. Such costs include spring clean-up, mowing grass, raking leaves, trimming trees and shrubs, repairing sunken graves, and reseeding grave sites after burial.
SECTION 6 - CORRECTION OF ERRORS
(A) The Township of Dalton reserves the right to correct any errors that may be made, either in making interments, disinterments, or removals, or in the description, transfer, or conveyance of any interment property; either by canceling such conveyance and substituting and conveying in lieu thereof, other interment property of equal value and similar location, or as may be selected by the Cemetery Coordinator, or by refunding the amount of money paid on the account of that purchase on the account of said purchase.
In the event the error shall involve the interment of the remains of any person in such property, the Township of Dalton reserves the right to remove and reinter the remains to another property of equal value and reasonably similar location as may be substituted and conveyed in lieu thereof.
SECTION 7 - INTERMENTS
(A) No burials shall take place unless the grave space fee, internment fee, and all other fees have been paid in full.
(B) All interments must be made under the direction of the Cemetery Coordinator, who has control of the opening of graves and all matters relating to burials.
(C) The Cemetery Coordinator must be notified at least twenty four (24) hours before a burial is to take place and the location of the grave must be designated when notice of burial is given. All orders for interments in a grave must be signed by the deceased’s designated representative/arranger; when such notice is impractical, telephoned requests will be received.
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(D) After interment, no changes in location of graves will be made except at the expense of the grave owner.
(E) Funeral Directors must present the Burial-Transit Permit to the Township's Cemetery
Coordinator on the day of the burial.
(F) The number of burials, including cremations and babies, in one grave space are at the discretion of the Cemetery Coordinator, but are limited to no more than one of the following per grave space:
*One adult.
*One adult and up to four (4) cremations and/or babies.
*No more than four (4) cremation burials.
(G) Caskets are not required to be placed in an enclosed, concrete, or steel container (vault) upon burial.
(H) All interments and disinterments will be made by West Michigan Burial Company who will be notified of such by the Township, unless a court order directs otherwise and a proper receipt for the remains is given. No disinterment will be allowed without authorization from the lot owner or his/her designated representative and approval from
Cemetery Coordinator, except by court order. The Township shall not be responsible for damage to the vault, casket, or burial urn when making the disinterment.
(I) In addition to these rules and regulations, all interments, disinterments, and removals are subject to the orders and applicable laws of the State of Michigan.
(J) Consideration for winter burials (November 15 - March 15) will depend upon ground and weather conditions only. Storage of remains is not provided in the cemetery or by the
Township of Dalton.
(K) The cemeteries will be open for interments from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and
Saturdays. Interments are not available on Sundays and holidays. Holidays are listed as the following: New Years Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day,
Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day,
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and dates determined by the Township as Holidays.
(L) The Township will not be responsible for any order given by telephone or for mistakes occurring from the want of precise and proper instructions as to the particular space, size of grave, and location in a lot where interment is desired.
(N) The Township will not be liable for the Burial Certificate of the identity of the person to be interred.
(O) Cremains being scattered anywhere in the cemetery is prohibited.
(P) A casket may not be opened inside the cemetery without the consent of the deceased's family member or a court order.
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(Q) Disinterment may be made only if all necessary permits, or a coroner's order for the purpose of an inquisition, have been provided to the Cemetery Coordinator.
SECTION 8 - MEMORIALS
(A) No monument work or installation will be permitted on any lot until the cost of the lot and foundation is paid in full.
(B) No material except granite, high grade marble, or bronze attached to granite may be used for upright monuments. No material except granite or standard bronze may be used for flush markers.
(C) Prior approval must be obtained from the Cemetery Coordinator for the placement and location of a proposed monument or marker.
(D) The setting of all foundations is under the control and supervision of the Cemetery
Coordinator.
(E) A concrete foundation is required for all stone work and must be the size of the base or larger if deemed necessary. No foundations will be poured between November 1 and
April 15.
(F) Contractors and workers engaged in placing monuments, markers, and foundations will be held responsible for all damages caused by them to the cemetery grounds. A work order for the proposed work must be approved by the Cemetery Coordinator prior to the delivery or installation of such work. Except when prior permission is obtained, no stone work shall be brought into the cemetery or commenced on Saturday, Sunday, or holidays.
(G) Outlining of a grave space(s) or lots with cement, metal, wood, or stone will not be permitted around graves.
(H) Mausoleums are not permitted.
(I) Not more than one upright or flush memorial may be placed on a single grave space, except in the case of a grave space containing two (2) to four (4) cremains or babies where the option of two (2) markers are allowed according to these Rules and
Regulations. (Amended 11/14/2011)
(J) Individual markers must be placed flush with the ground on lots where a family monument is also placed.
(K) The Township Board has the right to deem a marker, monument, or other memorial inappropriate and thus prohibit its placement in the cemetery. The owner of any such memorial shall be responsible for its removal and said expenses.
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(L) Monument sizes are restricted by the relevant number of grave plots:
All Sections - Upright or Flush Markers.
The number of allowed stones per grave is described in Section 8(I).
MAXIMUM SIZE ALLOWED
2-4 Cremains (single grave) 8" wide x 16" long x 48" high
Single Grave 12" wide x 24" long x 48" high
12" wide x 48" long x 48" high Double Grave
(Amended 11/14/2011)
SECTION 9 - DECORATIONS
(A) Planting or removal of trees and shrubs will be under the direction of the Township and all such costs are the responsibility of the plot owner or his or her designated representative. Shrubs, flowers, and other plants are not to exceed a height of four (4) feet at full growth. The planting of spreading or climbing plants is forbidden.
(B) The enclosure of a lot or grave by a hedge, wall, curbing, fence, or other enclosure is not permitted. Trees and shrubs cannot be used to mark the boundaries of a lot.
(C) The Cemetery Coordinator reserves the right to remove any article deemed unsightly or undesirable from any lot or grave plot.
(D) Glass jars, tin cans, etc, are forbidden as holders for cut flowers.
(E) Single grave plots are limited to urns of 12" diameter, or an individual flower bed, inground, but not both. Two or more graves in a lot will be permitted to have either an urn or an individual flower bed, but not both. All urns are to be placed in line with the monuments.
(F) Flowers are allowed but are limited to 12 inches from the monument or marker and no wider than the grave space's monument. Spreading and climbing plants are forbidden.
(G) All flowers and plants should be removed from lots and graves prior to October 15th of each year. Lot owners wishing to save plants and flowers should remove them before this time. If they are not removed, urns will be emptied and turned over at that time by cemetery staff. Winter decorations cannot be placed until December and should be removed on or before February of each year.
(H) The Township will not be responsible for memorials placed before a proper foundation is placed.
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(I) The Township retains the right to remove and trim any flowers, shrubs, trees, or deteriorating marker or urn if it has become unsightly, dangerous, interferes with the proper maintenance of the cemetery, or violates other provisions of these Rules and
Regulations.
(J) Maintenance of flowers, monuments and urns or replacements of such due to damage from the elements, trees, thieves, vandals, or accidental mowing or trimming are not the responsibility of the Township.
(K) Urns not used for three (3) consecutive years will be considered abandoned and will be removed.
(L) Mounds which hinder the use of a lawn mower or other gardening equipment are prohibited.
(M) Surfaces other than earth and sod are prohibited.
SECTION 10 - VISITORS
(A) The cemetery grounds will be open to visitors from dawn until dusk. Business hours are from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m at Dalton Township.
(B) Except for maintenance personnel and hearses when needed, vehicles are to remain on established drives. Drivers will be responsible for any damage caused by their vehicles.
(C) Traffic laws of the Township of Dalton which are applicable to the operation of vehicles in cemeteries are to be observed. Funeral processions must not be passed and driving close to a funeral service should be avoided when possible.
(D) No children under the age of 16 years of age will be admitted unless attended by an adult or someone responsible for their conduct.
(E) All persons are prohibited from picking any plants, whether wild or cultivated, injuring any tree or shrub, marking any monument or structure, or in any way defacing the grounds of the cemetery.
(F) Boisterous or profane language, loitering, soliciting, or advertising is not permitted in the cemetery.
(G) Except in the case of military funerals and Memorial Day exercises, no one is permitted to carry firearms into the cemetery.
(H) Animals are not permitted to enter or remain in the cemetery.
(I) Depositing rubbish or debris on the cemetery grounds is prohibited except in waste receptacles provided.
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(J) Operating snowmobiles within the boundaries of the cemetery is prohibited.
SECTION 11 - DUTIES OF TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS
(A) The Township Clerk shall maintain records concerning burials, burial permits, and any perpetual care fund. Records shall be separate from other Township records and shall be open to public inspection during business hours. All sales and transfers of burials spaces or lots are subject to approval of the Township Clerk.
(B) The Township Supervisor, Clerk, and Treasurer shall enforce all matters of this policy other than the maintaining of records.
(C) Any decision made by the Township Clerk, Supervisor, Treasurer, or Cemetery
Coordinator may be brought to the Township Board for a final decision.
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