Planned Violett Cemetery expansion takes initial step

Oct. 31—GOSHEN — Plans to expand the city's Violett Cemetery took an initial step forward Monday during a meeting of the Goshen Board of Public Works and Safety.

At the meeting, board members approved a $24,700 contract with Grever & Ward Inc. to provide cemetery planning services for Violett Cemetery. The cemetery is located on Violett Road, just south of Kercher Road and the Goshen Dam Pond on the city's south side.

According to Goshen Mayor Jeremy Stutsman, who also holds a seat on the board, the contract involves Grever & Ward Inc. providing both a Cemetery Master Plan at a cost of $17,000, as well as a section expansion plan for the cemetery at a cost of $7,700. Time for completion of the work has been project at about 12 to 16 weeks.

"This is a general plan for our cemeteries as we look at opening a new section," Stutsman said of the contract. "It will help with laying out the roads, all the plots, and then also some more in-depth stuff within the department as well."

Stutsman noted that the current plan for Violett Cemetery involves opening a new section on the north end of the property.

As for why the city isn't putting together the plans in-house, Stutsman noted that time constraints within the city's engineering and cemeteries departments lead to the decision to farm out the work.

"This is something that we'd have the ability to do in-house, but with Burt's time — there are only two in the department right now, and next year we're going to a third full-time person," Stutsman said, referencing the city's director of cemeteries, Burt Matteson. "And then engineering, how busy they are, we thought it would be better to get this one farmed out so we can get it back a little quicker."

The remainder of the board's members agreed, and the requested contract was approved unanimously.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business, the board:

—Approved the resignation of Nicholas McCloughen as a full-time officer with the Goshen Police Department effective Friday. It was noted that McCloughen is leaving the department to start a career in the private sector. The board then approved the hiring of McCloughen as a reserve patrol officer with the department.

—Approved a request by Kerry Yaw of Yaw Construction to close the eastbound lane of West Lincoln Avenue, west of Riverside Drive, from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday to allow for the pouring of a concrete patio at the rear of a nearby home.

—Approved a request by City Engineer Josh Corwin for a change order allowing for the addition of a 3c/8 power cable and service point for the new signal at Wilden Avenue and Main Street at a cost of $1,221. Corwin noted that the addition brings the total cost of the Wilden Avenue Reconstruction project to $6,966,241.

John Kline can be reached at john.kline@goshennews.com or 574-533-2151, ext. 240315. Follow John on Twitter @jkline_TGN.