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Minutes of the
Lexington Ad Hoc Crematory Study Meeting
March 6, 2019
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Location and Time: 201 Bedford Street; 2nd Floor Training Room; 7:00 P.M.
Members Present: Judith Crocker, George Burnell (EDAC), John Flynn (Board of Health),
Narain Bhatia, Msgr. Paul Garrity (LICA)
Members Absent: Sara Iverson, Bridger McGaw, David Pinsonneault (DPW liaison)
Others Present: Sanjay Padaki (Appropriation liaison), Sandy Beebee (Capital
Expenditures liaison), Douglas Lucente (Chair, and Board of Selectmen liaison), Carolyn
Kosnoff
Documents Presented:
Most documents discussed Ad Hoc Crematory Study committee meetings can be found on this
shared google drive:
https;A drive.google.com/drive/folders/1GgbEsOCpzhUbYXXoxKaa6jfOtYdU5FW?usp=sharing
Mr. Lucente called the meeting to order at 7:03pm.
The committee discussed how to communicate its findings to Town Meeting before Article 20(g),
Appropriate for Westview Cemetery Facility Construction, and Article 6, Appropriate for Cremation
Facility at Westview Cemetery, were presented. Members decided to produce an interim report,
prepare a short presentation, and discussed what information should be shared.
Several committee members had attended a Permanent Building Committee meeting, where the
architect presented his latest Westview Cemetery Building drawings, which included modifications
that would make the facility ready for a crematory addition. There was a discussion on how many
people could be accommodated in the space that would be used as viewing area/ meeting room in
this design.
Mr. Lucente then shared information from Director of Public Facilities, Mike Cronin that indicated
there could be estimated $27.5k left from the total of all the design appropriations for the Westview
Cemetery Facility. Mr. Cronin also shared a rough estimate of what a crematory design could cost
through construction documents, which was $97.5k.
There was then a debate on the assumptions needed to conduct a financial analysis of crematory
operations in Lexington. Mr. Bhatia, using the document, Primary and Secondary Cremation
Markets for Lexington, gave a potential market size of up to 1100 cremations per year. However,
other members believed the number was much less. Some committee members believed only 1
additional staff member was necessary to operate a crematory, but others thought 2 or more could
be required.
Some members expressed concerns that the public wasn't aware that the past two years' cemetery
fee increases will not pay for the entirety of the Maintenance Building construction cost, that the
cemetery operations are subsidized, and there is a state statute requiring every town to have a
cemetery. Most greed there was no compelling reason to delay the Westview project.
The committee concluded the meeting by reviewing members' responsibilities and future meeting
dates. The meeting adjourned at 9:30pm.
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Lexington Ad Hoc Crematory Study Meeting
March 6, 2019
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