Oak Grove Cemetery Audit Set for April 1

The Paducah Parks and Recreation Department is working to improve its maintenance plan and the community's safety at Oak Grove Cemetery.

During Tuesday's City Commission meeting, Parks and Recreation Department Director Amie Clark spoke about a new maintenance schedule.

Staff will be auditing the cemetery twice annually. The first check was set to take place on March 15. However, the board requested a grace period of two weeks to allow the families more time to learn about the changes. The first audit will now take place on April 1.

During each audit, Parks and Recreation crews will remove and discard items that go against the guidelines to secure staff and visitors' safety, prevent damage to maintenance equipment, and increase the efficiency of maintenance. Some of the items that are not permitted include toys, ornaments, borders, plantings, ground covers (such as stones, mulch, gravel, etc.), candles, unsecured benches, or fragile items such as glass.

Clark said they have also made more of an effort to ensure that families know the guidelines.

 Mayor George Bray said he received several messages from families regarding the changes. To understand the issue better, he contacted several other cities within Kentucky to understand how they tackle the issue. 

"It's a universal thing, and it's something that cities have to manage. Last summer, because of COVID, we got really behind on mowing in the cemetery, and we took a lot of arrows on it. We probably deserve some of them," Bray said. "But, this year, we're on top of it. We're going to keep up with the mowing, but to keep up with the mowing and keep the cemetery looking right, we have to be efficient."