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ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: February 28, 2000
Author/Local: Ian Shepherd/325-2646RTS NO. 00977
CC File No. 5127
Council: March 7, 2000
TO:
Vancouver City Council
FROM:
Director of Non-Market Operations and Manager of Mountain View Cemetery
SUBJECT:
Amendments to Cemetery By-law 4162
RECOMMENDATIONS
A. THAT Council instruct the Director of Legal Services to prepare the necessary By-law amendments, subject to the Registrar of Cemetery and Funeral Services approval, to implement the recommendations contained in the companion Master Plan and Implementation Report, specifically as follows:
(1) To allow for the sale of Licenses to Use the Cemetery to the public with a limit of 200 pre-need Licenses issued per calendar year, pre-need is defined for the purposes of this By-law as being a contract under which, in consideration of full payment made in advance, the Cemetery contracts to provide future cemetery services for one or more persons who are alive at the time the contract is entered into;
(2) To provide for higher License and Perpetual Care fees for non-residents than residents;
(3) To provide that a License may be:
a) transferred to a family member, defined for the purposes of this By-law as a parent or step parent, a grandparent or step grandparent, sibling (natural, adopted or step), a spouse, a
common-law spouse, a same-sex spouse, a child (natural, adopted or step) or a grandchild, (natural, adopted or step);
b) surrendered to the City of Vancouver for reimbursement at the original price, less the Perpetual Care portion and a 25 % administration fee;
(4) To allow for above-ground interment of human remains or cremated remains in approved structures using criteria contained in the Master Plan Report;
(5) To allow for provision of scattering of cremated remains in designated locations to be determined by the Manager of Mountain View Cemetery following the guidelines of the Master Plan Report;
(6) To allow for provision for commingling of cremated remains is designated locations to be determined by the Manager of Mountain View Cemetery following the guidelines of the Master Plan Report;
(7) To allow plaque installations, memorial trees, memorial benches and upright markers in designated areas.
B. THAT the General Manager of Community Services report within eight months with further By-law amendments to accommodate new products and services and for other housekeeping amendments;
C. THAT Council approve the revised Cemetery Fee Schedule, as set out in Appendix B of this report;
D. THAT Council instruct the Director of Legal Services to prepare the necessary By-law amendments accordingly.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Community Services RECOMMENDS approval of Recommendations A, B, C and D.
COUNCIL POLICY
Council resolved that the Cemetery cease to provide grave spaces after April 1, 1986.
There is no applicable Council policy for Recommendations A. and B.
City Council has resolved that every department/board review services for which fees are now charged to ensure full cost recovery, or that fees are equivalent to competitive charges where the fee is of a market nature.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this report is to seek Council approval to amend the Cemetery By-Law 4162 to permit the sale of Cemetery Licenses for in-ground and above-ground interments to residents and to non-residents under different fee structures; to permit alternative options for memorialization as provided in the companion Master Plan Report; to increase the fees for existing services and products; to establish fees for new services and products and all recommendations of this report are subject to approval from the Registrar of Cemetery and Funeral Services for the amended By-Law.
BACKGROUND
The cemetery is governed by the Cemetery and Funeral Services Act. The Attorney General's Department of Consumer Services appoints a Registrar to administer and enforce the Act. The Act also requires municipalities to adopt By-laws respecting the administration and operation of the cemetery; rights and privileges of the operator; rates and charges; and the size, type and materials used for memorials in the cemetery. A copy of each municipal By-law must be sent to the Registrar for their approval.
As Mountain View Cemetery operates under the Cemetery By-law, implementation of the Master Plan and Business Plan requires amendments to the Cemetery By-law. The proposal for amendments to the Cemetery By-law is then vetted by the Registrar of Funeral and Cemetery Services for approval in principle. Subsequently, the Director of Legal Services presents the amended By-law for Council's approval. Once Council approval is given, the amended By-law is filed with the Registrar of Funeral and Cemetery Services.
On December 10, 1985, Council approved the closure of the Mountain View Cemetery for all burials effective April 1, 1986, "save to provide burial services to those plots sold and leased on a pre-need basis". Since that time the Cemetery has been performing a "caretaker" function. Since that time the fees were adjusted occasionally for cost of living.
Since 1986 there have been many changes in Vancouver's population and how the people have chosen to deal with interment. Almost all of the surrounding municipalities have kept pace with these changes, with the private sector at the forefront of anticipating and reacting to changes in people's attitudes and interests in the funeral industry.
In 1998, Council approved fee revisions to bring Mountain View Cemetery's fees in line withother municipal cemeteries. Should Council approve the Master Plan report, the fee change recommendation will allow the implementation of the Master Plan to proceed as quickly as possible.
DISCUSSION
Before the recommendations of the concurrent Master Plan Report can be implemented there is a need for some changes to the City's Cemetery By-law. The recommendations in this report are generally to facilitate implementation of the initiatives.
The decision to cease selling access to grave spaces in the 1985 was based on the concern about "...the expenditure required to obtain additional land in the current economic climate,...". The Master Plan process identifies a variety of interment and memorialization alternatives that make better use of the existing cemetery but which could not have been foreseen in 1985.
As part of the Master Plan process staff identified 4,500 unused graves spaces. Following the procedures in the Cemetery and Funeral Services Act, the public were asked to provide documentation of a License purchased between 1887 and 1948. Very few documents were received. With the agreement of the Registrar, the Cemetery will maintain a reserve of 450 graves. The other 4,050 graves spaces will be made available as soon as possible for the future needs of families people Since the "closure" in 1986,
Since the closure, there have been no Licenses for Cemetery Use for sale. In fact, the By-law was amended to remove references to their availability. As part of the Operational review of the Cemetery, unused grave spaces have been identified and reclaimed following the provisions of the By-law and the Act. So that the needs of the citizens can be met, as conveniently as possible, staff recommend that as-needed License sales begin when the amended Cemetery By-law has been approved by Council and by the Registrar. Research has shown that many people are interested in planning cemetery arrangements in advance of need. To allow Vancouver's citizens access to their cemetery in future years, staff recommends that a maximum of 200 Licenses for burial spaces be sold on a pre-need basis.
Land in most cemeteries is a limited commodity. In-ground burials and above-ground mausoleums are the most land intensive interment options. To preserve citizens access to the cemetery in their community, most municipalities have amended their by-laws to have higher fees for non-residents than for residents. License and Perpetual Care costs are generally double those for non-residents whereas the interment and any other goods or services are the same. While the private sector has no restrictions on residency, staff recommend the practise of charging more to non-residents that is followed by most municipally operated cemeteries in the province.
Land, including cemetery plots can increase in value over time. To prevent this type of land speculation, most municipalities require that, if a License Holder has not used the grave space and they wish to dispose of the License, they must sell the License back to the municipality. Staff recommend that this policy be initiated through an amendment to the Cemetery By-law. The recommended refund is the original price less the Perpetual Care portion (including the non-resident portion), less a 25 % administration charge on the original License price.
Above-ground columbaria make very efficient use of land because cremated remains are compact and the needs of many families can be accommodated in a relatively small area. Presently the Vancouver Cemetery By-law does not allow this type of interment. With almost 75 percent of Lower Mainland people choosing cremation, the By-law needs an amendment for Mountain View Cemetery to meet this demand. Because of the more efficient use of land with ash interment staff recommends sales be open to all for niche spaces.
There is growing interest in scattering ashes in ponds. Also more people are choosing to have their cremated remains deposited in an in-ground facility where the ashes are commingled. These inexpensive alternatives are usually connected to some other form of memorialization such as a plaque, a tree or bench as mentioned in the Master Plan document. Again this is an efficient use of the Cemetery's space and fills a growing need in the community. They too require amendments to the Cemetery By-law.
Because the By-law has not had a substantive change since the early 1960's other than the 1986 closure and gender neutralization, virtually every section of the By-law is in need of some "housekeeping" amendments. During the last two years, the Manager of Mountain View Cemetery has used the opportunity to liaise with Cemetery Managers in Western Canada, the Interior of British Columbia, the Lower Mainland and Lower Vancouver Island. Many of these cemeteries are self sustaining or have plans to reach that goal. Because they are willing to share their successes and errors, we can learn from the best practises and the best regulations wherever appropriate providing the needs of the citizens of this community are also met. Staff recommend that the housekeeping amendments and the new sections needed to allow more new products and services be amalgamated with new by-law sections that align this By-law with current municipal cemetery administration and regulatory practises.
The Cemetery Fee Schedule was updated in 1998. Since that time, Cemetery staff have accumulated fees or tariff information from most cemeteries located in the Lower Mainland. A comparison is sometimes difficult because some of services or options are unique to a particular cemetery. Also the variety of choices and flexibility in pricing used by the private sector, complicates the comparison process. However, Appendix "A" provides the details of some of the comparisons used to establish pricing for Mountain View.
The variety of service choices and pricing alternatives that have evolved while Mountain View Cemetery has been "out of business". The Master Plan implementation includes many of the new services and options for interment and memorialization. Pricing for these services and options are summarized in Appendix "B" which is a reformatted version of the Cemetery Fee Schedule (Schedule "A").
Mountain View Cemetery is more directly comparable to the large private cemeteries because of similarities in size, topography and location in the major population centre of the Lower Mainland. For this reason, the proposed amendments to the Fee Schedule are at levels closer to the private sector than municipal cemeteries.
The portion of pricing allocated to Perpetual Care has also been reviewed for adequacy.
Municipal cemeteries have taken the conservative approach to pricing which has not constrained the private sector. By using information supplied by other municipalities and by the private sector under the Cemetery and Funeral Services Act, we can strike a balance in pricing between private and municipal sectors. Staff propose a market level which is below the private sector to assist Mountain View achieve sustainability.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The adoption of the revised Schedule of Fees will eventually assist in the reduction of the net City cost of operating the Cemetery when coupled with the development of new services and products. However, in the early stages of revitalization, loan repayment and the contract costs of product and sales specialists will off-set most of the net cost reduction. Cost recoveries are estimated to increase by $ 75,000 this year which will offset the proposed contract services for marketing and project management.
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
The By-Law amendments will enable Mountain View Cemetery to begin offering some services and products the public immediately, while others are being designed and built. The two-year Implementation Schedule will keep us on track and facilitate monitoring and evaluation. Built facilities can be presold as designs are finalized and sales brochures are produced.
If the revised fee schedule is approved by Council, it is necessary to have the amended By-law filed with the Registrar of Cemeteries and Funeral Services before the By-law can come into effect. Because of the sequence of activities needed to make new services and products available, the provisions respecting new fees are intended to be implemented when the Manager of Mountain View Cemetery advises that the services and products are ready.
All Funeral Homes, Memorial Societies and Monument Companies will be advised of the new fees structure by newsletter and an open meeting.
CONCLUSION
The successful implementation of the Master Plan and the on-going operation of the Cemetery depend on a By-law that protects the interests of the community while giving the Cemetery Management some of the tools to get the revitalization under way. The proposed amendments will relaunch the Cemetery beginning with the sales of Licenses for the Use of the Cemetery to meet pent-up demand. Subsequent by-law amendments will be brought forward as alternative forms of memorialization are developed prior to the implementation of each project.
Staff recommend approval of the revised Cemetery Fee Schedule as a key step in implementing the Master Plan. Approval of the new fees and the revised fees will bring Mountain View Cemetery's fees in line with other Lower Mainland cemeteries.
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APPENDIX A on file in the City Clerk's Office.
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APPENDIX B
SCHEDULE "A"
Mountain View Cemetery
SCHEDULE OF RATESINTERMENT
GUIDELINES:
Ø Before any interment of human remains or cremated remains the lot holder or their legal representative must complete and duly sign, at the Cemetery office, a request for service and interment authorization in the form provided by the Cemetery.
Ø Before any interment all fees for a lot or lots, interment or any other service or merchandise must be paid in full at the Cemetery office.
CLASS OF SERVICE: At-need or pre-need.
RATES:
ADULT CASKET GRAVESResident Non-residentSingle Depth Grave Space$ 1,575 $ 3,150
Liner400 400
Perpetual Care525 1,050
Total Selling Price $ 2,500 $ 4,600
Resident Non-residentDouble Depth Grave Space$ 2,250 $ 4,500
Liner800 800
Perpetual Care750 1,500
Total Selling Price $ 3,800 $ 6,800Adult Lawn Crypts - new Resident Non-resident
Double Depth Space$ 2,550 $ 5,100
Liner800 800
Perpetual Care850 1,700
Total Selling Price $ 4,200 $ 7,600CHILD CASKET GRAVESResident Non-resident
Single Depth Grave Space$ 825 $ 1,650
Perpetual Care275 550
Total Selling Price $ 1,100 $ 1,300INTERMENT SERVICES: CASKET
GUIDELINES
Ø Human remains will be accepted for interment only when accompanied with a Province of British Columbia Disposition Permit (or acceptable out of province document).
Ø Every interment occurring in a grave 4 feet in length or greater must be made within the minimum standard concrete grave liner or a similar receptacle made of other durable materials approved by the Manager of Mountain View Cemetery.
Ø Interment services require 24 hours notice of booking, of which 8 hours will be regular Cemetery office hours.
Ø Interment services that arrive at the Cemetery between 3:30 and 4:00 P.M. will be charged $ 180 and a further $ 250 for arrivals beteen 4:00 and 4:30 P.M. These overtime costs incurred by the Cemetery will be billed to the Funeral Home or other party making interment arrangements
RATES:
CASKET INTERMENT
Interment fee includes the opening and closing of the grave and use of the grave side equipment as required.
ADULT CASKET INTERMENT
Single Depth $ 600
Lower Level Double Depth Grave $ 900
Upper Level Double Depth Grave $ 600
Lower Level Double Depth Lawn Crypt $ 700
Upper Level Double Depth Lawn Crypt $ 600
Child to 12 years $ 400
Stillborn to 7 days -
WITNESS: LOWER & CLOSING $ 100GRAVE LINERS and BURIAL VAULTS
The Cemetery stipulates that a minimum concrete grave liner be used on all full casket interments in graves over 4 feet in length. Rates quoted include installation.
RATES:
Basic Concrete Liner $ 400
Double Depth Concrete Liner $ 800
Concrete Grave Liner /Vault (Oversize) $ 1,000OUTSIDE VAULT INSTALLATION
A purchaser has the option of supplying an alternate liner or a vault from a supplier other than the Cemetery. In this instance the following fee will be charged to cover handling and installation of the vault supplied.
Outside Liner/Vault Installation $ 325
INTERMENT: CREMATED REMAINS
CLASS OF SERVICE: At-need or pre-need.
CREMATED REMAINS LOTS:
CREMATION ("FRACTION") LOTS
(As designated or deemed available by the cemetery and limited to the interment of one (1) cremated remains.RATES:
Resident Non-residentGrave Space$ 600 $ 1,200
Perpetual Care200 400
Total Selling Price $ 800 $ 1,600Mountain View Cemetery
SCHEDULE OF RATESINTERMENT SERVICES: CREMATED REMAINS
GUIDELINES:
Ø Cremated remains will be accepted for interment only when accompanied with a Certificate of Cremation.
Ø Interment services require 24 hours notice of booking, of which 8 hours will be regular Cemetery office hours.
Ø Interment services that arrive at the Cemetery between 3:30 and 4:00 P.M. will be charged $ 180 and a further $ 250 for arrivals beteen 4:00 and 4:30 P.M. These overtime costs incurred by the Cemetery will be billed to the Funeral Home or other party making interment arrangements..
RATES:
CREMATED REMAINS INTERMENT:
Interment fee includes the opening and closing of the grave and the use of grave side equipment as required.CREMATED REMAINS INTERMENT $ 250
Perpetual Care 200
Total Price $ 450
(Applies to all in-ground interments of cremated remains.)CREMATED REMAINS SCATTERING
Includes scattering within designated area of cemetery by Cemetery personnel and permanent record of scattering maintained in Cemetery archives. Scattering of cremated remains on cemetery property outside of these parameters is strictly prohibited.
SCATTERING FEE $ 165
Perpetual Care 85
Total Price $ 250Mountain View Cemetery
SCHEDULE OF RATESINTERMENT SERVICES: CREMATED REMAINS
OUTSIDE CREMATION VAULT INSTALLATION
The purchaser has the option of supplying a vault from a supplier. In this instance the following fee is charged to cover handling and installation of the vault supplied.
Outside Cremation Vault Installation $ 125
NICHES: COLUMBARIA
AVAILABILITY: Available for the inurnment of cremated human remains irrespective of race, colour, religion or other categorization of the person deceased.
CLASS OF SERVICE: At-need or pre-need.
NICHE WALLS: COLUMBARIA
RATES:
Single Niches in lowest row $ 1,200
Perpetual Care 400
Total Selling Price $ 1,600Single Niches in all other rows $ 1,500
Perpetual Care 500
Total Selling Price $ 2,000Companion Niches in lowest row $ 1,950
Perpetual Care 650
Total Selling Price $ 2,600Companion Niches in all other rows $ 2,350
Perpetual Care 750
Total Selling Price $ 3,100Mountain View Cemetery
SCHEDULE OF RATES
Family Niches (4 Urns) in lowest row $ 2,700
Perpetual Care 900
Total Selling Price $ 3,600Family Niches (4 Urns) in all other rows $ 3,300
Perpetual Care 1,100
Total Selling price $ 4,400INURNMENT SERVICES: COLUMBARIA
INURNMENT:
Includes opening of niche, placement of urn, sealing of niche and use of equipment as necessary.
RATE:
Inurnment $ 250URN REMOVAL:
When requested to remove an urn from a sealed niche the following fees will apply.
RATES:
Single Niche: Removal of urn. $ 155
Replacement of granite panel. 150
Total Urn Removal Fee $ 305MEMORIALS
GRANITE MEMORIAL BENCH
48'' Long - 16'' High - 14'' Deep Includes engraving of name and dates.
RATES:
Bench $ 2,400
Perpetual Care 800
Installation on Concrete Base 800
Total Selling Price $ 4,000Mountain View Cemetery
SCHEDULE OF RATES
MEMORIAL MARKER INSTALLATION
RATES:
Initial installation of:Ash Plot - Bronze Marker 12" x 9" $ 45
Perpetual Care 45Total Installation Fee $ 90
Baby or Ash Plot 18" x 10" $ 70
Perpetual Care 70Total Installation Fee $ 140
Baby or Ash Plot 20" x 12" $ 90
Perpetual Care 90Total Installation Fee $ 180
Single Plot 20" x 12" $ 90
Perpetual Care 90Total Installation Fee $ 180
Single Plot 28" x 16" $ 165
Perpetual Care 165Total Installation Fee $ 330
Double Plot 30" x 18" $ 200
Perpetual Care 200Total Installation Fee $ 400
Soldiers Marker 12" x 20" $ 90
Perpetual Care 90Total Installation Fee $ 90
Mountain View Cemetery
SCHEDULE OF RATES
Above Ground Markers
Single Grave Upright Marker $ 175
Foundation 125
Perpetual Care 125
Total Installation Fee $ 425Double Grave Upright Marker $ 225
Foundation 125
Perpetual Care 175Total Installation Fee $ 525
Non-Standard Memorial Foundation $ 125
(Plus .35 per cubic foot of Memorial)
Perpetual Care 125
(Plus .35 per cubic foot of Memorial)
Total Installation Fee to be calculatedMARKER REMOVAL & REINSTALLATION FOR GRAVE OPENING
RATES:
Standard $ 100
Non-Standard (Plus .35 per cubic foot of Memorial) $ 100
ABOVE GROUND MARKERS
RATES:
Remove & re-install base / marker. $ 100
(Plus .35 per cubic foot of Memorial) (for grave opening)
REMOVAL OF MARKER FROM GRAVESITE FOR ADDITIONAL INSCRIPTION, CLEANING, ETC.
RATES:
Standard Marker $ 60
Non-Standard Marker $ 100
Mountain View Cemetery
SCHEDULE OF RATES
RETURN MARKER TO GRAVESITE AFTER OUTSIDE WORK COMPLETED
RATES:
Standard Marker $ 60
Non-Standard Marker $ 130
RELOCATION OF A MEMORIAL MARKER
RATES:
Standard Marker $ 150
Non-Standard Marker $ 200
(Plus .35 per cubic foot of Memorial)
OPTIONAL / MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES AND GOODS
CLASS OF SERVICE: At-need or pre-need.
DISINTERMENT SERVICES
RATES:
Re-open and deepen grave $ 1,340
Full casket exhumation $ 1,340
Exhumation lot: restoration/sanitization $ 100(Not responsible for damage to marker, vault or enclosed urns.)
Disinter & re-inter cremated remains. $ 300
(From full casket grave.)
Disinter cremated remains from casket or cremation grave. $ 230
(Where deemed recoverable.)
MISCELLANEOUS SERVICES / MERCHANDISE
RATES:
Supply and install: Flower vase & liner. $ 45
Administrative Records Fee $ 65
(grave / service transfers, extensive records searches, etc.)
Mountain View Cemetery
SCHEDULE OF RATES
MARKER RESTORATION
RATES:
Cleaning and restoration of standard marker. $ 115
Cleaning and restoration of non-standard marker. $ 150
Cleaning and restoration of bronze marker. $ 175
MEMORIALS
CLASS OF SERVICE: At-need or pre-need.
SCATTERING MEMORIALS:
RATES:
Bronze Memorial Plaque $ 475
Installation 75Perpetual Care 75
Total Selling Price $ 515
MEMORIAL PLANTING PROGRAM:
New Tree or Existing Mature Tree $ 1,500
Granite Memorial Plaque (10" x 6") 325
Perpetual Care 500
Total Selling Price $ 2,325
(Installation is included in above fee.)
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