Some residents in Walker County were upset recently when City of LaFayette workers removed all of the flowers from the LaFayette City Cemetery –

 THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE RELEASED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:

A NOTICE WAS ANNOUNCED IN THE LOCAL MEDIA THAT THE CITY WOULD BE ENFORCING THE EXISTING CEMETERY RULES.  THE RULES HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND HAVE NOT CHANGED… THEY ARE PRINTED ON THE BACK OF THE DEEDS TO CEMETERY LOTS.  THE RULES PROVIDE IN PART THAT PERMITS ARE REQUIRED BEFORE PLACING ANYTHING OTHER THAN FLOWERS IN THE CEMETERY.  THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR A PERMIT, BUT THEY MUST BE OBTAINED FROM THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, ON THE LAFAYETTE BYPASS. 

AT LAST WEEK’S CITY COUNCIL MEETING, SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS SAID THEY HAD RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ABOUT UNKEMPT GRAVE SITES.  GROUNDSKEEPERS AT THE CEMETERY REPORT THAT BENCHES AND OTHER OBJECTS PLACED AROUND GRAVES MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THEM TO PROPERLY MOW AND MAINTAIN THE AREA.  ACCORDING TO MAYOR NEAL FLORENCE, THE PROBLEM CAME WHEN INSTEAD OF REMOVING ONLY OBJECTS AND ARRANGEMENTS WITH DEAD FLOWERS… ALL FLOWERS WERE REMOVED IN THE CLEANUP.  "THAT WAS A MISTAKE"… FLORENCE SAID.  THE CITY WANTS TO CORRECT THE MISTAKE… AND ANY FAMILY MEMBER WHO HAD A FLORAL ARRANGEMENT REMOVED IN ERROR IS URGED TO GO BY CITY HALL AND COMPLETE A CLAIM FORM FOR REIMBURSEMENT. 

THE PRESS RELEASE CONCLUDES: THE CITY SINCERELY REGRETS ANY INCONVENIENCE OR CONCERN THIS MATTER HAS CAUSED AND IS DILIGENTLY WORKING TO RECTIFY THE SITUATION.  THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL WILL MEET IN A SPECIAL WORK SESSION TO DISCUSS CEMETERY RULES THURSDAY NIGHT AT CITY HALL, STARTING AT 6:15 PM.

WQCH