The Denver City City Council met in regular session on Monday, August 15.
They begin their session by listening to a request from a Denver City resident concerning changing part of the cemetery rules.
Abel Gonzales addressed the Council on the rule concerning no curbs around a cemetery plot. He explained to the Council that he had purchased four lots. Gonzales wanted to put a curb around all four lots, but was told it was against the cemetery code.
He said that a small Texas Tech monument the family had purchase to place on the grave of his son-in-law had also been removed. Once again because of a city code.
Mayor Tommy Hicks told Gonzales that a committee had been formed in 2012 to revise some of the codes for the cemetery. The revisions were primarily the height of a tombstone and not allowing curbs to be placed around the grave site.
Hicks went on to say the main reason was because of mowing the park and the potential damage these curbs could cause to the mower.
Gonzales informed the Mayor and the rest of the Council he would personally maintain his lots, tall grass and/or weeds would not be an issue.
Councilman Ronald Weir entered the conversation and said he did not have a problem with changing the code that would allow the curb. Councilman Mark Sherman concurred.
When Mayor Hicks asked Gonzales if he had been given a set of rules concerning cemetery plots he said no.
At this point Councilman Clinton Bowman noted that he had made the same request nine months ago for his wife but like Gonzales was also denied his request.
“I didn’t question the code, but like Mr. Gonzales I was not given a set of rules. It wasn’t until my girls and I had gone to order my wife’s marker that the monument people told us curbs were against the Denver City codes. But like I said, I didn’t question it, we just went by the code. Like you, we were disappointed but we accepted it and moved on.”
Councilmen Robert Hanneman and Keith Mensch were both very much against changing the code.
“If we change that code for you then we might need to change something else for this one or that one,” Hanneman said. “I sympathize with you, I’m very sorry for your loss, and I’m sorry you didn’t receive a list of the codes, but I just don’t feel like we can make that particular change.”
Mr. Gonzales wife was also with him and questioned why some grave sites were allowed curbs while they were denied their request.
Public Works Director Dave Tedford said those curbs had been put in before the changes to the code were made. Mrs. Gonzales insisted she saw curbs with dates on them after 2012. Tedford ask her to produce pictures for him and she agreed.
Mayor Hicks once again offered his condolences, but said he felt like it would be best to not change that code and at that point the discussion was over.
Mr. Gonzales thanked the Council for their time and left the meeting.
The Council then moved on to their regular agenda. Several items were discussed including approving a proposed tax rate of 89.9 per $100 property valuation.
The next meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. September 6 due to Labor Day being September 5.
