INDIAN TRAIL – Town Manager Patrick Sadek asked the Indian Trail Town Council Jan. 7 to adopt an ordinance that would prevent people from spreading ashes over existing graves in the town-owned cemetery.
Sadek said a request to spread ashes came from a funeral home. He immediately advised against it, prompting the ordinance.
“If we open that door, we just can’t do that,” Sadek told the council. “There is a big liability. The request was a bit odd.”
Council members thought the request seemed “creepy.” Many council members, and town attorney Karen Wolter, did not know the town owned a cemetery in the first place.
“The rules are effective on the town-owned cemetery, so any church or private-owned cemetery would not be subject to many of the rules and regulations we have here,” Wolter said. “But this is how we are governing our own cemetery.”
According to Adam McLamb, who is the town’s public works director, the town cannot sell the cemetery.
Though council members were confused and surprised about the ordinance, Mayor Michael Alvarez said he thought it was a good idea.
“It gives good direction to those that need to place a loved one there and there are rules that they can abide by because sometimes, you can run into an issue like that unusual one,” Alvarez said.
The council voted to adopt the ordinance.
“It’s a dead issue now,” Alvarez joked.