All persons shall be subject to the following rules and regulations of the Service Committee:
(a) The construction of vaults or tombs above ground is prohibited.
(b) All full burials of remains interred in a municipal cemetery shall be in an approved inground vault made of steel, copper, or concrete with reinforcing rods and/or wire mesh. A burial permit is required.
(c) All cremated remains interred in a municipal cemetery shall be placed in a permanent container: a cremation container made of concrete, metal, plastic or fiberglass; or an urn of bronze, stainless steel or cultured marble. Cardboard, tin, ceramic or glass containers are prohibited. Cremains may be interred above ground when stored within or as a permanent part of a monument that complies with the City's Cemetery Rules and Regulations. A cremation certificate is required.
(d) Burials and interments in a municipal cemetery are not allowed or permitted on any Sunday or legal holiday as observed and published by the City of Chardon.
(e) Disinterments from a municipal cemetery are is not allowed or permitted on any Sunday or legal holiday as observed and published by the City of Chardon.
(f) No shrubs or trees may be planted within the cemetery without prior written approval from the City Manager or his/her designee.
(g) Fencing, hedges, curbing and enclosures of any kind on lots or graves are prohibited.
(h) Flowers may be placed on graves adjacent to the headstone monument and extend no more than twelve (12) inches from said monument. No more than two decorations may be placed on any one grave. One Shepard's staff per grave is permitted and must be placed directly next to the monument with the hook hanging over the appropriate grave. The Shepard's staff will be counted as one of the two allowable decorations. All decorations and flowers shall be properly cared for. Any decorations and flowers not properly cared for and deemed unsightly, dead or wilted will be removed and disposed of by City staff.
(i) No more than two (2) decorations are allowed on any one grave. Glass objects and containers are prohibited. Shepard's staffs that have been identified as unused for more than sixty (60) days will be removed by City staff.
(j) All winter decorations including but not limited to wreaths and crosses may be placed on or after November 15 and be displayed through March 15. All summer decorations must be removed by October 15. Any decoration not removed by the designated dates will be disposed of by City staff.
(k) All holiday decorations placed between March 15 and November 15 must be removed within forty-eight (48) hours after the holiday, or they will be disposed of by City staff.
(l) All sales or purchases of graves and crypts must be made through the office of the Cemetery Clerk for purpose of record. The resale of currently deeded graves and crypts must be made to the City of Chardon at a price no more than the original purchase price. All purchases of graves and crypts must be purchased from the City of Chardon at the prevailing rate.
(m) Graves and crypts may be transferred by will or the laws of Ohio if intestate, and a new deed will be issued by the Cemetery Clerk for purpose of record. No other transfers shall be permitted, except resale to the City of Chardon pursuant to subsection (l) above.
(n) Burial of a person not named on the deed of a grave or crypt is limited to the owner's spouse, parents, or lineal descendants. A rite to burial permit issued by the City Manager is required for the burial of an individual who is not the owner, or the owner's spouse, parents, or lineal descendants. A fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for the issuance of a rite to burial permit shall be charged for burial or internment of a nonresident who is not the owner, or the owner's spouse, parents, or lineal descendants.
(o) Provisions must be made for the permanent marking of the grave or crypt. Applicants have up to one (1) year from the date of interment for the placement of the permanent marker.
(p) Two (2) monuments per grave are permitted. The size of a monument (tablet and base stone) for a single grave shall not exceed thirty- six (36) inches in height, eighteen (18) inches in width, and thirty-six (36) inches in length. The size of a monument (tablet and base stone) for a double grave shall not exceed thirty-six (36) inches in height, eighteen (18) inches in width, and forty- eight (48) inches in length. The second monument, if desired, must be installed no higher than ground level.
(q) Boulders, field stones, farm stones, or unfinished stones are not permitted as monuments.
(r) All monuments shall have a concrete foundation built by the cemetery sexton, pursuant to municipal specifications.
(s) A municipal permit shall be required to disinter a body or cremated remains. All disinterments shall comply with the regulations of the Geauga County Department of Health and the laws of the State of Ohio.
(t) No animal shall be permitted in a municipal cemetery unless confined on a leash. It is the responsibility of the animal owner or handler to remove any excrement deposited by the animal within the cemetery.
(u) The City of Chardon shall pay for the concrete foundation of a Veterans' Government marker designating a military veteran's grave. The application for this foundation shall be for a Veteran's Government marker issued from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and be accompanied by all supporting documentation.
(v) The maximum number of interments allowed per grave is five (5). Only one (1) full burial is permitted per grave. Body remains shall be buried in the grave before cremains are interred. No more than five (5) containers of cremated remains (cremains) shall be interred in one grave or crypt; or where above-ground cremains are properly interred in compliance with the City's Cemetery Rules and Regulations, up to four (4) cremains may be interred above-ground within or as a permanent part of a monument that complies with the City's Cemetery Rules and Regulations on a grave. The municipality shall not be required to disinter cremains in order to bury a body in a casket and vault.
(Ord. 1638. Passed 12-14-95; Am. Ord. 1893. Passed 3-11-99; Am. Ord. 1983. Passed 3-9-00; Am. Ord. 2189. Passed 2-12-04; Am. Ord. 2293. Passed 7-14-05; Am. Ord. 2375. Passed 12-14-06; Ord. 2823. Passed 4-10-14; Ord. 3092. Passed 10-10-19; Ord. 3258. Passed 12-14-23.)