(A) Preamble. The public records of the county disclose that the Coats Town Cemetery is owned by the town subject to conveyances by the town made to various persons for the burial of human beings; the deed being from J. T. Coats and wife, N. I. Coats, to the town, under date of 12-15-1911, and recorded in Book 178, Page 301, County Registry. An area immediately west of the aforesaid Coats Cemetery has been developed into cemetery lots by Dr. and Mrs. Fred H. Fleming, and several cemetery lots have been conveyed unto various persons. The upkeep and care of both areas, the Coats Cemetery and the Fleming Cemetery, has been largely the responsibility of a very small group of citizens both within and without the town limits and generally the cemetery areas have not been maintained in a neat and orderly manner; the control and general maintenance has caused considerable alarm and concern to the citizens, especially ones whose loved ones are buried within the cemetery areas. The Town Board of Commissioners does hereby deem it to be in the best interest of the town to establish a town cemetery, including the taking of possession of and continuing the use of those lands known as the Fleming Cemetery as a cemetery, all of both areas, Coats Cemetery and Fleming Cemetery, to be hereafter known as “the Coats Cemetery” and to establish an agency to be under the control of the Town Board of Commissioners to operate the town cemetery, all as authorized under G.S. Ch. 160A, Art. 17 (G.S. §§ 160A-341 et seq.).
(B) Establishment of town cemetery; appropriation of land for cemetery. A town cemetery is hereby established upon these lands heretofore conveyed by J. T. Coats and wife, N. I. Coats, to the town by deed dated 12-15-1911, and recorded in Book 178, Page 301, County Registry, and those lands known as the Fleming Cemetery, said lands lying immediately west of the aforesaid first tract, part of the lands shown upon a plat recorded in Map Book 6, Page 40, County Registry, which lands known as the Fleming Cemetery are hereby appropriated for use as a cemetery and taken into possession by the town and incorporated into the town cemetery, all of which areas shall hereafter be known as “the Coats Cemetery”.
(Prior Code, § 32.60) (Ord. passed 1-18-1972)