The following rules and regulations are hereby adopted and shall prevail for Grace Hill Cemetery and White Cemetery and shall be covenants running with the land:
1. Purchase of Lots. Persons desiring to purchase lots in Grace Hill Cemetery or White Cemetery are referred to the City Secretary’s office.
2. Ownership and Title of Lots. Upon full payment of the purchase price of a lot, the city will issue a deed to the property to the purchaser.
3. Sale of Lots (Spaces). Lot owners may sell any or all of the existing lots. This will have to be done with the approval of the city.
4. Subdivision of Lots. No part of the portion of the cemeteries herein shall be subdivided into smaller tracts than shown lots on plats; except for cremation interments. Lots for cremation will be halved. In addition, the city may subdivide blocks into single space graves of a size indicated on said map.
5. Use of Lots. All interments shall require written permission from the lot owner by completion of the authorization and indemnification form provided by an approved funeral home under agreement with the City of Longview for interment within said municipal cemetery. The interment of two bodies in one grave will not be allowed. No interments of any body other than that of a human being will be permitted.
6. Removals. Removal of bodies from graves will only be made in accordance with the rules and requirements of the statutes of the State of Texas and the rules and regulations of state and city officials. Lot owners or their heirs desiring graves to be opened shall secure permission from the City of Longview.
7. Monuments. All interments shall be promptly marked with a permanent marker. The cemetery staff shall approve the placement of all monuments. Monuments and markers shall be designed in harmony with the lot and its environment. The city reserves the right to approve design, construction, and quality of all memorials, monuments, and markers. Only one monument shall be erected on a lot. All upright markers, monuments, and memorials are to be constructed in such a manner as to permit the mowing, trimming and other care of the lawn and foliage in the cemetery.
8. Action by city. The city, at the expense of the lot owner and as a charge against the lot, may repair or remove any monument, marker, or memorial that is improper, offensive, dangerous or dilapidated.
9. Enclosures. In order to be buried in any city owned cemetery, any casket bearing the body of a deceased person shall be enclosed in a permanent vault or box constructed of steel, fiberglass, or concrete with the exception of a waiver for children or indigents.
10. Markings of Graves. All marking of grave locations will be the responsibility of the family or funeral home representatives.
11. Graves. City staff must approve the location of all interments. The mound of a grave shall not exceed the height of 22 inches around the surrounding land when thoroughly settled and shall slope down evenly at the sides and end so as to merge in the surrounding ground.
12. Trees and Shrubs. No trees, plants, shrubs or flowers may be planted in the cemetery except by the city. Cut flowers may be placed on graves. Cut flowers or artificial arrangements will be removed by the cemetery staff as needed.
13. Markings of Lot Corners. No person shall in any manner attempt to define by fence, railing, corner post, coping, hedge, embankment or ditch any lot or burial space. All curbing must be approved in advance by the cemetery staff.
(Ord. No. 7, § 1, 6-8-43; Ord. No. 1232, Art. 1, 2-22-79; Ord. No. 1289, Art. II, 11-13-79; Ord. No. 2849, § 2, 9-23-99; Ord. No. 3525, § 24, 6-14-07)