Trends and Issues:
The Department of Cemeteries is entrusted with the conservation and management of Colonial Park, Bonaventure, Laurel Grove (North and South) and Greenwich Cemeteries. These sites contain the largest inventory of Colonial and Victorian sculpture in Southeast Georgia. The department operates as an enterprise that markets and sells interment rights to the general public, generating revenue for cemetery capital improvements and perpetual care.
The Capital Improvement Fund is used for infrastructure improvements as well as cemetery conservation and development. The Perpetual Care Fund earns interest for the General Fund, subsidizing the operating budget of the department. Additional revenue is generated through user fees for cemetery services.
The department has evolved into a professional provider of high quality cemetery services. Existing services continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of death-care consumers while providing multiple and affordable alternatives for final dispositions.
All five cemeteries are now considered tourist sites by the local tourism industry. Unfortunately, cemetery visitors have become targets for criminal predators and the department must provide a high level of security to local funeral processions, out-of-state tourists, and all other visitors. Modern surveillance systems and traditional security guards will be among the measures used to ward off perpetrators and place legitimate visitors at ease.
Appearance ratings in the cemeteries are consistently at excellent levels and will continue to be improved by focusing on long-term improvements in high-profile areas.
The volume of monuments and markers in the cemeteries increases by nearly 1,000 structures annually. As a result, the cost and risk of general maintenance increases continually. Through outsourcing, a portion of grounds maintenance services, the department has been able to utilize existing resources more efficiently and effectively; however, additional personnel may be required prior to 2010.
Historical ledgers containing vital cemetery records were becoming dilapidated and records were at risk of being lost. Most of the information has been input into a technologically advanced database and the ledger books will be prepared for retirement in a climate-controlled facility.
The database is rapidly growing into a monstrous file. Hardware and software will be upgraded to run the mammoth program. All historical data will be input by 2007 and made readily available to the general public on the World Wide Web by 2008. It is envisioned that accurate cemetery maps will be available at self-service printing stations throughout the municipal cemeteries by 2010.
The cemetery conservation program provides first class conservation of historically and culturally significant public monuments. Many of the smaller monuments have been repaired as the department acquired the knowledge, skills, and abilities to address more challenging mausoleums and large cemetery structures. Historical Savannah is nationally recognized and worthy of this high level of professional conservation. |
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