(Cleveland)- A perpetual care cemetery in Cleveland that was cited last June for allegedly not following through with its perpetual care obligations apparently has not made any effort to improve conditions.
That item was on the agenda for Monday’s Cleveland City Council meeting.
Mayor Shan Ash said prior to the discussion of the issue that ” I think that all of us have had numerous complaints about this cemetery and the issues going on.” He told several people, who have family members buried at Gateway Memorial Park (AKA Mountain View Memory Park) and attended the council meeting, “we want to give you an update on what the city has done about these issues and what you can do as a group to help with it.”
City Administrator Tom O’Bryant said after the city was made aware of the conditions at the cemetery last year they investigated and took pictures, but were made aware that that type of facility is regulated by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office and there is not a lot that they can do about it.
O’Bryant said an investigator with the Secretary of State’s office last month requested information about the owner and any complaints the city has received.
O’Bryant said the city has sent additional letters to the owner, Chris Shelnut, and requested that he address the issues of maintenance at the cemetery. Mayor Ash asks everyone involved, those who have family members buried there or own a lot , to formally complain to the Secretary of States office and that can be easily be done online at http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/licensing/plb/12.
Ash said the more people who file a complaint will help obtain a permanent fix to this situation.
