Higher cemetery rates proposed Monday to Colorado Springs City Council
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The city's Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services is proposing to raise costs for a variety of services at the two city-owned cemeteries.
The proposal affects fees and charges at Evergreen Cemetery, on Hancock Expressway, and Fairview Cemetery, on 26th Street; both date back to the late 1800s.
According to the proposal, fees and charges would increase overall from 5.6% to 25%, with the greatest single increases affecting cremation services; Parks & Rec officials say that more people are choosing to be cremated after they die.
The largest single increase would be to rent the Evergreen chapel, built in 1909; the cost would rise from $150 to $500, an increase of 233%.
"There's a bigger demand for renting the chapel," said Kim King, a manager with Parks & Rec. "The increase in cremation services is part of a national and regional trend. It has continued during the pandemic because with the social distancing, it became easier for families to get together for funeral services."
King said that the proposal includes building a larger columbarium at Evergreen and provide more options for families whose loved ones choose cremation.
Other rising costs, she explained, are for employees because of wage and benefits increases, watering and an 82% hike by a contractor for mowing.
Because the cemeteries operate as an enterprise, King said, they can only use revenue generated by fees and charges and are not allowed to use tax revenue or money from the general fund budget.
City Council President Tom Strand said that before the Council votes on the matter in two weeks, he hopes to hear from low-income families who may be unable to afford a cost increase.
"We have to be concerned about that," he said. "Especially being an area like this, that is so sensitive. I think the amounts are reasonable and I think Parks & Rec has looked at these cemetery amounts over time, and we just want to make sure they reflect the costs to the community and to the city."
King said with affordability in mind, the cemetery enterprise tries to keep fees and charges competitive with private cemeteries and with cities of similar size.
"We try not to be too expensive or too cheap," she said. "We try to offer different pricing options. Also, we have payment plans. So people can come in, purchase a space and pay over time."
Lack of space may eventually become a bigger concern for the city's cemeteries, as well; Fairview is at capacity while Evergreen has 30 to 40 years of available spaces remaining.
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