Iola will likely soon have an ordinance in place to follow in case the city receives a request to have a person’s remains removed from either Highland or Iola Cemetery.
The discussion is both proactive and reactive, Parks and Cemetery Superintendent Robby Droessler said at Monday’s City Council meeting.
He relayed a discussion he had with an individual in June who had inquired about having a relative’s urn removed from a cemetery plot in Iola.
A little research revealed the city has no such ordinance on the books to follow in case a formal request is made, Droessler noted, so he huddled with City Administrator Matt Rehder, Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock and legal counsel to draft a proposed ordinance.
“That way we know how to approach this,” Droessler said.
The draft proposal given Monday to Council members would allow disinterment only if immediate family members of the deceased and the person who initiated the interment give their written consent, or under a court order.
All costs would be borne by the requested parties, while cemetery staffers would be responsible for the disinterment.
Council members agreed such requests would be exceedingly rare, but not unheard of, such as if a person was moving away and wished to have their loved one’s remains relocated as well.
As is custom, Council members will likely vote to approve the ordinance at their next meeting, scheduled for Sept. 8.
COUNCIL members gave the final approval to sell 10 acres of land to Vine Energy LLC for $50,000, with the company given the option to purchase an additional 10 acres for an identical amount within the next year.
Selling the parcel from the 80 acres the city owns west of the Russell Stover plant is part of a two-pronged real estate venture. The $50,000 will cover a portion of the cost borne by the city to purchase 11 acres of land north of Super 8 along U.S. 169 for potential economic development. The city is spending $112,000 for that parcel, complemented with $56,000 from Iola Industries.
VICKIE MOSS and Patrick Zirjacks of Thrive Allen County spoke about a housing preservation grant they are pursuing on the city’s behalf from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Similar grants have brought in $75,000 in 2022 and $45,000 in 2024 to the city to help low-income residents perform badly needed repairs to their homes, Moss said.
This request is for $45,000 for 2026, Moss said.
Zirjacks explained the protocol to determine who can take advantage of the program. He has formed a committee, apart from Thrive, to consider applications. Projects include roof repairs, walk-in showers, wheelchair ramps, replacing climate control systems or even sewer lines.
Ideally, the program will help as many as 10 recipients, depending on the scope of the projects. At the minimum, the grant will help at least seven.
