Landscaping fees for the upkeep of the 11 cemeteries overseen by Boothbay Region Cemetery District may be increasing following a Jan. 29 presentation from Travis Lincoln of Bahama Breeze Landscaping. Lincoln proposed a $48,000 contract, which would go into effect this May. This is an $8,000 increase from the contract the company had the last three years.  

Part of the increase is to account for the rising cost of living. However, Lincoln has also added more employees and machines to refine and expedite the upkeep process.

 “This increase will allow a more diligent routine to be set for the weekly maintenance of the cemeteries,” he wrote in a meeting handout.

The district has until Feb. 15 to make a decision.

In other business, trustees discussed this year’s use of the annual $10,000 from the McEvoy fund. There were suggestions to set aside a portion for the maintenance of veterans' gravesites, a topic touched upon during the prior month’s meeting. The board plans to reach out to local Legions to get comprehensive data on veterans' graves in the area to get an idea of what the task would entail, including how many could be realistically dealt with in a year's time, and if this might become a long-term project.

Discussions were also had about using the McEvoy fund to erect an iron fence across Wylie cemetery in Boothbay. According to president Sara Fahnley, there used to be one there.

The board tabled the discussion pending further investigation into the guidelines for the fund’s use.