Bluffton council will open the floor to comments about the Shannon Cemetery on Monday night. 

The cemetery project, intended to clean up and memorialize Bluffton's pioneer resting place, recently came under criticism from several persons who do not live in Bluffton. 

The cemetery became an eyesore to the community after decades of neglect. Over those decades as gravestones fell they were tossed into the bank of Riley Creek or simply carted away. Few of the headstones remain today. Trees on the cemetery lawn were uncared for and for a time two house trailers were on the site.

Finally, Dick Boehr, lifelong Bluffton resident, decided to do something about the neglected land.

He proposed to clean it up and memorialize it so that Bluffton residents of today could better appreciate the community's past. Once he started the project several community groups pitched in to help including the Bluffton Area Chamber of Commerce, Bluffton Boy Scouts, and several other community organizations.

While the project has been covered by area media on and off in recent years persons recently objecting to the project have requested to speak to Bluffton council members.

And thus, the subject is now on the Monday council agenda. The agenda reads: 

"We have received numerous requests from individuals to be placed on the agenda for Monday evening's regularly scheduled council meeting to speak regarding the Shannon Cemetery. After consultation with the mayor, the agenda for the meeting includes an item to conduct a discussion on the topic, rather than list all of the individuals seeking to be placed on the agenda."

The complete council agenda is in an attachment at the bottom of this story.