Bluffton council voted on Monday to have a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) scan made of the Shannon Cemetery.
The action took place following Nate Ulrey’s report to council on the status of the Shannon Cemetery Commission.
Ulrey, speaking for himself and not the commission, told council that he would like to see the council take over the cemetery discussion.
“I want the council to take this back. I would like to see it move forward and I feel that it (the discussion) has gone on long enough,” he said.
Following Ulrey’s comments, Dave Steiner made a motion, seconded by Joe Sehlhorst, to perform a GPR scan to create a map (of burials) using funds specifically donated for the scan.
Steiner’s motion calls for new donations to pay for the scan instead of using village funds or funds previously donated for use in the Shannon Cemetery.
He told council that in a discussion with the major donor to the Shannon Cemetery fund, that individual did not want money spent on a GPR scan.
Asked by the Icon if a timeline was placed on accepting donations, Nancy Kindle, village fiscal officer, replied that no action will take place until the funds are raised.
Prior to Steiner’s motion, it was mentioned that such a scan could cost $650.
Roger Warren, the lone no vote in Steiner’s motion chided the council for spending so much time discussing the cemetery.
“We should be talking about the 2016 village budget. We’ve spent more time talking about the cemetery than we have the budget,” he said.
Warren then made a motion, seconded by Shawn Burrell to: “Move all stones in one central location to be determined, put a central monument and memorial and flag pole on the cemetery.”
His motion failed by a 4-2 vote with Warren and Burrell voting in favor.
