Board debates donor-bench standards and plaque costs; family relocation request considered

Staff recapped the donor-guideline history (about 2017) and urged standards to avoid inconsistent donations and ongoing maintenance for plaques and benches. The staff member said benches of differing materials have widely varying lifespans and example costs for plaques can be substantial; "when they did a tree or a bench, the city bought the plaque to put on them and some of them plaques are $3,400," a board member said while discussing replacement costs.

The board debated whether to require donors or families to pay moving and installation costs for relocated benches and whether a particular offered concrete bench (to be moved from a cemetery to Lions Point Park) should be accepted. The board did not make a final acceptance decision but agreed that the donor-guideline standard and financial responsibilities should be clarified before accepting nonstandard donations.