City of Sonoma Cemetery Manager talks about the future
In the Spring of this year, the City of Sonoma added a professional cemetery manager to its staff. Carolyn Fulton, formerly the manager at a privately-owned Petaluma cemetery, has years of experience in cemetery operations and now runs Sonoma’s three publicly-owned cemeteries.
Historically, Sonoma’s cemeteries have lost money for years, and have required operating subsidies from the city’s General Fund to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars each year. A recent Sonoma County Grand Jury report took the City of Sonoma to task for the lax, money-losing management of its Cemetery Enterprise Fund. City Manager David Guhin responded by recommending the hiring of a permanent, full-time cemetery fund manager, and the City Council approved the budget for doing so, despite facing a $2 million General fund Deficit.
Carolyn Fulton has gotten right down to work, and recently announced that all three cemetery locations in the city now can accommodate additional in-ground burials. “The study that was conducted in 2022 identified that fact,” she noted. “In Mountain Cemetery, those sites are in the annex portion. We’re looking at all opportunities to expand.”
The city uses three sites: Mountain Cemetery near Shocken Hill, Valley Cemetery on MacArthur Street, and the Veterans Cemetery near the Vets Building on 1st Street West. As for Valley Cemetery, she advised that there are multiple locations identified for future use.
In older cemeteries, even if it appears sites are vacant, they must be respected. “If there’s any indication that a space has been used, we can’t use it,” Fulton advised, To address dilapidated or neglected locations, “We’re creating volunteer groups to tackle that issue to help do cleanup, and having that be a regular occurrence,” she said. As to knowing where burials have occurred, “The record keeping practices of knowing where bodies are buried have changed over the years. We do the best we can. Historical records have helped us fill in blank spaces, but it’s a work in progress. I’ve been here less than two months.”
As for the economics, Carolyn is aware of the problem. “We have challenges to face,” and sees her hiring as the start of doing that. “Giving the properties more attention. Cleaning them up. Making them aesthetically pleasing is going to be very helpful. The council approved new pricing last year, and we’ll have to look at pricing on a more consistent basis.”
The cemetery operation is an enterprise fund, which operates in a quasi-independent, business-like way. Assumptions about costs and fee schedules need to be re-examined frequently. Along those lines, the Grand Jury report critically noted that the city was selling funerary urns for less than their cost to the city.
There is also an endowment fund associated with the cemeteries. “A portion of the original plot purchase goes into the endowment care fund,” Fulton explained, “a percentage.” That percentage will have to be examined, she added. The use of those funds are somewhat restricted.
The privately-owned cemetery in Petaluma she managed was profitable, in part due to its ability to sell goods at a profit – headstones, monuments, urns – something a publicly-owned cemetery cannot do according to health and safety codes. “The group advising public cemeteries is looking into how to change those rules,” Fulton added. Nonetheless, the opportunity is for Sonoma’s Cemetery Fund to be a self-sustaining operation. “That is the ultimate goal,” Carolyn agreed.
By Larry Barnett
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My name is Yolanda c Texeira and still waiting for my daughter new stone cause someone broke the stone and I already submitted the information. She was buried at the peaceful triangle. And I would to check my daughter Hearn
and its been a while thank you very much. The grave yard should be taking care. Sometimes flowers vases are göne. They have to respect the private property thank you