During Tuesday's Budget Workshop the appearance of the City's cemetery was raised by Commissioner Billie Dean. Linda Goff, Apopka City Clerk, responded to Dean's comments by advising the Council that the lot decoration rules that were adopted in October 2015 are being enforced and violation notices have been issued. But many of the notices have been returned as undeliverable.
Before removing items not in compliance with the rules the decsion was made to publish the following Public Notice in the local newspapers:
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This is a notice to the general public including families of those buried in the City of Apopka’s Edgewood/Greenwood Cemetery, 141 South Edgewood Drive, Apopka, Florida. Changes to cemetery policies were adopted by Ordinance 2456 on October 21, 2015.
Since then, several notices of violations were mailed and returned as undeliverable. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public that the new cemetery rules and regulations are available on the City’s website or through the City Clerk’s office. The rules and regulations also are included within Chapter 30 of the City of Apopka Code of Ordinances maintained by Municode.
Cemetery personnel will remove items from grave spaces that have been placed without prior approval or that are not in compliance with the rules and regulations. For any questions, please contact the City Clerk’s office at 407-703-1704.
Linda F. Goff, CMC
City Clerk, City of Apopka
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The October 2015 Ordinance contains the following rules regarding lot decoration:
Artificial or fresh cut flowers may be placed in a metal or plastic vase at the top/head of the space at any time. However, they will be discarded when wilted, faded, broken, or anything of a similar nature.
Sprays, wreaths and baskets made from fresh cut flowers will be allowed up to two weeks, or when they no longer conform to the decorum of the cemetery, or become a safety hazard.
Items placed on cemetery spaces in celebration of a holiday must be removed within ten (10) days following the holiday, with the exception of Christmas which items must be removed within thirty (30) days following the holiday.
Fences around burial spaces are strictly prohibited. Fences installed will be removed by the City and may not be replaced.
The planting of any kind of trees, vines or shrubs is strictly prohibited without approval of the cemetery personnel.
Burial space owners/heirs are responsible for the appearance of their burial space; however, the City reserves the right to regulate the method of decorating burial spaces and reserves the right, without notice, to prohibit, or remove benches, chairs, settees, hanging plant hooks, vases, artificial flowers, ceramic figurines, picture frames containing glass, grave corners, toys, or any articles that do not conform to the decorum or rules and regulations of the cemetery, or becomes a safety hazard.
