Palisade Municipal Cemetery

***If you are looking for a loved one who may or may not be in the Palisade Municipal Cemetery, two excellent resources are www.findagrave.com and www.billiongraves.com. Both of these websites will look for graves and/or headstones across the country and may show a picture of the exact location within the cemetery and/or a picture of the headstone. If you are still having trouble locating someone, please call us at (970) 464-5602 or email Ms. Katie Christian - kchristian@ownofpalisade.org for additional assistance.

CEMETERY OWNERSHIP, CONTROL, AND HOURS

    The Palisade Municipal Cemetery is owned and operated by the Town of Palisade, Colorado, under the auspices of the Board of Trustees and pursuant to Ordinance 233.  The Cemetery shall be open between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.  The Public Works Foreman shall act as the Cemetery Superintendent for the purpose of these rules.

APPLICATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF LOTS

    All Applications for purchase, transfer, and assignment of cemetery lots, or any special permits therefor, must be made at the office of the Town Clerk.

DONATED LOTS

    The Town Administrator may allow burial in donated lots with the decision based on the following factors:

1. Person to be buried bust be a Town of Palisade resident at the time of death.
2. As a major consideration, the person must have no other means with which to purchase the lot.

EXISTING CERTIFICATES OF PURCHASE

    As of June 15, 1968, any person claiming ownership of any lot, plot, or grave space within the boundaries of the Palisade Municipal Cemetery which is not shown on the official Cemetery plat or located in the existing records of the Town of Palisade shall be required to prove legal ownership of the lot, plot, or grave space before any anticipated burials can be permitted at the Cemetery.  Proof of payment for perpetual care on any unused lot, plot, or grave space purchased prior to June 15, 1968, must also be presented prior to the anticipated burial.

INTERMENTS AND DISINTERMENTS

    Upon reaching the Cemetery, all funerals shall be under the supervision of the Cemetery Superintendent or his/her designee.  After a casket containing a body is within the confines of the Cemetery, no funeral director, his/her embalmer, assistant, employee, agent, Cemetery official or employee, or any other person shall be permitted to open a casket or to touch a body without consent of the legal representative of the deceased or absent a Court Order.  No interment, interment services, or disinterment will be allowed on the following holidays: New Year's Day; Martin Luther King Day; Presidents' Day; Memoria Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Veteran's Day; Thanksgiving Day, as well as the day after; or Christmas Day.  For burials taking place after 5 p.m. on weekdays or on Saturday or Sunday, a personnel overtime fee will be assessed at the then-current rate.  Notice of pending interment shall be given to the Cemetery Superintendent no less than ten (10) working hours preceding the burial.  Unless prior arrangements have been made with the Cemetery Superintendent to provide for personnel overtime, any notice for burial received after 3 p.m. on a working Friday afternoon will be assumed to take place on the next Monday or working day.  Special permission from the Town Administrator or his/her designee is required for all burial services to commence after 5 p.m.  Again, personnel overtime fees will accrue.

    All disinterment must be performed in accordance with the laws of the State of Colorado.  No person shall take up or remove the body of an dead person from its place of original interment without a permit from the Town Clerk.

    As of June 26, 2013, all burials are required to have a vault.  Vault set fees will be assessed at the current rate set by the Board of Trustees.  The Town of Palisade does not sell Vaults.  Vaults may be purchased from a funeral home or memorial provider.

CREMAINS

    No more than ten (10) sets of cremains shall be buried atop an existing interment.

PURCHASE OF INTERMENT RIGHTS

    Application for the purchase of Cemetery lots must be made at the Office of the Town Clerk where plats showing size, location, and description of all lots and the schedule of prices will be kept on file.  Cemetery lots or grave spaces must be selected/previewed at the Cemetery prior to purchase from the Town Clerk.  The price of all lots and grave spaces will be set by the Board of Trustees.

RESALE OF CEMETERY LOTS, PLOTS, AND GRAVE SPACES

    Owners of Cemetery lots, plots, or grave spaces are not permitted to resell purchased lots, plots, or grave spaces without the express consent and permission of the Town of Palisade.  The Town reserves the right of first refusal to repurchase from the original owner - at the original sale price - any lot, plot, or grave space the owner anticipates to offer for resale.  If the Town of Palisade is not interested in repurchasing the lot, plot, or grave space, express consent to resell such lot, plot, or grave space is still mandatory.  Lots may be bequeathed.

CONTROL OF WORK BY TOWN OF PALISADE

    All improvements or alterations of individual lots, plots, or grave spaces in the Cemetery shall be under the direction of, and subject to the approval of, the Cemetery Superintendent.  All grading, landscape work, and improvements of any kind, and all care of lots, shall be done under the direction of the Cemetery Superintendent.  All trees, shrubs, and herbage of any kind shall be planted, trimmed, cut, or removed; and all grave space openings or closings and all interment, disinterment or removals shall be made exclusively by the Town of Palisade.

DECORATION OF LOTS, PLOTS & GRAVE SPACES

    Live flowers shall not be planted on any grave space at any time without prior approval from the Cemetery Superintendent.  Any permitted planting shall be within ten (10) inches of the monument or in an approved vase.  Artificial or fresh cut flowers may be placed in a metal vase at any time.  However, such flowers will be discarded when dead, faded, broken, disheveled, or unsightly.  Sprays and wreaths made from fresh cut flowers will be allowed but they will be removed within two (2) weeks or if, in the opinion of the Cemetery Superintendent, they become unsightly or detrimental.  Christmas blankets and wreaths shall be allowed from December 1st through March 1st.  Artificial sprays and wreaths shall be allowed from May 1st through June 15th and from December 1st through March 1st.  The Superintendent will remove all artificial sprays and wreaths when they become unsightly, detrimental, or have been windblown from the grave space.  No privately placed bushes or trees of any kind will be allowed on grave spaces.  Placing of boxes, shells, stones, boulders, toys, ornaments, chairs, settees, glass, urns, fences, wood or metal cases, and/or temporary grave markers is not permitted.

LIABILITY TO DECORATIONS

    The Town of Palisade shall not be held liable for lost, misplaced, stolen, or broken flower vases – metal or otherwise – nor for damage by the elements, thieves, vandals, or by causes beyond its control.  The Town of Palisade reserves the right to regulate the method by which the lots, plots, and grave spaces are decorated and when decorations are removed in order to maintain attractive, safe, and pleasant Cemetery grounds.

CHILDREN

    Children under the age of fifteen (15) are not permitted within the Cemetery grounds unless supervised by a parent or guardian.

REMOVAL OF VEGETATION & WILDLIFE

    Removal of all vegetative matter (for example: flowers, whether wild or cultivated; plants; shrubs; or trees) and willful damage to or destruction of plants, shrubs, trees, and other vegetative matter is strictly prohibited.  Likewise, any wildlife nesting, resting, crossing or residing within the Cemetery grounds shall not be harassed, removed or harmed in any manner.

DOGS

    Dogs (with the exception of service dogs) are not allowed on the Cemetery grounds.  The owner or keeper of any dog that trespasses on the Cemetery grounds will be liable for any damage incurred by such trespass.

CONDUCT OF INDIVIDUALS AND PARTIES

    All individuals and parties entering the Cemetery grounds shall conduct themselves in a quiet and respectful manner.  There shall be no loitering or after-hours trespass in the Cemetery.  Individuals and/or parties are not permitted to sit or lounge upon, deface, or treat with disrespect any grave space, headstone, or monument on the Cemetery grounds.

MONUMENTS AND MARKERS

    No memorial or grave marker will be allowed on any burial space until the space has been fully paid and the certificate of title has been delivered to the purchaser.  Only one (1) upright monument or marker shall be permitted on each lot, plot, or grave space.  The use of tiles, bricks, gravel, crushed rock, oyster shell, cinders, or other materials is prohibited on any lot in the Cemetery.  The Town Administrator has the authority to reject any plan or design for any memorial he/she deems unsuited to the grave space or Cemetery.  Foundations shall be required for all monuments and markers of every description.  All foundations must be made of concrete, positioned flush with the ground, and of ample size and depth to properly carry the weight and size of the headstone or monument that sits upon it.  All foundations must be six (6) inches wider and six (6) inches longer than the base of the headstone.  Note: Because of the smaller grave space size, all monuments in the “Fairyland” section of the Cemetery only require a four (4) inch base.  All foundations must be approved before setting by the Cemetery Superintendent.

    All monuments and headstones must be installed or removed under the supervision of the Cemetery Superintendent.  Town of Palisade work crews will suspend their labors during a funeral service.

LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES

    The Town of Palisade shall not be held liable for any damages to any monument, marker, or structure due to lawn care or maintenance or from any other cause beyond its reasonable control.

PALISADE MUNICIPAL CEMETERY

Monuments, Markers and Memorials

General

• Monument sales companies, agents, or employees must file annually a certificate of liability insurance in an amount no less than $500,00.
• Monument sales companies, agents, or employees must file annually proof of Colorado employee’s liability insurance (or worker’s compensation insurance).  If there are no employees, a waiver of worker’s compensation shall be permitted.
• The Town reserves the right to stop all work of any nature whatsoever if, in its opinion: proper preparations have not been made; tools and machinery are insufficient or defective; work is being executed in such a manner as to threaten life or property; the memorial service contractor has been guilty of misrepresentation; any reasonable request on the part of the cemetery is disregarded; work is not being executed according to specifications; any person employed to perform the work has violated any rule of the cemetery.
• All completed work is subject to the approval of the Town and if the completed work is not in conformity with the rules and regulations it may be removed by the Cemetery Superintendent and the memorial service contractor shall be held liable for all charges so incurred unless within ten (10) days written notice to the memorial service contractor such defective work has been corrected.  The memorial service contactor may request an additional ten (10) days within which to correct such defect.
• Plots must be left clean after a memorial is set or inscribed.
• All cars and trucks must stay on drives approved for such use unless granted special permission by the Cemetery Superintendent.

Permits and Types of Memorials Authorized

• For the protection of all plot owners it is necessary that monument sales companies, agents, or employees shall comply with any and all rules and regulations for placing monuments, markers, and other memorials.  A design or sketch with the dimensions for the foundation and placement of the marker or monument or other such memorial may be required with the application.  No memorial will be allowed on any grave or plot until the plot is fully paid for and the proper fees have been paid.
• No monument or grave marker will hereafter be placed in the Town cemetery when made of materials other than granite, marble, or bronze unless otherwise approved by the Town Clerk or their designee.
• No foot markers shall be erected above ground level. Only flat, flush foot markers shall be allowed.
• Mausoleums are prohibited.
• Sarcophagi and ledger stones are prohibited.

Placement and Size Limitations

• Monuments, markers, and other memorials may be of any height but may be limited by the specific provisions of designated blocks or portions thereof.
• The placing of temporary memorials, except those placed by a funeral home, is prohibited. Temporary memorials may be removed by cemetery personnel for maintenance.
• Flush, flat grass markers of granite or standard bronze set flush with the established grade of the plot may be placed on any plot in the cemetery.  Upright markers are not permitted in the sections of the cemetery described as Blocks 103-146.
• Only one upright marker is permitted per plot.

Responsibility for Monument/Memorial Placement, Foundation and Bases

• Foundations for memorials must be built of concrete, solid masonry, or granite to the satisfaction of the Cemetery Superintendent and must be installed using a setting compound to prevent shifting and/or tipping over of the memorial.
• Foundations must be flush with the ground and be six (6) inches wider and six (6) inches longer than the base of the monument, marker, or headstone.
• Because of the smaller plot size, all monuments in “Fairyland” only require a four (4) inch base.
• If any fault resulting from improper installation of a foundation develops at any time after the date of the installation, the installer of such foundation shall rectify the condition without cost to others.
• Monument/memorial placement is the sole and absolute responsibility and liability of the company, person, employee, or agent selling and placing the monument. Such liability and responsibility shall include safety of the public and cemetery personnel as well as liability for damage to other monuments, memorials, plantings, trees, and cemetery equipment while in, on, or installing a monument or memorial.
• Flat markers and foundations are strictly prohibited from being poured on site.

Installation

Monument sales companies, installers, agents, or employees shall:

• Not attach ropes to other monuments or trees.
• Not scatter any materials, to include soil or waste material, over adjacent lots or to leave the same on the ground longer than is absolutely necessary.
• Suspend labors if in the immediate vicinity of a funeral until the conclusion of the funeral service.

The Cemetery Superintendent may deny a monument company to do any work or activity in the cemetery if the designee determines that it is not in the best interest of the cemetery.

Town Liability

• The Town shall not be liable for damage(s) or injury to any monument, memorial, or marker from mowing and trimming activities within the cemetery.
• The Town shall not be responsible for theft of, or damage to, any article or personal property placed on graves or elsewhere in the cemetery.
• The Town expressly disclaims all responsibility for loss or damage from causes beyond its control to any memorial, monument, bronze, or foundation, and specifically from damage caused by the elements, deterioration due to the passage of time, an act of God, common enemy, thieves, vandals, strikers, malicious mischief makers, explosions, unavoidable accidents, invasions, insurrections, riots, or by the order of any military or civic authority whether the damage be direct or collateral.

PALISADE MUNICIPAL CEMETERY  |  3529 FRONT STREET  |  PALISADE, CO 81526