Politics & Government
Drainage, Roads are Problems in Oakwood Cemetery, Board President Says
The previous city engineer developed a $500,000 plan to address it, but the Fenton City Council wants a new estimate in hopes of a lower cost.
The roads at Fenton's Oakwood Cemetery are suffering from poor drainage. In past years, the cemetery has experienced problems with roads eroding and flooding, and it's an ongoing problem, Cemetery Board President Doug Tebo said.
At some point, the city is going to need to do something about the storm drainage system there, he said. A previous engineering consultant for Fenton estimated five or six years ago that drainage improvements and road paving would cost approximately $500,000. There are a lot of roads and drainage areas in Oakwood Cemetery, Tebo said.
Abe Munfakh, a previous city engineer, donated his time in developing a five-year plan to address the problems. Phase 1 included a quarter of the cemetery's storm drainage and road paving, with another section being done a year later. After that, work could take place every two years, Tebo said.
Find out what's happening in Fentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
He believes the city needs to begin someplace with the storm drainage system in Oakwood Cemetery so it doesn't "lose the roads" every year.
A 5-inch rainfall on Wednesday earlier this year resulted in the roads being the worst Tebo has ever seen them, he told the Fenton City Council on Monday. The Department of Public Works director, driving a four-wheel-drive vehicle, had to back his way out.
Find out what's happening in Fentonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
As a result of the rainstorm, the cemetery needed to be closed for the weekend. Luckily, no funerals were needed there, since access to the cemetery wasn't available, Tebo said. Later, the DPW needed to haul crushed asphalt in to help fix the road conditions.
Mayor Pro Tem John Rauch said the city's new engineering firm should take a look at the issue for a new cost estimate.
Councilwoman Cheryl King said a lot of contractors with good reputations are looking for work, and the city has purchased things for much lower prices as a result of this competition.
In addition, over the years, erosion has piled soil on some of the headstones, Tebo said.
The council needs to discuss the issue at a work session, Mayor Sue Osborn said. "We need to address it," she said.
