North Judson Council Hears Complaints About Cemetery Mowing

Posted on July 26, 2017
Author Michael Gallenberger, WKVI

Unmowed grass at Highland Cemetery has led to a complaint to the North Judson Town Council. During last week’s meeting, one resident said the condition of the cemetery was a disgrace and asked council members to fix the problem.

Clerk-Treasurer Alicia Collins explained that the town gets eight mowings per year, under its contract with J. Rogers Services. So far, the cemeteries are being mowed twice a month, but residents and council members pointed out that when it rains, the grass grows faster. While the town has the option to get additional mowings for an extra cost, town officials said they hadn’t asked for any, before last week.

The town council has had a few issues this year, when it comes to the timing of cemetery mowings. Back in May, the town received numerous complaints, after the grass wasn’t mowed before Mother’s Day weekend. At the time, town officials said they contacted the contractor, but the cemetery wasn’t mowed until Mothers Day itself. Town officials are also concerned that the contractor hasn’t always been trimming around the headstones and fences.

It was suggested that rather than bidding the mowing contract out each year, the town have inmate work crews from the Starke County Sheriff’s Department do the work, instead. Council member Jane Ellen Felchuk said when she’s requested work crews in the past, the Sheriff’s Department refused.