“A review of fees and charges has been completed and compared to other Saskatchewan Municipal Cemeteries to determine where changes in the fee structure could positively impact our cost recovery,” explained Darcy McLeod – Director of Recreation & Community Services with the City at the regular meeting of Council.
“The Cemetery endeavors to operate on a cost recovery basis with the main source of revenue being through plot sales and interment services.”
However, plot sales have slowed as multiple burials in the same plot are becoming more common, added McLeod.
The review process discovered “they do not reflect all the costs associated with annual general maintenance,” said McLeod.
As a result, generally fees and charges were recommended to increase, although a few did decline, offered McLeod.
One of the major increases approved by Council is a 25 per cent rise in the perpetual Care Fund fee.
Plot costs are going up 25 per cent too.
The increase is “to partly address the issue related to recovering costs for annual care and maintenance, the plot prices have been increased by 25 per cent. This increase is meant to address the ongoing annual care and maintenance costs of the plot, for one interment,” said McLeod.
It will cost more to be buried in winter too.
“There are other costs that impact services as well. Winter interments have significantly higher costs due to requirements for snow removal to the plot site as well as harder ground to dig which takes significantly more time. Although we have had the winter surcharge in place before, we are looking to implement it differently, and for all interments, not just traditional interments. Therefore, the basic interment fee reflects the actual cost of a warm weather service and the winter surcharge is added for any services between November 1 and April 30 to cover the snow removal and extended digging costs. Other areas where the City assumes costs is in the stat holiday services or for services that require staff to work overtime. These costs are passed on to the service and have been updated to reflect actual costs in the proposed fees and charges,” detailed a report to Council Monday.
While there was discussion over whether the increases should be phased in over three years, rather than effective Jan. 1, 2022, Councillor Chris Wyatt noted a one-time increase is the same for all.
“People next year pay the same as people three years down the road he said.
The increases for the new year passed but Mayor Mitch Hippsley and Coun. Darcy Zaharia sat opposed.
