Contentious cemetery decoration rules may change in Austin.
Austin hasn't updated its rules on how graves in the five city cemeteries can be decorated since 1978. It's tried several times, but it's an emotional and contentious issue where people don't see eye to eye.
In 2013, City Council adopted a resolution directing a community engagement process that culminated in a report in 2015, public meetings throughout 2016 and '17, and new draft rules in 2018, which were subsequently withdrawn by City Manageras the division turned all its focus to Oakwood. Due to the pandemic"and other challenges," PARD has just now come back to the drawing board. Draft rules were posted for public comment on Sept.
Public outcry in 2013 that prompted the Council resolution centered on the threat of decoration removal, but under the proposed rules, Cemetery Operations has"sole discretion" to remove, without notice, anything that poses a"threat to public health or safety or interferes with cemetery operations or maintenance.
In the Monday Zoom meeting, participants cast doubt on the transparency and accessibility of the process and voiced concerns about retroactive enforcement of ornamentation that had been given previous permission. PARD suggested that each gravesite may require individual attention from cemetery specialiststo ensure compliance; Walls-Davis noted that enforcement and recordkeeping of the rules since 1978 have been shaky at best.
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