Hawesville increases price of plots at Memory Gardens

Hawesville City Council has made the decision to raise the cost of a cemetery burial plot at Hawesville Memory Gardens from $600 to $1,000, Mayor Charlie King said.

The full price increase will come after Sept. 1; until then the price will be $800.

“We looked around and figured out we were way under market value,” King said. “We didn’t want it all to come at once, so the time to buy a plot is now with that $800 price.”

According to memorialplanning.com, the average burial plot in Kentucky is $1,211, while plots in such locations as California can reach more than $4,000. Plots in surrounding states are pretty much in line with Kentucky’s average.

The average funeral in Kentucky is $7,057, while some direct cremation services can be under $1,000.

In other business, City Council also:

• Approved the second reading of an ordinance to close Upper Monroe Street, which is overgrown and inaccessible. The street has not been maintained by the city in decades. King said previously the closure would clear up some issues with right-of-way for some property owners in the area. The property will revert to adjacent owners.
• Heard an update on the project to replace lift stations for the city’s wastewater system on Hartford Road and Kentucky 1389. King said the city has previously budgeted for the project, and desired to replace three lift stations, though current funding only allows for two to be replaced.

By C. Josh Givens