Purpose:
The following rules and regulations have been adopted as a guide to the use and management of BORDEAUX ADVENTIST MEMORIAL GARDENS Cemetery (BAMGC). These rules and regulations are established to protect the cemetery, maintain consistency and beauty within the cemetery and ensure that the interests of all concerned parties are protected and addressed equally. All owners of interment rights, visitors and contractors performing work within the cemetery are subject to these rules and regulations. All burial spaces, crypts, niches and other memorials must be held and used in accordance with these rules and regulations.
BAMGC grounds and structures may not be used for any other purpose than the interment of the human dead.
Visiting Hours:
BAMGC grounds are open daily to visitors from dawn to dusk. Any person found on the cemetery grounds during closing hours will be subject to arrest.
Conduct:
The grounds of BAMGC are sacredly devoted to the interment of the dead and provide a setting of quiet reflection for the living, and therefore, conduct should be governed accordingly. For safety and obvious reasons, persons are prohibited from:
– Taking any items, not their own;
– Defacing or damaging structures, memorials, monuments, headstones, grave markers, and private mausoleums;
– Injuring trees, shrubs, flowers, plants or turfs;
– Feeding, disturbing or harming wildlife;
– Bringing pets onto cemetery grounds unless confined in a vehicle or servicing a person with a disability;
– Possessing alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs;
– Using loud or profane language or in any way disturbing the tranquility of the cemetery;
– Possessing firearms or weapons of any type except for honor guards comprised of military or law enforcement personnel;
– Soliciting, peddling or advertising of any form; and
– Conducting demonstrations of any kind that is not part of a funeral, memorial service or ceremony.
Vehicles:
The right to use vehicles in BAMGC is authorized exclusively for the purpose of visiting interment sites, attending funeral services or conducting cemetery business. Only street legal vehicles are allowed and must not be operated in excess of ten (10) miles per hour. All vehicles must be attended and remain on designated roadways within the cemetery with the exception of cemetery personnel or contractors performing work within the cemetery. All other forms of transportation (bikes, all-terrain vehicles, go-carts, skateboards, sleds, snowmobiles, etc.) may not be used on cemetery grounds except with the approval of the cemetery.
Decorations:
To maintain consistency and beauty as well as ensuring maintenance and upkeep, BAMGC requires flat grave markers and reserves the right to regulate the decoration of burial spaces, crypts, niches and memorials. The cemetery has the right to remove any object that violates its decorating policy, whose appearance becomes unsightly or condition warrants removal. The cemetery, at its discretion and without notice, will remove any decorations which may create a safety hazard or cause additional maintenance burdens. The cemetery will not be liable for any flowers or decorations which have been removed, stolen or damaged.
Decorations not allowed include, but are not limited to, the following: shepherd’s hooks, glass containers, lights, chimes, statues, figurines, pin-wheels, balloons, coping, curbing, rocks, fencing, hedging, grave mounds, borders and enclosures. No decorations of any type are permitted in trees or cemetery plantings. Nothing herein shall restrict the design of permanent monuments or prohibit appurtenances required for the protection of monuments or lots.
Cemetery Grounds:
Flowers are permitted year-round if in permanent fixtures or mounted to the headstone or foundation. Flowers or decorations, if not in a permanent fixture or mounted, may be placed temporarily on grave sites on Memorial Day and Veterans Day within two (2) weeks of the holiday and are subject to removal by the cemetery after two (2) weeks of the holiday. Winter decorations, wreaths and grave blankets are allowed from December 1 through January 31 after which time they are subject to removal by the cemetery.
Flags:
Flags may be placed on burial spaces on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Flag Day and Veterans Day within one (1) week of the holiday and flags are subject to removal by the cemetery after one (1) week of the holiday. Flags may not be affixed to niches or crypts, headstones or grave markers.
Plantings:
BAMGC has authority over the planting of all trees, shrubs, flowers, plants and grass ornamentation in the cemetery and only cemetery personnel are allowed to do plantings. It is the cemetery’s discretion as to what can be planted and where it can be planted. Plantings of any kind on burial spaces is not permitted. Any tree, bench or other item donated to or planted in the cemetery becomes the property of BAMGC and shall be subject to these rules and regulations.
Any planting not approved by BAMGC may be removed without notice to the party responsible for the planting. In the sole discretion of the cemetery, if any tree, shrub, bush, plant or flower growing on any burial spaces shall become intrusive or detrimental to adjacent burial spaces, walkways or roads or in any way interfere with the general design of the cemetery, the planting will be removed without notice and BAMGC will not be responsible.
Maintenance:
BAMGC assumes responsibility for maintaining cemetery grounds only. No person, other than employees of BAMGC, is allowed to perform any work within the cemetery without permission from the cemetery. Maintenance of memorials, monuments, headstones and grave markers is the sole responsibility of the owner(s).
BAMGC has the right to enter upon or use any adjoining burial spaces to carry out its duties as to interments and erection of headstones, grave markers, memorials or monuments without prior notice to the burial space owner. The cemetery reserves the right to remove any item that conflicts with these rules and regulations or interferes with the maintenance and upkeep of cemetery grounds. BAMGC is not responsible for any damage due to circumstances beyond its control or caused by any individual not in the employment of the cemetery.
Patrons should be aware of the safety issue when mowing or maintenance is occurring at the Cemetery.
A future maintenance fee may be implemented when the need arises.
Right to Manage and Regulate:
For the benefit of all owners of interment rights, ease of maintenance and establishing a uniform beauty, BAMGC maintains complete control and management of the land, buildings, improvements and development within the cemetery and entitled to regulate decorations. The cemetery reserves the right, at any time, with or without notice to interment right owners, to adopt new rules and regulations, amend or repeal any of these rules and regulations. Special cases may arise in which the literal enforcement of the rule or regulation may impose unnecessary hardship. BAMGC, therefore, reserves the right, without notice, to make exceptions, suspensions or modifications in any of these rules and regulations when, in its judgment, the same appear advisable, and such temporary exceptions, suspensions or modifications shall in no way be construed as affecting its general application.
Reuse of Plots/Graves after 50-100 Years:
Bordeaux Adventist Memorial Gardens Cemetery has the right after 50-100 years to reuse a designated plot or marker if needed due to redevelopment and/or improvements of the cemetery.
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Approved and adopted on August 6, 2023 by the Bordeaux Adventist Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Your respect and understanding are appreciated. For inquiries regarding these rules and regulations, please contact the BAMGC office.