Guin council seeks clarity on cemetery ownership

GUIN — The Guin City Council once again sought clarity regarding the ownership of a cemetery during its regular meeting on Monday, Jan. 5.
The council had previously discussed the issue of Candle Cemetery, located on Sawmill Road, during its meeting on Oct. 6 last year.
Councilwoman Regina Salter brought up the matter of the cemetery and its current state of disrepair, saying it’s overgrown and difficult to access, and asking if the city could do something about it. Then-councilman Bobby Bellew said the city should do something, if the city owned it.
The issue was discussed again during a meeting on Nov. 17, whether the city owned the property on the road which the cemetery was located.
In last Monday’s meeting, Salter asked if there was a way the city could claim the property in order to clean it up to make it accessible for any family members who may have relatives buried there and to anyone looking to know more about its history.
“I feel like this is something that needs to be taken care of because it’s being used as a dump—people dump things on the side of the road, so we don’t want that to get out of hand,” Salter said. “I just don’t know how to go about it."
Councilman Mineo Lindsey said that Geographic Information System maps show the ownership is unknown, and city clerk Rebecca Markham said the probate judge’s office said the same thing.
The council did discuss the fact the city could address any dumping within the city’s right of way along the road.
Anyone who has information about the ownership of the Candle Cemetery property can call Guin City Hall at 205-468-2242.
In other business:
• The council approved the Guin Police Department’s new policy setting fees for insurance companies to obtain police and wreck reports;
• The council discussed what it could do in regard to Salter’s proposal of a Black History Month scholarship essay contest, but the mayor and council weren’t sure what could be done as a city and if that would be a more fitting action for a civic club or other charitable organization;
• The council discussed upcoming work on the school’s baseball and softball fields, which are owned by the city; and
• The council entered into executive session to discuss matters related to good name and character, and economic development before adjourning