Highland Union Cemetery in Highland Falls will soon have its post-and-rail fence (along Old State Rd. in Highland Falls) repaired after, on August 26, the Town Board reversed its August 12 decision to spend $1800 for the work. The move came after Councilman Joe DeWitt brought it back to the table following concerns expressed to him by members of the town’s Cemetery Committee, which had requested the repair.

At the start of the August 26 meeting, Cemetery Committee member Pharoby Ripa made the plea for the board to spend the money to repair the fence, instead of, as was the decision at the August 12 meeting, to let it be repaired by the town’s Highway Department when they have time.

“How you care for your cemeteries shows respect to those who come before us,” Ripa said to the board, as she also noted that due to a perceived lack of support from the Town Board, two members of the Cemetery Committee have said they will resign from it. Ripa said that was a shame, because the committee “is such a wonderful group.” She said the recently revitalized committee has held its meetings in the cemeteries “walking them to see what problems they are and what we can do about them.”

She added that the committee is “very cognizant of limited funds” that the town has.

The Town Board had obtained three bids for the project earlier this month, ranging from $1800 to $3200. It was L&L Property Maintenance, a local company, with the low bid, and, on August 26, with a 3-2 vote (Supervisor Bob Livsey and Deputy Supervisor Rich Sullivan voting no) the board approved having the work done by L&L. (L&L currently has the contract to do the mowing and other maintenance at the town’s cemeteries.)

DeWitt called it a “very reasonable bid” and said the money is in the cemetery lines of the town’s budget. “And doing this will free up a very busy Highway Department,” he said.