City Council OKs Construction Of Water Line At Cemetery

At the request of Glenwood Municipal Utilities (GMU), the Glenwood City Council has authorized the construction of a new utility line that will run through the city’s cemetery.

The line, more than 800 feet in length, will carry water from a main on North Locust Street (221st Street) to homes in the “Mintle’s 2nd Addition” neighborhood. The majority of the line will run adjacent to the cemetery’s southern and eastern borders and will not impact existing grave sites.

Representatives from GMU and the Glenwood Cemetery Board were in attendance at a special meeting of the Glenwood City Council April 17 to share their views on the proposal. However, because the cemetery land is owned by the city, the council had final say on whether the line would be allowed.

Doug Meggison, chair of the GMU board of directors, said the new line will provide a better volume of water to homes along Walnut Street and West Florence.

The line will run 10 feet inside the cemetery fence line in the southeast section of the cemetery, an area that isn’t expected to be utilized for burials for at least 150-200 years.

“Even if it means a little more pipe, we want to stay away from the grave sites,” GMU Superintendent Dave Malcom said.

Thirty-three future interment spaces, with a current value of $21,000, could be lost as a result of the construction, but all sides agreed that the community would be best served by allowing the water line to be installed.

Three of the city’s five council members were present at the special meeting – Craig Florian, Dan McComb and Jeremy Rodman. They voted unanimously to approve the line.

Construction is beginning immediately and will be completed by mid May.