Board OKs $45,000 for columbarium

Construction of urn repository in Union Cemetery to begin in fall
By 
FINN ASKIN
Ozaukee Press staff

Saukville’s Village Board is moving forward to bring in a columbarium — an above-ground structure for funeral urns — to Union Cemetery after approving a resolution to borrow $45,000 from the village’s general fund.

The dollar amount being borrowed could, however, vary slightly depending on the final cost, Village President Andy Hebein said, adding that a vendor has been identified for the project.

Concrete for the columbarium is expected to be poured in early October and the physical unit will be in by March 2024.

The village is pursuing a 96-niche columbarium that could house 192 urns.

Hebein said he believes the columbarium will further advance the village’s cemetery and help it become self-sufficient because each spot purchased will go right back to the cemetery fund.

“I think it’s important to optimize the cemetery land and allow the village to respond to the demand for cremation,” he said. “Port Washington got ahead on this trend.”

Port installed a columbarium at St. Mary’s Cemetery in 2021.

The rules and fees associated with the columbarium will be discussed at future Public Works Committee and Cemetery Commission meetings, Village Administrator Dawn Wagner said in an email.

For now, though, Hebein hopes to start connecting with local funeral homes to drive business to the future columbarium.

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