District Manager Clara told the Tulare Public Cemetery District that grounds crews and vendors are addressing gopher activity, applying a third round of weed spray around headstones per county guidance, aerating compacted soil and reseeding as time permits.

Clara said crews will begin pruning rose bushes in November and that staff plan to test a new pre‑emergent in spring to reduce weeds around headstones. She reported the district is hiring two full‑time positions and has received equipment contract proposals from the San Joaquin Valley air pollution agency for review by staff (Tom and Dan), with the goal of bringing agreements to the board next month.

Clara noted that Veterans Day volunteers (ag students) typically place flags at 8 a.m. and pick them up at 4 p.m., and she described early planning for the Tree of Remembrance in December, including coordination with a neighboring farmer for overflow parking. She told the board the cemetery handled about 32 services in the month and that crews have been managing high activity while short‑staffed.

Supervisor questions and public comments

A supervisor asked about the status of an RFP to subcontract parts of maintenance work; Clara said the RFP has not been started, citing staff transitions and recent hires as reasons and said she would work with Dan to move it forward. Public commenters praised the grounds: Xavier Abala said, "This cemetery is looking really good. It's, comparable to Visalia," while also recommending the district track internment counts broken out by burials versus cremations to inform pricing and service decisions.

Members of the public raised logistics and safety concerns for the Tree of Remembrance, including parking and traffic control near the freeway overpass and suggestions to preplan bottlenecks. Mary Cepeda reiterated a request that a private meeting room be kept closed for family privacy during consultations with staff.

No formal board action was taken on hiring or the RFP at the meeting; those items remain staff work in progress.

Speakers (selected)

- Clara (District Manager), government staff
- Supervisor McCarrie, government
- Xavier Abala, resident/citizen
- Mary Cepeda, resident/citizen

Authorities

- Contract and procurement procedures (discussed in context but no ordinance or statute cited during the item)

Clarifying details

- Staffing: District plans to hire 2 full‑time positions (Clara).
- Services: District reported approximately 32 services in the month (Clara).
- Events: Veterans Day flag placement (8:00 a.m. placement / 4:00 p.m. pickup); Tree of Remembrance planned for December with potential overflow parking on neighboring farmland.

Community relevance

- Geography: Tulare County; event parking and pedestrian safety concerns cited for the freeway overpass access.

Meeting context

- Engagement level: item included operational updates, public suggestions and a supervisory question about procurement; no procurement actions were taken at the meeting.