Maine § 1101. - Maintenance and repairs; municipality

§ 1101.. Maintenance and repairs; municipality

1.  Grave sites of veterans in ancient burying grounds.  In any ancient burying ground, as referenced in Title 30-A, section 5723, the municipality in which that burying ground is located, in collaboration with veterans' organizations, cemetery associations, civic and fraternal organizations, descendants of veterans buried in the ancient burying ground and other interested persons, shall keep in good condition all graves, headstones, monuments and markers designating the burial place of Revolutionary soldiers and sailors and veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States. To the best of its ability given the location and accessibility of the ancient burying ground, the municipality, in collaboration with veterans' organizations, cemetery associations, civic and fraternal organizations, descendants of veterans buried in the ancient burying ground and other interested persons, shall keep the grass, weeds and brush suitably cut and trimmed on those graves from May 1st to September 30th of each year. A municipality may designate a caretaker to whom it delegates for a specified period of time the municipality's responsibilities regarding an ancient burying ground. A caretaker for a municipality may be designated only by a writing signed by the municipal officers as defined in Title 30‑A, section 2001, subsection 10.

1-A.  Grave sites of persons who are not designated as veterans in ancient burying grounds.  To the best of its ability given the location and accessibility of the ancient burying ground, the municipality in which an ancient burying ground is located may keep the grass, weeds and brush suitably cut and trimmed from May 1st to September 30th of each year on all graves, headstones, monuments and markers in the ancient burying ground not designating the burial place of Revolutionary soldiers and sailors and veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States. A municipality may designate a caretaker to whom it delegates for a specified period of time the municipality's functions regarding an ancient burying ground.

2.  Grave sites of veterans in public burying grounds.  A municipality, cemetery corporation or cemetery association owning and operating a public burying ground shall, in collaboration with veterans' organizations, cemetery associations, civic and fraternal organizations and other interested persons, keep the grave, headstone, monument or marker designating the burial place of any veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States in that public burying ground in good condition and repair from May 1st to September 30th of each year.

A municipality in which a public burying ground is located may, in collaboration with veterans' organizations, cemetery associations, civic and fraternal organizations and other interested persons, adopt standards of good condition and repair to which grave sites of veterans of the Armed Forces of the United States must be kept. The standards at a minimum must detail how to maintain the grave, grass and headstones.  

If a municipality does not adopt standards, the municipality, cemetery corporation or cemetery association shall apply the following standards of good condition and repair:  

A. [PL 2013, c. 524, §1 (RP).]

B. [PL 2013, c. 524, §1 (RP).]

C. [PL 2013, c. 524, §1 (RP).]

D. Ensure that grass is suitably cut and trimmed;   [PL 2013, c. 524, §1 (AMD).]

E. Keep a flat grave marker free of grass and debris; and   [PL 2013, c. 524, §1 (AMD).]

F. Keep the burial place free of fallen trees, branches, vines and weeds.   [PL 2013, c. 524, §1 (AMD).]