Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The City of Howell will be discontinuing providing services to a local cemetery due to increasing costs and other challenges.

St. Joseph Catholic Church owns Mt. Olivet Cemetery, located on Roosevelt Street.

City Council met Monday night and voted to give the church 30-days of notice before stopping all cemetery services provided.

The City’s Parks and Cemetery Department has assisted Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery with burials, foundation installations, and grave location services since at least the 1970s.

A memo states that although the long-standing relationship has been maintained in good faith without a formal contract, “it has become increasingly challenging to continue providing this support”.

The memo states Mount Olivet Cemetery is now significantly overcrowded and many of the existing burial plots have incomplete or inaccurate records associated with them. Those conditions are said to make it more challenging for city staff to assist effectively and also “raises serious concerns” about potential legal liability for the City.

Due to Mount Olivet's overcrowding, the City said it is not receiving adequate reimbursement for the services provided, making it financially unsustainable to continue. Additionally, continuing to perform the services exposes the City to unnecessary risks.

In light of the issues, staff recommended that the City discontinue providing cemetery-related services at the cemetery and providing time for the church to find a replacement.

At Monday’s meeting, Councilwoman Jan Lobur said she spoke with church leadership and stressed they were “very, very grateful for all of the support the City has given the church and cemetery for all of these years”.

Photo: St. Joseph Catholic Church