Memorial Gifts

Process Guidelines

Application

The donor must contact the Administration office to determine whether a memorial gift donation may be accepted based upon criteria contained in this policy. If a donation can be accepted, the donor will complete the appropriate application form. Administration Staff first reviews the initial request from the donor as completed by the application and assists in determining location options, type of gift, and review of language for accompanying plaque. The appropriate Department Heads, boards and committees will be asked to recommend approval or to reject the application. The Town Manager has the final authority to approve or deny the request and may suggest changes. Staff then notifies the donor to finalize the gift.

Applications are available through the mail, online or in-person at the Administration office. Completed applications and payment will be made to the Town of Truro for review and processing.

BENCHES

Bench Type (See Application Form for more details)

Contoured or Elizabeth style bench styles only are to be used for Memorial Benches.

TREES

Tree Type (See Application Form for more details)

Memorial Trees must be approved by the Conservation Commission and must be an appropriate species for the proposed location and cannot require personal attention. The species must be able to survive in the natural weather conditions of the location and must not require installation or modification of irrigation systems.

PICNIC TABLES

Picnic Table Type (See Application Form for more details)

Appropriate Picnic Table types may be recommended by the DPW Director. ADA-compliant picnic tables are preferred.

OTHER MEMORIAL GIFT ITEMS MAY BE PROPOSED AND WILL BE APPROVED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE TOWN MANAGER. Other memorial gift items may include Accessible Mats, shade structures, etc.

Memorial Gift Locations

Possible locations:

• Pamet Park, Snow's Park (benches, trees, picnic tables)

• Snow's Field (benches, trees, picnic tables)

• Corn Hill Beach (benches)

• Pamet Harbor (benches)

• Great Hollow Beach (benches)

• Cold Storage Beach (benches)

• Truro Community Center and Library Campus (benches, trees, picnic tables)

All memorial gift locations proposed must

 1. meet a true need of the facility,

 2. not interfere with the intended current or future use of the facility and

 3. not require the relocation of other equipment or infrastructure to accommodate the gift. The Town may determine that a facility is fully developed and the opportunity for a donation would not be available. Other locations may be available and an up-to-date list of locations will be kept in the Administrative office.

Gift Placement

Staff has developed a list of suggested locations for memorial gifts and consideration will be given to the following factors in determining gift placement:

• Aesthetic attributes

• Wildlife observation attributes

• Avoidance of sensitive ecological resources; gift placement should not negatively impact habitat

• Density of benches and other memorials at a particular location

• Access for people of varying ability levels

Standards for Memorial Gifts

The Town of Truro and the community have an interest in ensuring that memorial gifts installed in parks, conservation lands and recreation areas are of high quality related to style, appearance, durability and ease of maintenance. The Town and the community have an interest in ensuring the best appearance and aesthetic quality for their public facilities. All memorial gifts will be installed in such a manner that will not substantially change the character of a facility or its intended use.

Maintenance and Installation

Donated gifts become Town of Truro property. Accordingly, the Town has the duty to maintain and install the donation only for the expected life cycle of the donation. If current information is on file, the donor will be informed and given the opportunity to take further action at the expiration of the original life cycle or condition of gift.

Repair

The community has an interest in ensuring that all gifts remain in good repair. In addition, the public has an interest in ensuring that the short and long-term repair costs are reasonable. Repair parts and materials must be readily available. Donated gifts must be of high quality to ensure a long life, be resistant to the elements, wear and tear, and to acts of vandalism.

Cost

The Town has an interest in ensuring that the donor covers the full-cost for the purchase. Estimated costs of benches, trees, and picnic tables are available upon request. These estimates are subject to change over time.

Memorial Plaques

Memorial gifts, as approved by the Town, may have memorial plaques, which are to be directly affixed to the gift or (in some cases) within close proximity of the gift. Plaques are to be made of bronze and purchased through the Town. Memorial plaques will be a maximum of7"w x 3"h in size, utilize standard lettering and numbers as designated by the Town, have a tooled bronze, no border, black background (subject to change, due to availability) and manufactured by a Town approved vendor to ensure highest quality, life and durability. Any variance from these specifications is at the discretion of the Town Manager. These types will be in character with the intent of this section and acknowledgments shall be tasteful, and subtle. To prevent obscene or potentially offensive text from being displayed on Town property, the Town must approve all text for memorial plaques. In park bench applications the memorial acknowledgment will be routered into the seat back of the bench.

Notification

This criteria is a requirement for both existing (at the expiration of its life-cycle period) and new donations. It shall be the responsibility of the donor to provide the Administration Office with a current address for purposes of notification regarding their donation. For the purposes of notification the Town will send a certified letter to the donor, notifying the donor of changes related to the status of their bench (i.e. a need to remove, relocate, or comply with conditions set forth in this policy).

Term

The Town of Truro will maintain the gift for its natural lifetime. The gift will be removed when it becomes too unsafe, is vandalized in a manner that makes it visually unacceptable, or presents other unanticipated issues to the Town. The Town of Truro does not guarantee against the effects of weather, vandalism, or theft. The Town reserves the right to move gifts as needed to accommodate changing landscapes and infrastructure. Notification will be made to the donor if a gift's location is changed.

Accessories

No accessory items will be allowed (such as plastic flowers, painted rocks or other adornments).

Effective Date: February 28, 2017