Harwich Cemetery Commission approves knotweed treatment, flagpole removal at Island Pond

Other Committee · Meeting of May 7, 2026

Harwich Cemetery Commission votes to remove Island Pond flagpole and approves knotweed treatment at first meeting in months. The commission, which manages 16 cemeteries across more than 100 acres, had been sidelined by commissioners' medical absences and used Wednesday's session to work through a substantial backlog. Bartlett Tree Experts is under contract to handle roughly $12,000 in storm damage from Winter Storm Hernando, reimbursable from free cash after a Select Board vote, with 125-plus damaged trees recorded across town properties; Island Pond alone had approximately 54 downed or severely damaged trees.

A stockade fence at Mount Pleasant Cemetery is "perpetually breaking and missing slats," according to DPW liaison Jim, and a ballpark replacement estimate of $35,000 will require competitive bidding. The commission also noted cemetery lot prices have not been raised in over a decade, Harwich charges $800 per single lot while Orleans charges approximately $4,500, and plans to survey neighboring towns before bringing a proposal to the next meeting, scheduled for June 4.

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Source: the Other Committee meeting of May 7, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.