County hesitant of work for cemetery

A preliminary concept for the design and development of the Cemetery Memorial Park across the street from the Dancy Building was met Tuesday with hesitation by Cameron County Commissioners.

Commissioners acknowledged that work on the memorial park is needed, but they have requested that it be completed at the least cost to the county.

"Follow the KISS principle...keep it simple," Precinct 3 Commissioner David Garza said, during Tuesday's Cameron County Commissioners Court meeting in which a presentation on the park's status was given.

Four years after crews unearthed hundreds of graves across from the Dancy Building, county officials and architect Robert J. Ruiz are trying to develop the memorial park that will comply with the guidelines outlined by the Texas Historical Commission.

The park must include green space, a sprinkler system, fencing and a commemorative marker. No digging would be allowed.

Although Ruiz mentioned providing lighting around the park area for security reasons during Tuesday's presentation, Precinct 4 Commissioner Edna Tamayo said the lighting would just attract people to the park instead of keeping them away.

Officials fear that residents would want to have "picnics" at the memorial park and that there would be cross traffic at the park.

The county needs to develop the memorial park in order to get approximatley $300,000 in grant money the THC owes the county for restoring the Dancy Building. However, before the county gets the money, it must meet the THC's guidelines.

"They are actually holding us hostage to this money," Garza said.

The grave site on East Monroe Street dates back to 1848, and history indicates its graves had been moved in 1850 to the city's new cemetery on Fifth and Madison streets.

But somewhere along the line, some graves remained behind, and the bones were discovered in September 2004 during a renovation project of the old Dancy Building on East Monroe Street, the former Cameron County Courthouse.

The bones were found while construction workers were excavating a utility line trench across from the Dancy Building.

The cemetery covers block 144 that is bounded by Monroe Street on the south, 11th Street on the east, 12th Street on the west and Jackson on the north.

Local historians believe that burials continued at the site after it was abandoned in 1850 for a new one on Fifth and Madison streets, according to Herald archives. The graves were supposed to have been moved to the new cemetery.

In other business, Commissioners approved a travel allowance that will allow two employees of the Auditor's office to travel to Dripping Springs, Texas, to review the Red River Garbage Solid Waste Collection System Information.

According to an agreement between the county and Red River, the county has the right to review the books and records kept in relation to the contract between the two.

In May, Red River announced that it was pulling out of a contract with the county.

Citing the county's inability to enforce its order that all rural residents use the service and the lack of any means to require payment, Red River said it could not profitably serve the unincorporated areas of the county under its contract.