Rules & Regulations

Plant and Flower Displays

• Permanent shrubs, bushes, flowers or plants are not permitted. If residents or owners of graves wish to donate funds to the City, they may do so and the City will plant flowers or shrubs in landscaped areas of the Cemetery as determined by the City.
• The cemetery sexton shall have the right to trim, prune and/or remove all trees and shrubbery as is necessary.
• Temporary Display of Plants, Flowers & Artificial Arrangements – The City of Bonner Springs assumes no responsibility for plants, flower arrangements or other items. No glass containers are permitted. Winter decorations are permitted between November 1 and March 1, but must be removed by March 2. If not removed, the City will remove all winter decorations that are not in vases, on headstones or otherwise placed in compliance with regulations. The sexton will remove all flowers and decorations set out for Memorial Day by the seventh day after Memorial Day.
• Hanging plants and other decorations may be displayed on “shepherd hooks” or a similar device placed directly next to (touching) or attached to the monument or headstone; but shall not interfere with maintenance or be made of glass. Shepherd hooks as of the effective date of May 16, 2013 shall be dark brown or black, made of heavy metal, not to be more than five feet in height from ground level, shall only have two hooks each with a maximum length of 15 inches, shall be perpendicular to the ground and fully upright at all times and items displayed on them shall not be less than three feet above the ground. One shepherd hook permitted for each full size grave and one for each one-half size grave.
• Items placed on a grave prior to the placement of a monument or headstone will be permitted for a period not to exceed six months following the date of burial. If not removed by that date, the City will remove all items.
• The City will remove any items found to interfere with maintenance.
• Permitted decorations shall not include containers of cereal malt or alcoholic beverage, any obscene items or words, weapons of any type or any illegal substances or paraphernalia.

Monuments, Markers and Foundations

• The face of all markers, monuments and headstones within the city cemetery shall be set true and square and shall be set at least six inches in from the line of the lot where placed, not exceed the width of the grave or exceed two feet in length.
• All monuments and markers shall be of granite, marble or granite and marble composition of approved standard quality or brass.
• All monuments shall be erected and located in accordance with the administrative regulations. Ground mausoleums shall not be allowed after April 20, 2000 except for those adjacent to existing mausoleums installed before April 20, 2000. Headstones in Sections N, O, P, Q & R, as replatted in the Second Replat of the Bonner Springs Cemetery, shall be restricted to ground level headstones.
• Ground level headstones shall be level with the ground.
• Stepping stones shall not be permitted unless the stone is made of the material required for monuments and headstones and used in place of a monument or headstone, with an appropriate foundation and a permit obtained for its installation and shall not exceed the length and placement requirements for headstones.
• Permanent Vases above ground are permitted only when attached to or made a part of the monument or headstone.
• In ground vases will not be permitted after October 25, 2007, the effective date of the ordinance amendment.
• Benches are permitted when made a part of the monument and constructed of the same material required for a monument or headstone and as provided in Section 12-410 and 12-411. Benches integrated with the monument or headstone shall only be installed at the head of the grave and cannot exceed the dimensions for headstones.
• No walkways, boxes, fences, edging material, mulch material, gravel, chairs, settees, structures or other materials or items of any kind shall be permitted.
• Any item placed on a grave in violation of regulations shall be removed by the City.
• The owner will be responsible for care and maintenance of headstones, monuments, benches and stepping stones with the exception of damage caused by the City or where owners cannot be located and the damage to the stone is a safety or maintenance issue.
• Military stones at foot of graves should be flush with the ground.
• Organization and Lodge markers should be placed directly behind the headstone.
• Temporary funeral home metal markers will be removed after one year.
• Foundations - Shall be constructed to a depth of one and one-half feet for monuments up to three feet and a minimum depth of two feet for monuments over three feet. All foundations shall be constructed of a mixture of one part cement to two and one-half parts of sand and three and one-half parts of rock.

Access to Cemetery

The hours of general access to the City Cemetery shall be from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Entrance to the City Cemetery after hours may be allowed when necessary with permission from the sexton.

Prohibitions

• It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously injure, mar, deface, destroy or remove without permission any headstone, monument, marker, or decoration on any cemetery lot.
• It shall be unlawful to disturb or molest any grave. Exception: This does not apply to the cemetery sexton, or anyone authorized by the sexton, in the performance of maintenance duties.
• It shall be unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle in the cemetery faster than 10 miles per hour.
• No person shall use the cemetery grounds or any driveway therein as a public thoroughfare.