Pinewood Cemetery Advisory Board

Sister Cities Conference Room - Coral Gables Museum

Agenda — 25 items

1. 1 The Pinewood Cemetery Advisory Board will be holding its Regular Meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 2:30 am EST. Members of the public may join the meeting via Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84407410572. In addition, a dedicated phone line will be available so that any individual who does not wish (or is unable) to use Zoom may listen to and participate in the meeting. Meeting ID: 844 0741 0572 One tap mobile +17866351003,,84407410572# US (Miami) +19292056099,,84407410572# US (New York) Dial by your location +1 786 635 1003 US (Miami) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 470 381 2552 US (Atlanta) +1 646 518 9805 US (New York) Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/koHpBvqy7 305-461-6769 (Coral Gables local number) To speak to the Pinewood Cemetery Advisory Board on an Agenda Item, please “Raise your Hand” or send a message to one of the meeting hosts using the Zoom Platform. If you joined the meeting via telephone, you can “Raise your hand” by pressing *9. The public may also comment on an item on the agenda using the City’s already-established e-comment function which may be found on the City’s website at: (www.coralgables.com/commissionmeetings) once the meeting’s agenda is published or by sending an email to cityclerk@coralgables.com prior to the start of the meeting.
2. 2 PAGE BREAK
3. I. CALL TO ORDER
4. II. ROLL CALL
5. III. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
6. 1. Pinewood Cemetery Advisory Board Meeting Minutes for April 21, 2026 26-1920
7. IV. NEW / OLD BUSINESS
8. 1. Annual Report - Board members reviewed this board's annual report. Staff will provide the Trust Fund balance once the fiscal year ends. Approved on Consent Agenda Pass
9. 2. Restoration Updates
10. V. OLD BUSINESS
11. 1. Pioneer Day Recap and 2027 Planning Pioneer Day was well received and included participation by community organizations, descendents, speakers and members of the public. Board members discussed improvements for a future event including: Providing additional chairs Improving set up logistics Increasing participation by community organizations Coordinating vendors and participating organizations earlier Board member discussed holding the next event on one of the following dates: February 20th or 27th and March 20th or 27th. No final date was selected.
12. 11 Master Plan/Design Fee - Staff advised a proposal was received for the master plan/design fee of $141,000. Staff will contact Santech to learn more about its historic cemetery restoration experience and determine what services they can provide. Staff will also consult with Procurement staff on whether an applicable historic restoration/professional services exemption could be used. Staff noted that the existing capital project designation allows funding to carry forward and demonstrates continued activity on the restoration effort.
13. 2. City Commission Presentation April 2026
14. 3. Tree Removal & Native Habitat Restoration - Board members noted that the restoration objective is not simply removal of the invasive trees, but restoration of the areas affected by removal and eventual return of appropriate native vegetation. They also discussed incorporating invasive tree removal into the capital project while retaining native habitat restoration as a separate component of the long term restoration priority list. Staff will clarify the language on the priority list so the it distinguishes between invasive tree removal and restoration of native habitat following removal.
15. 3. Pinewood Cemetery Priorities List 26-2117
16. 13 Grave Identification - Board members discussed the need for a comprehensive survey and mapping effort to identify graves, graves location, boundaries and areas where records may be incomplete or uncertain. Accurate identification and documentation of graves should be among the highest priority
17. VI. CITY COMMISSION ITEMS
18. 14 Parking - Board members discussed the possibility of creating parking near the cemetery, including the feasibility of using areas adjacent to existing streets and swales. Parking should be evaluated as part of the future planning process rather than proceeding immediately with construction.
19. VII. DISCUSSION ITEMS
20. 15 Accessibility - Board members noted this should be evaluated as part of the restoration/master planning process, with consideration given to historically appropriate improvements and potential outside funding.
21. VIII. ITEMS FROM THE SECRETARY
22. 16 Historic Cemetery Preservation Training / FPAN - Staff will investigate how the Florida Public Archaeology Training FPAN has conducted similar training with other organizations and coordinate a potential training session in January or another early date before the next cleanup.
23. IX. ADJOURNMENT
24. 18 NOTE
25. 21 Board members discussed reorganizing and combining several items and emphasized that the list should remain a working document that can be amended and revisited annually. Emphasis on grave identification, documentation and preservation. Discussions concerning the priority of the following: 1. Identifying graves and confirming grave locations; 2. Repairing broken graves, markers and plot boundaries; 3. Conducting surveys and documenting cemetery conditions; 4. Removing invasive trees and restoring native habitat; 5. Developing an ongoing maintenance plan; 6. Improving accessibility; 7. Addressing parking feasibility; 8. Improving signage and visitor amenities

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