Originally published in the Yellowstone County News print edition on 4/1/16.
BILLINGS — A relatively simply action to approve a $3,000 change order erupted into a heated discussion among Yellowstone County Commissioners on Tuesday.
Commissioner Bill Kennedy was opposed to approving the change order for a utility shed that is being built at Riverside Cemetery, which is where the county buries indigent citizens who cannot afford to pay for their own funeral costs or when no family steps forward to do so.
Kennedy said, “I have a hard time spending money to house a lawnmower.”
He went on then to sharply criticize Commissioner Jim Reno for attempting to save the county money by “blatantly” going forward with a policy of having the remains of the deceased cremated rather than buried, at a cost savings of only $300 per individual, but then be willing to build a $30,000 shed.
“You seem to care more about a building than the people involved,” said Kennedy.
Reno seemed to be surprised at the broadside, and said, “I wish you would have put it on the agenda for a full discussion.”
He went on to defend himself pointing out his efforts over the past few years in reclaiming Riverside Cemetery which had become “a weed patch… it was disgraceful,” and it is now “a beautiful place.”
Reno then said, “This must be an election year. I seem to be getting a lot of your attention.” Reno, a Republican, is up for re-election this year. Kennedy is a Democrat.
In the rapid-fire exchange, Kennedy said that he believes that even if a person is poor they have a right to burial, and that the county should not be doing cremations without approval of the families.
Reno explained that keeping the cemetery looking nice requires a lawn mower, and other equipment, and the shed will also accommodate the county weed department’s four-wheeler.
Kennedy said that funeral directors were concerned about doing cremations, when families sometimes don’t even know the deceased has died.
Reno replied that cremation is the most common choice of interment. He said that what the funeral directors want is to have someone “sign off” on the liability.
“That’s the county,” said Reno, adding that he has asked the county’s legal staff to draft some kind of document that would relieve the funeral directors of liability.
Kennedy criticized Reno for doing that without any discussion with other commissioners.
Kennedy became especially upset at the suggestion that the whole conflict was campaign strategy, and the decibel level climbed as he and Reno continued the debate, at which Commissioner John Ostlund interjected that the conversation should end and they should vote on the motion.
Kennedy briskly responded that he was not finished speaking and would not cease talking. He then said he was tired of Reno “blatantly pushing things through.”
Both Reno and Ostlund voted for the change order, and Kennedy voted against it.
Denis Pitman, who is challenging Reno in the primary election, then spoke to say that he is a funeral director and would be glad to facilitate a conversation between the county and local funeral directors.
