People may want to keep the memory of a deceased loved one close to their hearts, but starting a family cemetery in the backyard of their home to preserve that memory will be forbidden under a new city ordinance.

The ordinance approved Monday by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen prohibits burying a human body anywhere but an established cemetery. The vote was 3-0 on the law, which will go into effect in 30 days. One of the reasons for the move, according to the ordinance, is to protect the health and safety of city residents.

City attorney Nancy Thomas said the city has in the past received requests from residents seeking to bury loved ones on their property.

“We thought there was a state law that addressed where people could be buried, and we discovered there was not; it was up to each city to regulate and prohibit burials in the city limits,” Thomas said, adding the Attorney General’s office has previously issued opinions on the subject.

Under the ordinance, she said, burials will only be allowed in cemeteries established before March.

“If it’s not in a perpetual care cemetery or a fraternal or religious cemetery, then the possibility exists for city taxpayers to end up taking care of it,” Thomas said.

Employee arrests

In other action, the board adopted policy changes involving the procedure of dealing with city employees who are arrested for a crime.

Under the arrest policy, an employee who has been arrested or has criminal charges pending must notify the city’s human resources department as soon as possible of the arrest.

After the board is notified, a hearing on the matter is scheduled within three days, either at the next board meeting or at a special called meeting.

The employee is notified of the hearing and will have the opportunity to state their case before a panel consisting of their division and department heads, the human resources director and legal department representative. The panel will recommend a penalty to the board after the hearing.

The penalty can be suspension without pay, suspension without pay pending termination, or termination, depending on the severity of the charge, and the employee can appeal the recommendation to the board.

Felony charges, such as sex offenses, drugs and other serious crimes, according to the policy, will be considered for termination, while misdemeanor cases will be considered on a case-by-case basis.