CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The grass is high at the historic Spring Hill Cemetery in Charleston and Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin admits keeping the city-owned cemetery well-groomed this year has been a problem.
Goodwin said the problems began in early spring with the pandemic and difficulties in finding contractors to provide mowing at the site.
“We got a little bit behind ourselves and trying to get back where we need to be has, quite frankly, been a struggle,” Goodwin said Monday during her weekly appearance on 580-Live on 580 WCHS.
Goodwin said the city has hired contractors who haven’t shown up. She said other contractors wanted the city to pay them as much as $145 an hour.
Goodwin said what to do next is under discussion.
“We just had two meetings about it last week to try and figure out a way and a plan moving forward,” Goodwin said. “There’s no question about it, it’s a challenge for us right now.”
Goodwin said members of the group Friends of Spring Hill Cemetery are part of the discussions.
As for now, some employees in the city’s Public Works Department are helping out on their own time.
“We’re paying some of our team members here in the City of Charleston overtime or when they finish their shifts to go up and help us,” Goodwin said.