In the wake of recent resignations from Marblehead’s Cemetery Commission, Cemetery Superintendent Catherine Kobialka addressed the claims made by the members who left and shared her side of the story about the department’s operations.
The controversy began on Aug. 18 when Janet Merrill and Pam Peterson submitted their resignations to the Select Board, citing issues with the Cemetery Department’s structure and administration. Their departure left the commission without a quorum, unable to conduct business.
In an email to the Marblehead Current, Kobialka expressed surprise at the resignations and challenged several assertions made by the former commissioners.
“I have to say I was a little confused and disappointed,” Kobialka stated. “Any tension or issues these board members had were never revealed to either [her or Chairman Richard Coletti].”
The superintendent’s response comes amid accusations of resistance to change and lack of collaboration. Peterson, who joined the commission in 2022, expressed frustration with what she called barriers to modernizing record-keeping and pursuing grant funding for historic preservation projects.
Kobialka, however, painted a different picture of the department’s technological progress.
“Our records have been digitized for the past 20 years,” she explained. “Before she was on the board, the migration of all hard copy data to a web-based program was in process. This was completed in 2022 and brings us one step closer to being able to offer public access to records, which will be an undertaking.”
The superintendent also addressed concerns about long-term planning and improvement initiatives. Referencing publicly available meeting minutes, Kobialka highlighted several proposals discussed by the commission in recent years, including the use of goats for vegetation management at Old Burial Hill, efforts to improve public access to records and discussions on rule enforcement regarding dogs in cemeteries.
“Everything is presented, discussed and ultimately decided upon by the Cemetery Board at a meeting,” Kobialka emphasized. “The board has always agreed that it is challenging at times prioritizing the use of the sale of lots fund which we rely on for all development, major purchases and projects.”
Both Merrill and Peterson expressed frustration with what they described as resistance to change and lack of collaboration. They also expressed a desire for Kobialka to seek alternative funding sources, like state grants, outside the sale of lots of funds.
Kobialka acknowledged the department’s limited resources, describing it as a “department with a three-member board that meets four times a year.” This characterization provides context to the challenges faced by the commission in implementing large-scale changes or taking on extensive new projects.
The resignations have brought attention to ongoing issues within Marblehead’s cemetery system. Both former commissioners expressed concerns about deferred maintenance at town cemeteries and a lack of long-term planning. They pointed to deteriorating conditions at historic burial grounds like the Hooper Tomb on Harris Street as examples of needed improvements.
Peterson, in particular, raised alarms about infrastructure issues.
“Every budget for a long time has been level funded, so there’s an enormous amount of deferred maintenance,” she stated in her resignation. “There’s no water in like a third of the cemetery, no running water.”
The Cemetery Department oversees several historic burial grounds in Marblehead, including Waterside Cemetery, Harbor View Cemetery, Old Burial Hill Cemetery, Green Street Cemetery, Harris Street Cemetery and the Hathaway and Hooper Tombs. The management of these sites, some of which date back centuries, presents challenges in balancing preservation with modern cemetery operations. Kobialka expressed appreciation for the former commissioners’ service.
“It is a shame that both of these ladies feel they cannot fulfill their duties as commissioners,” she said. “I can only say that this department appreciates their past service and we wish them well in their future endeavors.”
Looking forward, the superintendent expressed optimism about welcoming new commissioners. The Select Board is now tasked with appointing an interim member to fill one vacant seat until the next town election. The Select Board interviews candidates to fill the vacancies on Sept. 25.
The situation has also caught the attention of other town bodies. Peterson indicated plans to share her experiences with the Town Charter Commission to inform potential reforms. She also mentioned efforts to establish a new Harris Street Cemeteries Oversight Committee to address maintenance needs at that historic site.
