State asks for more money to manage aging cemeteries

By Paul Drewes

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    HAWAII (KITV) — Eight aging cemeteries fall under the care of the state’s Accounting and General Services department, or DAGS.

DAGS is asking the state Legislature this year for more resources to better care for these final resting places.

You wouldn’t know from looking at it, but underneath all the overgrown weeds is a cemetery. An example of a state-owned cemetery that suffers from a lack of funding to care for it.

“When you walk around these cemeteries and you see the condition of these cemeteries, it is heartbreaking,” said DAGS Director and Comptroller Keith Regan.

Regan recently surveyed the condition of Hanapepe Cemetery on Kaua’i, one of the eight cemeteries under his department’s care.

“In order to maintain those cemeteries throughout the state, we need positions, and we need to have resources in order to be able to go in and do groundskeeping, maintenance, repairs. Things that will ensure those facilities are kept in the way they really should be as the final resting place for more than 6,000 of our residents.”

There are only two groundskeepers to maintain six cemeteries on Oahu, and none on Kauai. Regan requested $1 million dollars from the Legislature this year to fund 2 groundskeeping positions and hire a contractor to upkeep the lands. One of those groundskeepers would work at Hanapepe Cemetery, which currently has no dedicated staff.

But the state has to ask the legislature every year for money to maintain these abandoned cemeteries.

Now lawmakers are looking at a different approach, to better care for these neglected places.

“Maybe a better approach would be a trust fund for all these cemeteries to fund operations. It makes it more predictable, it is a one time ask to fund the trust fund,” said Senator Donovan Dela Cruz, who chairs the Ways and Means Committee.

Without enough funding, these cemeteries turn into crime scenes.

“Vandalism, and theft, no one wants that for a cemetery – especially if they have a loved one there,” stated Dela Cruz.

“A lot of vandalism because they’re located in kind of out of the way places where people can go in and knock over headstones and just cause problems within those facilities,” added Regan.

While these aging cemeteries wait for additional funds for more maintenance and personnel, another idea being talked about is having a non-profit take over these hallowed grounds, so they can be properly cared for.

“We have to honor their lives in a way that is respectful and to have these cemeteries fall into disrepair is just inappropriate,” said Regan.

These are the cemeteries managed by the state:

Aiea Cemetery, 99-123 Uahi St., Aiea HI 96701

Makiki Cemetery, 1630 Pensacola St., Honolulu, HI 96822

Puea Cemetery, 1440 North School St., Honolulu, HI 96817

Puukamalii Cemetery, 1821 Kamalii St.

Waianae Cemetery, 85-759 Farrington Hwy.

Waianae Japanese Cemetery, 85-271 Waianae Valley Rd.

Hanapepe Cemetery, Lele Road, 96705 (no street address)

Kalaoa Cemetery, 73-4297 Old Mamalahoa Hwy. Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

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