Center Township Trustee Amy Knapp appeared before the Marshall County Commissioners Monday requesting a survey of the Lake/Stringer Cemetery on State Road 17 at the curve by the hospital.
Knapp said a situation has arisen with the adjoining property owner, Mike Relos who has the land for sale at the corner of State Road 17 and Olive Trail. During the past several months he has been excavating and bringing in fill on the low property next to the cemetery.
The Center Township Trustee has received several calls from concerned citizens saying he was digging in the cemetery. Commissioner Stan Klotz and County Surveyor Craig Cultice went to the scene with Knapp to see what was happening. She said, “He actually took down a fence which he was not supposed to do, and dug up one marker stone.” She told the commissioners he is way too close to the cemetery so she asked if the County Surveyor could do a new survey to determine the property lines.
Knapp said she has the Center Township Attorney Janette Surrisi working on the issue too but the County Surveyor needs the commissioner’s approval to do the work.
Commissioner Klotz commented that there were a couple of holes on the property and with the tiles on the property he said, “It doesn’t look quite right.”
Mrs. Knapp said, “He really broke the law because you are not supposed to excavate anything within 100 feet of a cemetery fence and he went over the fence and actually took down the fence.”
The County Commissioners approved having the County Surveyor survey the cemetery on State Road 17 at the curve by the hospital for Center Township Trustee Amy Knapp.
