PHOTO BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
SOFTWARE … Fulton Township trustees and the township fiscal officer participate in a live stream presentation on the proposed cemetery mapping software from Lazarus.
By: Jacob Kessler
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jacob@thevillagereporter.com
The Fulton Township Trustees met for their regular session on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., with the meeting getting underway at approximately 4:05 p.m.
Trustees first approved minutes from the February 8 meeting and approved the signing of checks and vouchers.
At approximately 4:10 p.m., the trustees held a virtual presentation with Lazarus regarding cemetery mapping and management software. Representatives explained the system is cloud-based, allowing township staff to log in from any location with internet access to view plot ownership, burials, and related records.
The system also allows documents and photos to be attached to plots and owner records, including deeds, contracts, obituaries, and other paperwork, and it can track sales information, though it does not process payments.
The presentation also covered a map view with color coding for space status, along with search tools that can locate a name and show where a person is buried.
Lazarus said it would come on site to scan relevant records and could photograph headstones for mapping purposes, then cross-reference what is found in the field with the township’s existing paperwork to help correct inconsistencies.
Trustees were informed that the service would also come with a public website option that would allow visitors to search for a name, drop a location pin, and use a phone to navigate to the headstone, along with a QR code option for signage.
Cost factors discussed included a travel fee, an aerial mapping fee priced by acreage, scanning of lot cards and paper maps, transcription of the data, and an optional memorial photography service that would include photos of headstones visible on the public site.
Lazarus also reviewed the annual subscription structure, noting that the township could combine all three cemeteries under one account.
Trustees were also told the township could export its data and cancel the service if it ever chose to discontinue.
A preliminary estimate discussed during the meeting placed Package 1 at approximately $12,300 and Package 2 at approximately $15,300, with the difference tied to the memorial photography option.
Trustees noted they are still waiting to hear back from CIMS regarding pricing for a similar service.
Trustees then reviewed reports, including the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office report, which showed 18 complaints and one criminal complaint.
Two resolutions were addressed during the meeting. Trustees approved Resolution 2026-3, authorizing the Fulton County Engineer’s Office to provide cost estimates for township road work for 2026.
Trustees also approved Resolution 2026-4, accepting Fulton Township’s permanent appropriations budget for the fiscal year of 2026 and authorizing the fiscal officer to forward necessary documents to the appropriate office.
A public records request was also discussed. The fiscal officer reported receiving a request seeking digital copies of all township payments from January 1 of last year to the current date.
The request was sent to the township attorney for guidance, and the township responded that the records are not maintained in digital form and that paper copies would involve a per page charge. The requester later withdrew the request.
Under correspondence, trustees reviewed an email from a township resident asking whether a spring cleanup would be held for bulky items, noting the resident referenced Stevens Disposal. Trustees stated the transfer station is an available option for item disposal.
The trustees also reviewed a letter received from the Fulton County Commissioners that referenced a proposed county action related to future solar and wind development.
The letter, dated February 5, 2026, stated the commissioners intended to consider a resolution designating unincorporated areas of Fulton County as a restricted area for future development of solar and wind energy facilities, with the adoption scheduled for a regular meeting on Tuesday, March 10, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. at the Fulton County Administration Building in Wauseon.
The meeting was then adjourned at 5:14 p.m.