BENTON -- Scott County has been given temporary custody of Forest Hill Memorial Gardens' records and is looking at ways of maintaining the cemetery until a new owner can be found.
Commissioners discussed maintenance of the cemetery during their regular meeting Tuesday.
A meeting was held Friday to make arrangements for three area cemeteries abandoned by owner Mike Graham and Associates of Houston, Texas, according to County Developer Joel Evans.
Scott County will make records available to the public until the cemetery is sold to a new owner.
While not legally required to maintain the cemetery, "we're looking at different avenues to fund temporary upkeep of the property until the sale of the property can be arranged by the Attorney General," Evans said.
Evans said county officials have asked for clarification from the Attorney General on whether the county can use a portion of the endowment or not and whether a reimbursement for upkeep could be added to the sale of the property.
"There's a lot of unanswered questions," said Commissioner Dennis Ziegenhorn who attended the meeting Friday on the county's behalf. "It's a real mess."