Residents planning to be buried in Warrenton City Cemetery may have to make alterations to their headstones.

The Warrenton Board of Aldermen approved a requirement to make the base of memorial stones larger at the cemetery during its May 2 meeting. The change was approved 6-0 by the aldermen.

For a stone to be installed in the cemetery, it is now required it have a base that extends four inches beyond the stone.

This is to help keep the monument straight and prevent it from being damaged by weed eaters or lawn mowers, Justin Knoll, grounds and maintenance director, told the aldermen.

Mike Vernum, of Washington Monument Company Inc. in Washington, Mo., which provides headstones for the Warrenton cemetery, said the change does benefit the stone. He said smaller stones often get knocked around when maintenance is done.

“This will prevent that from happening,” he said. 

He also said the code change was unlikely to increase the price of the stone. The change won’t affect stones already in place, City Clerk Melody Rugh said.

“It would take more than one monument company” to reset all the existing stones and monuments to meet the code change, Vernum said.

Knoll said the 4 inches gives crews just enough room for maintenance work.

“It just seems to be an appropriate fit,” Knoll said.

Rugh said the city will continue to take precautions and go slowly when around the current headstones to prevent damage.

She also said if anyone is interested in adding a four inch base to a current stone or memorial at the cemetery to contact a memorial company for information and cost.