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Sexton Hal Heagy told the Oakwood Board of Regents Thursday he wanted to revisit the idea of renting out the cemetery chapel and asked members to think of ideas of how to use it.
Heagy said he wanted to revisit the idea in order to possibly bring in more money to the cemetery and because the chapel doesn’t get used much. The cemetery would have to have some stipulations for renting the chapel.
He said being able to rent out the chapel would not be a guarantee as the idea came up before to former Mayor Joe Thallemer and city attorney Scott Reust, who didn’t think it was a good idea. Heagy said he would like to revisit the idea with current Mayor Jeff Grose. Heagy said it is going to be asked what they are going to use the chapel for and he wanted to have some ideas to present to Grose and anyone else he would possibly meet with.
Renting out the chapel is new to him, Heagy stated.
Board President Ken Locke said the board needs to explore it because there are groups that would use the chapel, noting using it has turned out great for the veterans programs.
Locke suggested talking to Warsaw Parks and Recreation Department Superintendent Larry Plummer to see what kind of pitfalls the parks department has seen in renting out park buildings. Locke also said his hometown in Iowa has a community building at the cemetery and he could call them to see what they do and do not allow there.
Locke suggested the board members think about the topic.
In other business, the board heard:
• There will be a Veterans Day ceremony at the cemetery chapel Nov. 11.
• Electrical power is being installed for the southeast gate. A gate opener is being installed.
• In the first year of the garden giveaway so far, the cemetery has given away 100 pounds of produce to The Salvation Army. Heagy said they did lose some green beans to critters and the garden didn’t yield any fruit this year.
The cemetery will change some things up next year to make it easier to maintain.
• A new walk will be installed in Section 17 in the old section at the end of September to help keep the area looking nice.
• Seven trees have been planted throughout the cemetery.
• Cemetery staff is getting ready for leaf season.
• The first meeting for organizing next year’s historical walk at the cemetery was Thursday. There was no further information about the walk during the cemetery board’s meeting.
