Price Increases At Oakwood Cemetery May Be Forthcoming
Posted
Jackie Gorski-
Tentative plans for price increases at Oakwood Cemetery are in the works, but are not definite as of yet, sexton Hal Heagy said during the Oakwood Board of Regents meeting.
Heagy said he has a suggestion of how much the prices will go up but he hasn’t spoken with Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer yet to get Thallemer’s OK. Heagy said after he talks with Thallemer and gets the mayor’s OK, Heagy will then talk to the Board about the price increase. The price increase will then have to go in front of the Warsaw City Council in order to be approved and has to have two readings on it.
Another change will include putting up several lots that were put “on hold” back up for sale.
Heagy said he plans on taking off holds on lots that had not been paid for. He said he didn’t want to give the Board a number, but thinks the number is about 50.
Heagy said he’s allowed people to put lots on hold. Heagy said he gives people 60 days to pay off the lot. The cemetery has to “be paid all or nothing.” However, he said he’s been lenient on people paying for the lot. He’s had people call in and say they’ve saved up half the money, but needs more time beyond the 60 days to get the rest of the money. Heagy said he’s written a new date on the hold that was given to the person in order for them to get the money. However, with some of the lots with holds on them, it’s been years since the holds have been put on them and payments have not been made.
Heagy said in some circumstances, some people have forgotten about the lots or have gotten remarried and/or moved.
Heagy said the cemetery doesn’t have a lot of phone numbers for the people who have holds on the single lots any more, but they will reach out to the people they do have phone numbers to in order to get things resolved.
In other business, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, for some reason, has to disperse some money. When Heagy started as sexton in 2007, he said between the VFW and the American Legion, they would buy military flags for the cemetery. The VFW has decided to make a $500 donation to the cemetery. There is a donation fund the cemetery has, which will allow the cemetery to carry the money over if needed. Heagy said he thinks he will use that money to buy military flags.
In other business, the new road on the east side of the cemetery is ready. The grass is coming in “really, really good,” except by one of the roads, Heagy said. It will have to be determined when the road will be opened.
In other business, the Board:
• Learned the first stage of building the retaining wall in section 26 is compete.
• Heard Heagy has two part-time employees starting next week. Two part-time employees already started, but one quit, so the cemetery is looking to hire someone else for that position.
• Learned the cemetery will buy and replace two 80-90-pound angel statutes on a wall near a grave at the cemetery. One of the statues was tipped over and broken on two different occasions.
Heagy said he learned it was the result of an employee doing mowing and was accidently hitting the statues when backing up and didn’t realize he was hitting the statues.
Heagy said the cemetery will replace the statues for the family because it’s the right thing to do.
