Cemetery Board Discusses New Gator, Roadwork
WARSAW — The Oakwood Cemetery Board met on Thursday, Sept. 7. The two main topics of discussion were the continuing road work and the new gator.
Phase III of the roadwork projects is almost finished, which consists of resurfacing older roads. Cemetery staff have been working alongside the Warsaw Street Department in order to complete the work for a lower price. With the use of the city’s small asphalter, one ton of asphalt can be placed for $50 versus the $150 cost of having another company do the work.
Sexton Hal Heagy estimates that once this last phase is completed, two-thirds of the cemetery’s roads will be as good as new.
A 2007 Gator Utility Vehicle will be traded in now that the new 2017 Gator has arrived. The cemetery will receive $3,000 trade-in value for the old Gator. The only difference between the two, besides the age, is that the new Gator will have a covered cab so employees will be protected from the elements while working. These Gators are used year-round.
Employees are currently preparing for the fall season. With leaf season coming up, the leaf pick-up equipment has been checked out to ensure it is all in working condition. On average, 100 loads of leaves will be removed from the cemetery during fall. There is room in the budget for part-time help for all the extra work if needed.
In other news:
- The new columbarium should be in within two months. The new one will be four Indian Red units with black fronts.
- A drainage line was repaired in the front field and a new drain was installed on the west side of the front field. These repairs will hopefully relieve some of the standing water issues.
- New trellises and stonework were added to the double garage near the cremation garden to update the look. In the future, an open pavilion will be added to the cremation garden.
- The cemetery is currently averaging between two and three burials a week, slower than other times of the year.
- The next meeting will be held at 5 p.m. on Oct. 5.