Board waives late fees for Elmwood Cemetery business license after owners cite bookkeeping error

The Hammond City Public Works and Safety Board voted on Oct. 23 to waive late fees for Elmwood Cemetery’s business license after the cemetery’s representatives said the missed renewals were an oversight.

An attorney or representative identified as Reed addressed the board on behalf of the cemetery and asked the board for mercy, saying the lapse in license renewals dating to 2021 was a bookkeeping oversight and not intentional. The cemetery’s owner, identified in the record as Michael Goztecki, told the board a previously submitted check for 2022 had been returned for being submitted one day early and that the family has owned and maintained the cemetery for decades.

City staff reported that the cemetery had paid the business-license fees for 2023–26 but that late fees remained outstanding. A board member recommended waiving the late fees, and another member concurred; the board approved the waiver and conditioned the action on the owner’s statement that the cemetery will implement an auto-pay or other process to prevent future lapses.

At the hearing the owner said he will set up an automatic payment and that the cemetery’s family has an ongoing role in its care. Board members thanked the owners and noted the cemetery’s long-standing presence in Hammond. The record shows no formal opposition or appeal filed at the meeting.