Hennessey Board of Trustees narrowly elected a new vice mayor, then dug right into a major topic.

“All of that money has been wasted on the Mitchell Road drainage work,” said Trustee Bert Gritz during this month’s regular meeting held May 11. “And I don’t blame the construction company either.”

Added newly-elected Vice Mayor Harold Shaw: “It seems the construction company kind of blew it off.”

Shaw was elected vice mayor in a 3-2 vote at the start of the meeting.

Jones made the motion, Shaw seconded it and Jones, Shaw and Mayor Clif Vogt voted yes.

Gritz and Randy Bohnstedt voted no.

Shaw is the senior member on the board after Gritz and Vogt.

Stop Mitchell Road Project?

Gritz asked if they could stop the project.

“It’s your project and you can do whatever you need to do,” said Jennifer Firgard, Northern Oklahoma Development Authority grant specialist, from the audience.

The Mitchell Road work is being financed through a Community Development Block Grant.

In noting the work hasn’t been finished, Shaw said there have been rumors the construction company went on to other jobs, or might be having money issues.

During the meeting, Firgard sent a text message to Brian Schwegal, Cowan Group Engineering’s project manager.

Schwegal said he’d contact her the next day, Firgard told the board. Firgard later told the KT&FP that the engineer would be in Hennessey for a meeting this Thursday, May 18.

Earlier in the meeting, the board agreed to pay Krapff Reynolds Construction $43,315.25 for work on the project.

The total project cost was $367,352 and the balance owed is $135,533.

Dunlap Street Waterline Replacement

A $217,737 bid from Marsau Enterprises for waterline replacements on Dunlap Street was accepted.

This is another Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) grant through NODA and Firgard said it cameinunderthe$296,784 estimated budget.

Other bidders were Underground Control, $235,143; Orr Construction, $271,350; Downey Contracting, $282,302; Wynn Construction, $491,302.

Family Pool Rates Changed

Shaw said he thought $150 season family pool passes for up to five family members should not be limited to those who live in the same house.

The family pass also allows for added persons at $25 each.

He’s usually the one who takes his grandkids to the pool because their parents work, said Shaw. But, he said he has to pay $75 for his season pass to take them.

There are other instances where parents don’t live in the same household, Shaw said, and can’t be listed on the pool pass with their children.

Board members agreed it’s best for children to have babysitters or adults with the children at both the pool and the splash pad.

Trusteesvotedtochange the rule to include a family member, or a babysitter, but if a babysitter was not with the children, they would have to pay the day rate, or have another pass.

Pool in the Hole?

Trustee David Jones said he wants the board to see monthly treasurer’s reports on the aquatic center for the entire season, but those reports, and others, weren’t available due to the town’s computer server in Colorado being down.

He said he’d noticed on earlier financial reports that the swimming pool lost $2,000 last year and believed it needs to be operating at lower costs.

Gritz said he “totally” disagreed and didn’t want to increase costs.

“It’s a service to our children. I don’t want to get it so high that some kid who wants to go swimming can’t go.

“Taxpayers supported it in an election and we don’t want to let them down either.”

“People come from all around for our pool,” said Vogt. “They eat at our restaurants and come to our businesses while they are here and help pay for the pool.”

( Note: Vogt referred to the town’s three-quarter cent sales tax used to pay off the town’s $2.1 million pool loan approved by voters by 75% in August 2018.)

Other Action

Library Board members reappointed and the expiration of their terms were Karla VanGee and Leonor Ortega, 2024; Ginger Cox, 2025, and Karen Vogt and Ann Taylor, 2026.

Discussion/No Action

“Do we really need this?” Shaw asked about an agenda item that would require 10% of swimming lessons at the pool be paid to the town.

He said they had it on the books for three years, but only used it for the first quarter.

Gritz said they have it because legally a town employee can’t use town equipment for personal gain.

An example is if an employee used some equipment to work on a non-town project, but was paid for it.

Town Hall employee Shelley Burch said she checked with other towns and Okarche charges lifeguards and others 20%, Kingfisher allows them to use the pool at no cost when the pool isn’t open, and Okeene doesn’t charge lifeguards.

The item was tabled.

Trustee Reports

Shaw asked during trustee reports why they still haven’t opened up the sewer lagoon dump site.

“We’re losing money by not having it up. We made $75,000 in three years… The mulcher was down and now it’s up,” Shaw said.

“We want to do it right, and we’re still waiting on the attorney,” said Gritz.

In Acting Town Administrator David Treanor’s report, he wrote that the attorney “will reach out to the board (about the sewer lagoon)...he wants to know what direction you want to take.”

Shaw said the board also hasn’t been able to pass an ordinance on food trucks because the attorney is the hold-up.

Jones said they need to buy the town clerk a computer so she can make her reports at home and shouldn’t have to use her personal computer.

Board members said Treanor could approve that purchase.

One trustee said they couldn’t purchase a new mower because it’s over the $10,000 amount he can approve.

It’s $10,009. Another trustee said he’d kick in the $9.

Administrator Report

• Ads for Administrator – Steve Whitlock with OMMS started advertising for the position and the cutoff date for accepting resumes is June 26.

• Office Computer Training – Town paid CIC for half the training last month, but no date is set yet for office training.

• New Employee – Kolton Shaw.

• Building Permits – Fire Station Addition, 501 S. Main, and Fence, 515 E. Oklahoma Ave.

At the Meeting

In addition to trustees, other elected officers at the meeting were Burch and Clerk Kelley Vaverka-Gettings. In addition to Firgard, others in the audience were Frank Patton, Logan Macy and Daniel Wymore.