Starting next month, the Hennessey Board of Trustees will meet the second Tuesday, instead of the second Monday.

The change was approved in three “yes” votes, one “no” and one abstention.

New board member Richard Simunek, who asked that the item be on the agenda, made the motion for the change. Wes Hardin seconded it, for two of the votes in favor.

Then Vice Mayor Clif Vogt abstained, and Keith Meek said he wasn’t sure what to do before voting yes. Mayor Bert Gritz, who started the discussion and said he was against the change, was the last to vote and voted no.

The action came last Monday night after media complaints to both the town and school boards, which met the same night, making it difficult for reporters to cover both public boards.

The town board changed from its first Thursday night meeting to the second Monday last year when the school board met the first Monday.

Then this year the school board changed to second Monday meetings citing the need for more time to close out monthly financials.

When media members complained, board members said the other should change.

Tiffany Tillman, town administrator, said she understood the reason the school changed its meeting date was because one board member could not attend first Monday meetings.

Gritz said he was against the change because the Monday meeting allows the town to pay all of its bills on time. He also said Tuesday is a basketball night, plus he likes getting the agenda on Friday so he had the weekend to go over items.

The board will still have weekend agendas because now, instead of a regular meeting, the board must call a special meeting for Tuesdays.

The Open Record Law requires a special meeting agenda be posted 48 hours in advance (in this case by 7 p.m. Friday). Regular meetings require a 24-hour agenda posting.

Before the vote and from the audience, Library Director Ruth Ann Replogle said library board meetings are based on town board meetings and they’d have to be changed.

Also from the audience, the Times & Free Press reporter said the change would help both boards get information out to the public.

Representatives from All About Hennessey and the Hennessey Clipper were also at the meeting and supported the date change.

Other Actions

That change was one of six agenda items voted on with another six in which the board tabled, or took no action.

PD CAMERA  — The board accepted 5-0 a $5,310 Watch Guard bid for an interview camera system for the police department. The only other bid was from Signalscape at $8,309. Currently the PD has only a surveillance camera in the interview room, Assistant Police Chief Ed Cangiano told the board in the absence of Chief Hank Weber, who was ill.

AUDIT — They hired Arledge and Associates to complete the 2018-19 audit for $9,000. Tillman said she thought that was about $900-$1,000 more than they charged last year.

TWO RESIGNATIONS — They accepted the resignation of police dispatcher Jessica Wood under one item, then due to a last-minute resignation, accepted the resignation of part-time dispatcher Mahala Jones.

Wood resigned due to medical issues, she wrote in her resignation.

Jones will be a full-time jailer for the Kingfisher County Sheriff’s Office, she wrote in her letter.

BUDGET — The only other item approved was the consent agenda which included end-of-the year budget amendments totaling $107,100.

Tabled Items

AMBULANCE — Gritz said he’d been contacted by Jimmy Johnson of Life EMS, the town’s ambulance service provider, about an ambulance for sale. He said he needed more information and would bring it back to the board later.

FIREFIGHTER SALARIES — Tillman said volunteer firefighters are paid every six months and receive only $6.25 an hour. She said that needs to be upped. Meek suggested it be at least what a reserve police officer gets if they have Firefighter I status. Others agreed. Tillman asked for the item to be tabled because she wanted to look over other increases before she made a recommendation to the board.

POLICE UNIT REPAIR — A $9,999.42 estimate was tabled to make repairs on a 2014 Ford Explorer police unit. The estimate by Stevens Ford, Enid, included a remanufactured engine, air-conditioner compressor, etc. Gritz said he wanted to get local estimates.

“We have one of the best Ford-certified mechanics (Jason Hawk) right here,” said Gritz.

Meek made a call and found out that this unit is also one that drowned out during one of the recent floods.

“No one told me that,” said the assistant police chief.

Hardin suggested, if they get a new vehicle, to get a truck instead of an SUV.

There was talk about also possibly getting a new vehicle before they put more money in the one with almost 83,000 miles.

Hardin suggested they get a truck, and said it should be police-rated. Others agreed.

Tillman said in 2000, when she worked for the Town of Crescent, they had problems with patrol trucks not being able to maneuver well.

“A lot has changed in 20 years,” said someone from the audience.

NO ACTION NEEDED — Tillman said no action was needed on these three items: promote Jones (who resigned), go into executive session to hire a reserve police officer, or hire a reserve officer.

Day Care Question

Under council person reports, Meek said he’d been approached by someone at the day care about an “update to her fire system.”

The day care is privately run; the structure is owned by the town and located west of the old gym on town property.

“We sent a letter to the fire marshal’s office to send anything about that property to us,” said Tillman.

“She said they need sprinklers,” Meek said.

“We can’t put sprinklers in there,” said Curtis Turner, public works director. “We don’t have a six-inch waterline over there.”

Gritz said instead of the fire marshal it could be the Health Department contacting the day care about problems with venting in the cooking area.

Replogle asked, but got no response, if the board had thought of installing a sprinkler system at the library, or a fire alarm, to alert people there of an emergency.

Pool, PD Updates

Jack Quirk, All About Hennessey, asked for an update on the swimming pool.

Tillman said the plans were at OG&E, then had to go to the State Health Department before it came to the town board for approval.

The KT&FP reporter asked if they’d gotten approval to hold prisoners for more than 24 hours at the remodeled jail.

The assistant chief said the fire marshal had already given approval and he thought a state Health Department jail inspector would come next week for final approval. Chief Weber later sent an email that the inspector is tentatively scheduled to come Monday or Tuesday.