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For The Times & Free Press

Bull Foot Park pond dam repairs, a waterline replacement grant and a police shooting range were among the topics discussed at the Tuesday night meeting of the Hennessey Board of Trustees.

Also, for the second time in two months, the board voted to change its meeting date, and next month its regular monthly meeting will be the second Monday.

Dam Repairs

The west side of the walking trail at Bull Foot Park could cave in if dam repairs aren’t made.

That’s what Hennessey Public Works Director Curtis Turner told town board members.

Repairs could cost $40-$45,000, he said, and that quote wasn’t recent. The board asked him to get a firm quote with or without pipe so members could have a special meeting to vote on it.

Turner said the concrete is supposed to hold the overflow but it’s not “so we have to repair the concrete wall to keep it from leaking again.”

He said the water is going under the walking trail, then under the railroad trestle and ends up in Turkey Creek.

“So that’s why our pond won’t hold water,” said Trustee Wes Hardin.

“And why the island (in the middle of the pond) keeps getting bigger,” said Administrator Tiffany Tillman.

When newest Trustee Richard Simunek asked how they’d pay for it, Tillman said those repairs were planned and included in the budget.

“The pond is three-feet below normal level,” said Turner, “and we probably would have lost all of our fish if we hadn’t had all this rain.”

Other board members present were Mayor Bert Gritz, Vice Mayor Clif Vogt and Trustee Keith Meek came in late but got there after the dam discussion.

Other staff at the meeting were Treasurer Teresa Weber, Police Chief Hank Weber, Reserve Police Capt. Bryan Burch, Library Director Ruth Ann Replogle and Clerk Shelley Burch.

Bryan Burch was hired late in the meeting as a full-time public works employee at $15 an hour.

Water and Flood Control

Board members looked over a Cowan Group Engineering map that shows low/flood areas.

“This is a preliminary plan,” said Turner. “We will have to fix one part at a time because this will be a $750,000-$1 million project.”

“Fix the worst ones first,” said Vogt.

Homes got water inside them, said Turner. He said engineer Michael Taylor is working on the problem so the town can update it’s five-year capital improvement plan and apply for a grant.

“He will bring us a plan about how we should go about making the repairs,” said Turner.

Water Line Replacement

The board voted to upgrade a four-inch water line to a six-inch line between water wells seven and eight (three-fourth of a mile east and north of town).

Tillman said they have a good chance to get a REAP (Rural Energy for America Program) grant through NODA.

She said the new water lines are estimated to cost $70-$80,000 and if the town asks for 50% in matching funds that will give the town more points and a better chance to get a grant.  

Meeting Change

Vogt asked to have the meeting date change on the agenda this month. Last month there was a 3-2 vote to change it from the second Monday to the second Tuesday night with Vogt and Gritz voting no.

This month the vote was 3-2 to change it back to the second Monday of the month.

Vogt said the school board changed its meeting dates to the second Tuesdays the same night that the town voted to change its date so it didn’t interfere with the school’s meetings.

Meek, who said he’d cast the deciding vote the month before to change the date, changed his mind. He said he’d have to miss a Hennessey Educational Foundation meeting and was late to the town meeting that night due to a literacy event with his daughter.

Simunek, who’d instigated the change last month, said he opposed changing back to Monday nights due to the conflict with the school.

“There are other days of the week we could meet,” he said. “What about Wednesdays?”

“That’s church night,” said Tillman, who added that the library board also meets the second Tuesday night.

Simunek said the Times & Free Press reporter couldn’t cover both meetings on the same night. Her reporting is needed “to keep this board accountable to this town of 2,300 people,” he said.

“They could always come to the meetings,” said Tillman.

Both Vogt and Meek said they were irritated that the school made the change.

Tillman said the school board made the change “to accommodate a board member whose son plays (Monday night) junior high football.”

The school board’s change was only for September and October, said someone from the board table.

“But what if his son plays basketball?” asked Tillman, who’d not wanted the Tuesday night change due to her daughter, a senior, who plays basketball.

The vote was 3-2 for town meetings to be the second Monday of the month for the rest of the calendar year.

Simunek and Hardin voted no, and Gritz and Vogt were joined by Meek in yes votes.

PD Shooting Range

Weber said he’d looked for town-owned property for a police shooting range and found that the water treatment plant is on 10 acres and there is a natural berm there.

He said officers have to practice at Omega and it would be better to have something closer.

The chief said there was also interest by citizens in having a range, and they could possibly get an NRA grant for it.

The town’s liability for that was brought up, and Hardin asked if the town could lease it to a hunting club the way they do the rodeo grounds.

It was suggested they call the town attorney.

Tillman said the DEQ would have to be consulted also.

Weber said if it wasn’t open to the public then NRA wouldn’t OK a grant.

“I don’t want to take on any more projects until we get done with what we’ve started,” Gritz told the police chief, and that ended the discussion.

Gritz referred to the police department’s new radio system that has yet to be completed.