Three of the five members of the Hennessey Board of Trustees said they haven’t discussed making a COVID-19 mask mandate because it couldn’t be enforced.

One of three said it would be “fascist” if they did.

Mayor Bert Gritz and Trustees Keith Meek and Wes Hardin made those comments during the board’s Sept. 10 meeting when they responded to a question from a Times & Free Press reporter who asked why they hadn’t discussed it.

“It’s fascist to mandate it,” said Hardin, who is a former county deputy. “It can’t be enforced and it just doesn’t make sense. People just panicked in the early spring.”

Meek, who is a reserve county deputy, wore a mask during the meeting as did Trustee Richard Simunek.

Vice Mayor Clif Vogt wore a face covering around his neck, but didn’t pull it up during the meeting.

Simunek and Vogt didn’t comment during the discussion.

The reporter said Hennessey had 138 virus cases compared to Kingfisher’s 102, but Kingfisher has twice the population of Hennessey.

Administrator Tiffany Tillman was quick to say that most of the Hennessey cases were from the nursing home and Meek said he’d “heard” it started there by one of the cooks.

Earlier KT&FP stories quote Jill Vincent, nursing home director, who said 40 staff and 25 residents tested positive for COVID.

After the reporter said four of those residents died, Gritz, who owns the local funeral home, said it was only three. Vincent told the KT&FP that all four of those residents tested positive for COVID.

The state Health Department’s daily report shows two.

Tillman, who was not wearing a mask, said she’d just returned back to the office after being exposed to COVID.

This was her second time to have to self-quarantine due to exposure, and this time it was for two weeks because of her son, she said.

Tillman said she tries to social distance between herself and elderly people.

“You were close to me before the meeting,” said the reporter who wore a mask.

“But not for 15 minutes,” Tillman said.

She was referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that recommends “15 minutes of close exposure can be used as an operational definition” on the length of time of exposure to COVID-19 patients.

Gritz said more people die each year from the flu which is more than those who have died from COVID.

“So is this all about politics because the governor won’t require masks?” the reporter asked.

There was no comment from board members until she said that students are required to wear masks.

Gritz said they are required to wear them in classrooms, but not at sporting and other events.

“They have to wear them in the hallways and on school buses too, but not in the (elementary) classrooms,” said Meek.

Gritz said he knew masks are required inside the mid-high and high school classes.

The school has had seven students and one staff member test positive since June, according to Superintendent Dr. Mike Woods. He said all students to test positive were fifth grade or below.

The school added another bus route so that students would be able to safe-distance from others on the bus. They also asked that families sit together.

The reporter asked her questions during an agenda item for comments from the public.

In addition to Tillman, other town staff at the meeting during the discussion were Kati Walters, clerk and minutes clerk, and Teresa Weber, treasurer.

Weber wore a mask.