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Hennessey town board talks water in closed session

January 30, 2019 - 00:00
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The Hennessey Board of Trustees took no action, and made no comments, on a water settlement with the Merritt family after spending 90 minutes in closed session with their attorney last Thursday.

The Merritts protested the town’s application to the state Water Resources Board in 2017 to amend the town’s ground water use on Merritt property south of Hennessey.

The town hired the Oklahoma City and Tulsa law firm, Gable Gotwals, in December 2017 to represent them in the matter. Dean Couch of that firm met with the board over a settlement agreement last week in the executive session.

Before he left the open meeting, Couch said he’d be in contact with the board later.

The Merritts had previously protested the town’s water use on another property leased by the town for water. In that case, the town reached an agreement to limit their pumping during the months of July-Sept. That was so Merritts would have a reliable supply of water for their Pecans of Merritt farm south of town.

All members of the town board were present at last week’s special meeting that lasted more than two hours: Mayor Mike Shaw, Vice Mayor Bert Gritz, Wes Hardin, Keith Meek and Clif Vogt.

Staff also present at the board table were Tiffany Tillman, administrator, and Curtis Turner, public works director. In the audience were Ruth Ann Replogle, library director; Ann Taylor, president of the library board, and Lyndsay Kopsa.

New Circulation Librarian

Kopsa was hired after a second executive session. She was called into that 15 minute closed session, then was hired as the circulation librarian at $9 an hour.

She is from Concordia, Kan. and is a graduate of Emporia State University with a master’s degree in library science, said Replogle. Kopsa also served as a caregiver for her grandparents and has volunteered as a mentor for kids through Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Sewer Project Hits Problem

A water well on the James Lott property caused a $7,200 snag for the sewer line project from Colorado St. to north of SH 51, said Turner.

The line had to be moved because it could not be within 10 feet of the private water well, he said. The board unanimously approved the expenditure.

Simunek Property

The board took no action on an agenda item titled: Discussion with possible action on the vacant lots 100 block W. Second St. owned by Richard Simunek.

Tillman said Simunek had leased two of his apartments at Second and Main streets to an unnamed oilfield company. He worried what kind of trouble it would cause, she said.

There are 15 employees of the company, but only four will be living on the property, she said.

It was unclear if Simunek would allow the other employees to park their trucks on the property.

Simunek was not at the meeting.

Turner said that property is zoned residential although there are businesses who were there before, and were “grandfathered in.”

One board member said he didn’t think the town could legally take any action as long as the town ordinances and codes were followed.

Simunek, an HHS grad and owner of the property, finished his renovation and preservation of a long-ago gas station and hospital at that corner. The apartments have a retro/industrial modern appearance using elements from gas stations and steel and are located across the street west of the post office.