Hennessey native and HHS graduate Kati (Wymore) Walters was appointed clerk for the Town of Hennessey at the board’s Thursday night meeting.

This is an elective position and her appointment extends until the next town office filings and election in February.

Tiffany Tillman was elected to town clerk 14 years ago and has served as both town clerk and administrator since then. She resigned as clerk due to “added responsibilities” and “duties” given to her by the board for her town administrator job.

Tillman recommended Walters for the clerk position and said she is the only person in her office who met the qualifications.

Tillman’s term as clerk would have expired in 2023 and, due to her resignation, the filing period and election for that job will be in February.

If she runs for office and is elected then, Walters will need to take additional training, said Tillman. Otherwise, she doesn’t need it now.

Walters, 31, graduated from HHS in 2008, and is married to Jackie Walters. She has one stepson, Cameron, 8.

She has worked at town hall for the past three years and will continue as the accounts payable and payroll clerk.

She started as a part-time Hennessey police dispatcher in February 2014 and worked there for three years before her transfer to town hall.

In addition to her hourly wage, she will be paid $400 for the town clerk position and that job includes taking minutes at board meetings, which she has done in the past.

Walters’ other new duties include making daily bank deposits, keeping ordinance records, keeping documents, records and archives, and affixing the town seal to documents as required by law.

Walters has attended Oklahoma Municipal League seminars for the past three years.

Promotions, raises

The board took the following action after a 30-minute executive session to discuss employees:

• Troy Watkins, street department employee, was promoted to Street superintendent and raised to $16.50 an hour;

• David Treanor, parks employee, was promoted to Park superintendent and raised to $15 an hour;

• Alyssa Kubat, water operator, was promoted to Water superintendent and raised to $15 an hour;

• Bryan Burch, sewer operator, was named Waste Water superintendent at his current pay, and

• Brian Henderson, water operator, was raised to $13 an hour.

Employees changed from temporary full-time to regular full-time were Michael Jones, street department, and Christian Solis, police department; both at current wages.

Hurst resignation

In addition to Tillman’s resignation as town clerk, the board also accepted the resignation of Chad Hurst, reserve police officer.

He resigned due to his work schedule and family and other commitments.

Police Chief Hank Weber commended Hurst and his wife, Allison, for their work with the police department and his leadership with the Trail Life troop. He said there would be a presentation to Hurst at a later date.

Present at the meeting

All board members were present at the Aug. 13 meeting: Mayor Bert Gritz, Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Wes Hardin, Keith Meek and Richard Simunek.

Employees at the meeting were Treasurer Teresa Weber, Tillman, Watkins, Kubat, Burch and Henderson.

See next week’s edition for more action taken by the Hennessey board.