Hennessey Board of Trustees learned that Cummins Construction Co., Enid, won the contract to resurface and widen State Highway 51 east of Hennessey.

After Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman gave the board the news at its Thursday night meeting, Trustee Wes Hardin asked, “So will that go to State Highway 74 (18 miles east of Hennessey)?”

There was laughter in the room, then Tillman said she thought it would be about eight miles.

The project, part of ODOT’s 2014 eight-year construction project, calls for 7.5 miles.

When work will start is not known, but Tillman said Cummins will have a work crew in Hennessey for a year to complete the project.

They will use Mark Henry’s yard after he’s moved and it’s cleaned up, she said during a new agenda item for her monthly report.

ODOT officials have visited Hennessey and heard complaints about the lack of shoulders on that stretch of S.H. 51 for several years.

In 2014, the estimated cost of the project, including purchase of right-of-way and moving utilities, was $9.5 million. The work on S.H. 51 was part of the state’s plan to add shoulders to 485 miles of rural two-lane highways.

Board members present were Mayor Bert Gritz, Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Richard Simunek, and Hardin. Absent was Keith Meek.

In the audience was board member-elect Harold Shaw who takes Hardin’s seat on the board next month.

Controlled crosswalk needed at library

The board voted, at the request of the mayor, to ask ODOT to install a controlled crosswalk in front of the public library on Main St/US. 81. Gritz said he’d been contacted by a couple of people who’ve noticed that children leaving the library had almost been hit by cars going too fast in that area.

They also voted to ask ODOT for flashing stop signs at the U.S. Highway 81/S.H. 51 intersection because motorists have a tendency to float through the stop sign and flashing lights.

Sewer lagoon problem

Sewer lagoons west of Hennessey have been full of rain water this past month so we are not able to irrigate sewage water properly, Tillman said.

“We’ve been giving DEQ daily reports,” she said, “and they gave us a temporary discharge order so we can get our lagoons at a manageable level.”

Sewer water from the lagoons is used to irrigate farm land.

The sewer department planned to run a “smoke test” on the lines to find out how storm drainage water is entering the system.

Tillman said DEQ had “been good to work with us on this problem” and told her the town could possibly allow a discharge in the winter months when they are unable to irrigate due to freezing temperatures.

More work on Walnut Street

A steep drop-off on Walnut Street south of Oklahoma Avenue due to water drainage work called for the board to approve another change order on the project.

There were concerns that someone might drive, or walk, into the ditch.

Tillman said there was another problem at Second Street where the street repair affected a driveway and she put both of those items on one change order.

The cost is $37,411.23 for this change.

An earlier change order was $32,539.77 which brings the total cost of the project to $248,556.75.

The town had $300,000 in CDBG grant money and matching funds put aside for the project.

Phase 2 of the drainage project will be on Third, Fourth and Fifth streets west of Mitchell Road.

No funding has been approved.

Vogt said they’d talked about making Walnut south of Oklahoma Avenue as a one-way street because it’s so narrow and Gritz said they need to do that.

Abel Moreno, owner of the house east of the project, was at the meeting and said he had no problem with them making it one-way and it didn’t matter to him which way they decided to direct the traffic.

Swim party reservations going quick

More than 30 reservations for pool parties at the town’s Aquatic Park have already been made, Tillman said.

Reservations opened April 1.

“I don’t think there is a single Saturday left for the early party, and very few Fridays,” she said. “It looks like it’s going to be another busy summer.”

More chairs that are easier for older people to use have been ordered, and she will order walkie-talkies for the lifeguards, she said.

12 lifeguards hired

After a 15-minute executive session, the board hired 12 lifeguards.

Rehires from last year at $8.50 an hour are Angel Rodriquez, Wade Vinson, Emily Root, Michelle Roman, Jake Schovanec and Grace Curran.

First-timers hired at $8 an hour are Jaylen Goff, Chloe Moery, Christian Tovar, Hailey Smith, Morgan Wymore and Lindsey Meek. Jessi Schovanec was hired as pool manager again this year during last month’s meeting.

The board also hired Juliana Macy and Stephanie Patocka as assistant managers.

Cemetery mowing problems

Gritz said Tillman had posted a notice on the town’s website that flowers, statutes, lights and other items on and around headstones at the cemetery need to be removed before April 19 so the cemetery can be mowed.

He said there should be nothing on a headstone other than a vase for flowers, which is a part of the headstone.

Other business

Next month’s meeting will start at 6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. due to a lengthy agenda and a one-hour OMAG training session for board members.

Tillman said in her report that the daily nitrate readings have been on the town’s website since Jan. 1, and that she’d emailed ODOT again about approval on the town’s new signage, but she assumed they haven’t answered because of the planned construction on S.H. 51.

Others at the meeting

In addition to Tillman, other staff at the meeting were Town Clerk Kati Walters and Police Chief Ed Cangiano.

Visitors in the audience were Tony Blackburn, Tammy Patocka and Moreno.