Masks and face gear for Hennessey police and firefighters have been provided by Kingfisher County Emergency Management, said Mayor Bert Gritz Thursday night during the town board’s first virtual meeting via Zoom.

The ambulance service provider took care of their EMTs, Gritz said, about their protective gear from the COVID-19 virus.

The town has no current plan to provide masks for the community, as Kingfisher did, said Tiffany Tillman, town administrator. Masks are currently available and most people have them because several people in the community are making them.

Tillman said Kingfisher City Manager Dave Slezickey said they wouldn’t have given them out except they were made such a “good deal” on them.

Gritz said they could address masks again if it became a requirement.

Tillman said she thought they “could round up enough in town who sew” if they became required, “but if industrial masks are needed, we’d have to look to other providers.”

All members of the board were present for the meeting: Three at town hall and two via Zoom. The mayor and Trustee Keith Meek were online from their homes and Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Richard Simunek and Wes Hardin were on site along with Tillman.

Swimming pool on schedule, but …

“We’re going to have to play it by ear,” said Gritz when asked if the swimming pool was on schedule. “Keep your fingers crossed, but I would be very, very surprised if we could open Memorial Day…We would have to get an all-clear from the health department.”

Tillman said the construction company is “still on track and they’ve been working until dark.”

Gritz said they have had some problems with some of their suppliers, but they are still on schedule.

“We’ve waited a long time to get this pool,” said Gritz.

Meek asked if they had staff for the pool.

Tillman said they didn’t and she knew some interested would need to go to lifeguard classes and those had been postponed.

The discussion came up when the board approved a $2,000 change order to add a disconnect outside the bath house on the northwest corner.

The plan called for it to be inside the structure, which isn’t finished so OG&E said it couldn’t hook up the electricity until May.

“If they do the box on the outside then OG&E will start right away (because they have the walls up),” said Tillman.

The board also routinely approved paying Carrothers Construction $202,003.50 for its pool work thus far.

Spring Cleanup reset

Tillman said she talked with Public Works Director Curtis Turner and they thought the Townwide Spring Cleanup scheduled this week should be changed due to the virus.

The board agreed to tentatively reschedule it for June 5-14.