Trustees accepted a $19,800 bid from Daniel Construction of Hennessey to replace 1,680 square feet of existing sidewalk on Oklahoma Avenue from the alleyway east to Cherokee Street.

There will be two added Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant handicap ramps on the south side of the street: one east of the alley and another at the Cherokee Street corner.

That’s what Hennessey Board of Trustees were told by Town Administrator Tiffany Pollard-Rowen during their regular April meeting last Tuesday.

Other bidders were JMB Concrete for $31,500 and Silver Construction for $22,000.

Both of those companies are based out of Enid.

Business Owner Asks for Help

The unanimous 4-0 vote was taken on an agenda item requested by Trustee David Jones for “possible action concerning the sidewalk/ handicap ramp situation on Oklahoma Street in front of The Hive.”

Jones said Sheila Duell, owner of The Hive, had recently asked for help.

Last year she’d asked the town for two handicap parking spaces at her 114 E. Oklahoma Ave. business. It’s on the south side of the street next to the alleyway and the sidewalk work will start in front of her business.

Currently there is only one handicap parking spot on the south side of that street and it’s at the Main Street corner.

Jones said Duell recently told him that two people had fallen and there are others who are unable to step up onto the sidewalk at her business.

“It’s 14 inches high,” said Mayor Harold Shaw.

Discussion on the sidewalk project started in October and Trustee Bert Gritz said reducing the parking angles by10 degrees might help with sight lines for drivers turning onto Oklahoma Avenue.

Jones also commented in that October meeting that handicap measurements and signage needed to be corrected on that street.

Tuesday night Jones asked Rowen if she and/or Public Works Director Alyssa Kubat “would be willing to communicate with Sheila and make sure she’s up to speed on everything that you guys are getting ready to do? Because, she is very frustrated about this.”

One-way No-way Alley?

It was suggested in October to have a one-way alley there because angle- parked cars on the side street blocked the view of northbound drivers.

Gritz was against it last year and questioned it again this month.

“I know why she wanted it,” said Tammy Lott-Hopkins from the audience. “It’s because you can hardly see going north out of that alley with everyone parked at angle parking. I don’t know how many people have said they’ve almost had a wreck, so that’s why she wants that.”

“We’re going to change the angles,” said Rowen.

“Can we set that back some?” asked Gritz “We’re going to take out a parking spot,” she said.

“The problem now is... really from Main Street all the way down, they’re pretty much parking straight in,” Gritz said.

“There is no marking in front of them now to show them where to park,” Rowen said. “But there will be.”

Jones said Duell “mentioned” that some people in her classes use the back/ side door that opens onto the alley.

“It’s dangerous when they step out that door,” he said, because of the traffic (which goes both ways).

“I’ve almost been hit several times (in the alley behind Town Hall),” Rowen said. “I can’t see because the people parked in front of the auto store are coming out over here.”

“Well, here again,” said Gritz, “I think, and I know this isn’t popular with merchants, and I understand it, but I think we’re going to have to pull a (parking) space. It used to be that way. Then when we re-striped, we didn’t.

“This is a busy street.” In addition to the sidewalk replacement, Rowen said the yellow and red paint for the angled parking was expected to be in on Thursday, but not the blue paint needed for handicap parking.

At the Meeting

All four Town Trustees were present at the meeting: Shaw, Gritz, Jones and Randy Bohnstedt.

Other elected town offi cers at the meeting were Treasurer Shelley Burch and Clerk Kelley Vaverka.

Vaverka was recently elected as town treasurer and since she cannot assume both jobs, the board is expected to appoint someone else as town clerk effective July 1.

That person could fill out the remaining two years of Vaverka’s term.

In addition to Rowen, other staff present were Kubat, Police Chief Christian Solis and Town Attorney Jared Harrison.

In the audience were District 2 County Commissioner Mike Sparks and his wife Lori, retired HFD firefighter Tom Streck and Lott-Hopkins.

( Ed. note: Upcoming editions will include town trustees’ discussion and actions regarding parking planned near rodeo grounds; proposed soccer field next to The Pavilion off First and Main streets; new police car ordered, and more.)