Hennessey Community Center supporters asked the town to pay the estimated $800 monthly utility bills due to those higher rates, lack of community participation and because the town owns the center.

That property, previously known as the Hennessey Senior Citizen Center, is located at 620 E. 2nd St.

In April 2015, the town accepted a deed from the Senior Citizen Center for the center and parking area, then voted to lease the center to the senior group for $1 a year, according to newspaper stories.

“The center will be required to pay for utilities and the town will maintain and insure the building and property,” one story read.

Susan Henry, a center supporter, made the request at the Hennessey Board of Trustees meeting Thursday night at Town Hall.

She was joined by 10 other supporters.

“Lunch is served at the center Monday-Friday for $6 each day,” said Henry. “After lunch, we play cards all afternoon and you don’t have to be a senior citizen to come.”

Trustee Bert Gritz said he’d probably qualify as a senior citizen, then asked, “Are you current with paying those bills?”

“Yes,” said Center Director Lavonne O’Bryant. She added that their number of members has gone down since COVID-19 and they have less than six regulars for lunch.

Gritz also said that’s a big building to have to heat and air-conditioning when only a few are there and suggested a sliding partition.

Check With Town Attorney

Before the item was tabled, Gritz told the group the town would need to check with its attorney to see if it’s legal for the town to help. He said years ago there had been a problem in that area.

Unsure if this is one of the problems Gritz referred to, but in an April 1982 Clipper story about the center’s open house, there is this quote from John Marshall, then-center president: the town “writes the seniors a check each month for about $1,700 for service provided to the seniors in the area.”

He added that he hoped the town would do something soon about the parking area as they had earlier promised.

Meals on Wheels and Lunch at Center

O’Bryant told the KT&FP after the meeting they have about five regulars at lunch now “and sometimes 15, but we had 25 before COVID.”

They have “four regulars” on Meals on Wheels deliveries, she said. That number can fluctuate.

Center hours are 8 a.m.2 p.m. Monday-Friday except for holidays.

Lunch is served at noon. “You don’t have to call (405-853-6726) if you’re coming for lunch,” ‘Bryant said, “but it would help … they do need to call in advance to set the meal delivery though.”

She also posts the menus on Facebook.

Center Expenses/Income

In addition to utilities ($800), other expenses include cleaning/other supplies, pay to the cook, a cleaner (once a week) and to the director.

Income includes federal funds for food supplies ($1,021 monthly and O’Bryant said that’s more than the $800 previously), rental on center ($125 for the hall, and an added $75 for the kitchen) and fundraisers and donations.

At the Meeting

Trustees at the meeting were Mayor Clif Vogt and Trustees Gritz, David Jones and Randy Bohnstedt. Absent was Vice Mayor Harold Shaw. Other elected officers at the meeting were Treasurer Shelley Burch (also Town Hall office manager) and Clerk Kelley Vaverka.

Staff at the meeting were Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman and Sewer Superintendent Bryan Burch.