Hennessey’s water, sewer and garbage rates have stayed the same over the past couple of years while inflation rates have gone up.

That’s what Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman told board members during their Thursday, April 11, Hennessey Utilities Authority meeting.

The town is in its second year of a five-year contract for sanitation service and that contract includes an automatic 3% increase each year.

Tillman said she didn’t expect action on increases that night, but asked the board to take that under consideration as the group works on the 2024-25 budget that takes effect July 1.

“Work in the oilfield has slowed down,” said Vice Mayor Harold Shaw. “We don’t want them to move out of here because of higher bills.”

“The traffic on Main Street hasn’t slowed down,” Tillman said. “I’ve always been told that the oilfield cycles: when one part of the oilfield slows down then another area just gets better.”

“What about these old people who are on $700 a month Social Security?” asked Shaw.

“They’ve been getting cost-of-living increases every year,” Tillman answered.

“So we should take what money they get when they get a little ahead?” Shaw asked.

The town has to at least break even on the services it provides, Tillman said.

“You know some day we’re going to be old too,” Shaw said, then laughed.

Tillman had earlier asked them to look over utility rate sheets from other towns that were in their board packets so they would have comparisons.

High Water Bill Complaints?

Trustee David Jones said he’d had complaints about high water bills.

“They say when they come to Town Hall they’re just told they have a water leak somewhere,” Jones said.

“When they come in here, we go into their account and see how much water they are using on a daily basis,” Tillman said.

“We can go back and look at their water usage and tell them if the water is running constantly, or only for certain times of the day,” she said.

Jones said he wanted his water bill checked and said he’d bring it in the next day for them to run.

Jones also said he’d “like some historical math” on their raises in water, sewer and sanitation rates for their customers.

Tillman said she already had that from the previous years and would have it for the May meeting.

She also told board members if there were people saying Town Hall employees were rude to them, “Just let me know. That way I can pull up the surveillance tapes and you can see and hear how their visit went.”

HUA Employee Incentive Pay

No decision was made on an agenda item to give Utilities Authority department heads some kind of “incentive pay” when they “obtain additional certifications related to their jobs.”

Jones said he understood those employees were taking those classes on their regular work time and that the town pays for the classes.

Tillman said classes are during their regular work hours, which they are paid for, and there are no costs to the town for testing.

“It’s included in our membership in the Oklahoma Rural Water Association,” she said.

“I think it’s a good idea to incentivise people to make sure they’re compensated for their time and knowledge,” said Trustee Randy Bohnstedt.

Jones said he didn’t know why, but he knew that Levi Copeland (a Hennessey volunteer firefighter) recently received an EMT certification, but understood he wouldn’t be paid more.

“We get paid ($15 an hour) for the hours we’re in classes (the same as if we’re on a run),” said Bohnstedt, who is also a volunteer firefi ghter.

Police officers are also paid for their time in classes. However, there is a pay scale for police depending on their rank and certification, the KT&FP learned after the meeting.

The fire and police departments are paid by the Town of Hennessey, which is mainly funded by sales taxes. The Utilities Authority depends on income from water, sewage and trash customers.

HUA Pay Scale

“There is a pay scale for (utilities department) workers getting licenses, but we don’t have a pay scale for those supervisors gaining more training,” Tillman wrote in her board report.

She told trustees last month that Water Superintendent Alyssa Kubat got a Class A wastewater license which is “the highest you can get.”

“Alyssa is one of just 38 people in the state to have that license” said Mayor Clif Vogt Thursday night. “This isn’t all about the money, it’s the way we treat people.”

“Sewer Superintendent Bryan Burch got his Class B wastewater license last week and Blaze Shimanek and Jordan Mondoux passed their Class C water tests and got their licenses,” Tillman included in her written report.

Police Chief’s Extra-Duty Pay

Tillman said the board will also need to vote on the extra-duty pay for Police Chief Aaron Pitts as the town’s emergency management director at its next meeting.

“I thought Aaron was going to be the new sheriff,” said Jones.

“If he’s elected he could still be our emergency director,” Tillman said.

The County Emergency Management director had offered to serve as Hennessey’’ s director for $800 a month.

“We’d discussed paying (the police chief) $600 a month in an earlier meeting, but didn’t take any action on it,” said Bohnstedt.

It will be on next month’s agenda, Tillman said.

Open Records Clerk

State statute indicates the person responsible for open record requests is the elected clerk “but since we don’t have a full-time town clerk (because Kelley Vaverka has another job elsewhere) I’m trying to figure out who should have that responsibility,” Tillman wrote in her board report and she planned to ask the town attorney.

When Jones questioned Tillman during the meeting she said “a big problem is that the law requires that the records be available during our open hours” when Vaverka couldn’t be there.

“Kelley doesn’t even have a key to the building, or a work station at Town Hall,” said Jones.

“She has a (town) computer,” Tillman said.

Jones said (State Auditor & Inspector general council) Mick Dodson’s July 13 report to the town board was the best information available on open records. Jones had earlier suggested that Tillman and the Town Hall clerks use Dodson’s comments as a learning tool.

“I’m trying to be helpful, not hurtful,” Jones said. “People need to be able to come in and get that information right then on the spot.”

When Jones asked if she’d watched that video, Tillman said, “I have not.”

“Dodson is also their records custodian,” Jones said, then added, “I’m just giving you advice, I’m not telling you what to do.”

Job Descriptions?

Jones asked Tillman if she’d finished with the employee job descriptions.

“I have 10 in draft mode,” she said, “and as soon as I finish, I plan to give them to the town attorney and after he’s finished, give them to the board.”

“I’d like to see them electronically right after the attorney is finished with them,” he told her.

“Have we ever had job descriptions?” Jones asked.

“Not that I know of,” Tillman said.

“And you’ve been here for 18 years without any job descriptions,” he said. “My work has been in aircraft certifications, so I can’t imagine not having them,” he said. “But our job is to make sure you have the management tools that you need.”

At the Meeting

Trustees at the meeting were Vogt, Shaw, Jones and Bohnstedt. Absent was Trustee Bert Gritz.

Other officers at the meeting were Vaverka and Town Treasurer Shelley Burch.

Staff at the meeting were Tillman and Burch, office manager.

The board’s next regular meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 14.