Local builder Jay Ladwig asked Hennessey’s board of trustees for more time to look over proposed changes in the town’s construction and building codes before the board approved them.

“If I’d got this yesterday, I would have had more time to look it over,” he said as he flipped through the 89-page Title 9 ordinance during the Thursday night meeting.

“It’s been on our website for review,” said Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman.

Doug Moore with the Institute of Building Technology and Safety attended the meeting virtually. He encouraged the board to approve updated changes that night.

He said they’d “already gone through the public process to get where they are tonight.”

“We’ve been working on these changes with IBTS for more than a year,” Tillman said.

IBTS is a non-profit that helps towns update and enforce their building codes.

“I’m an active builder and I’d like you to put this off 30 days,” Ladwig said.

“We have put this off time and time again,” said Mayor Bert Gritz.

“These are not set in stone,” said Tillman. “They are subject to change.”

The board also discussed the Title 9 and 10 ordinances at length in its November meeting.

“What’s your hurry?” asked Ladwig, who said he is president of the Enid Homebuilders Association.

“We have five open building permits,” she told him “and that doesn’t include the three you turned in.”

Tillman said the board also needed to get it approved so the town would be eligible for a $350,000 ODOT grant.

“Keep in mind these can be changed,” she said.

Motion to approve voted down, but not forgotten

“I don’t have a problem waiting another 30 days,” said Trustee Richard Simunek.

Two other board members agreed because they voted down a motion to approve the Title 9 construction and building ordinance in a 3-2 vote against.

Trustees Keith Meek and Harold Shaw joined Simunek and voted against approval with Vice Mayor Clif Vogt and Gritz casting yes votes.

The board had already decided to have a special meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 29, and will take up the Title 9 construction and building code issue again at that meeting.

“The problem with all these regulations is that you don’t know anything about them until you need them,” said Shaw, who went on the board in May. “Then you get hit with a $1,500 or $2,000 permit.

“I’m just an oilfield guy,” added Shaw who had some code issues when building last year.

From the audience, local businessman and developer Scott Hajek said, “With all the requirements for future building, then no one is going to want to build here.”

Tillman told Hajek that any permits approved in the past would not be affected.

Hajek said earlier that he’d had to halt work for a week on a project north of State Highway 51because he was told sidewalks were required on his property zoned as highway commercial.

It turned out that wasn’t in the town’s ordinances when he’d applied.

The proposed ordinance requires sidewalks “only in residential and commercial properties,” said Tillman.

What Planning Board meeting?

Tillman told the board she had changes made by the planning board, but they were not shown on the copies given board members earlier.

“When did the planning board meet?” asked The Times & Free Press reporter.

“At 5:30,” said Tillman.

The reporter said she didn’t receive a notice of the planning board meeting, or she would have attended.

Others in the audience said they didn’t know about that meeting either.

The reporter asked if the vote was unanimous and if all five planning board members were present.

Tillman said yes to both questions. Members of that board are Richard Hedrick, Gary Stinebring, Dustin Vinson, Dustin Munroe and Rachel (Meloy) Rogers.

The wording with changes made by the planning board will be on the town’s website, Tillman said.

Town Clerk Kati Walters, who took office in May, said she didn’t know she was supposed to send planning meeting notices to the media.

She apologized after Tillman said they should be sent to all who make written requests for notifications on any public meeting.

Tillman also said they’d been short-handed in the office and she’d worked July 4 to try to get caught up and close out the 2020-21 fiscal year.

Use and Development of Properties Ordinance

A second ordinance (Title 10, 132 pages) on “use and development of properties” was approved in a 4-1 vote with Shaw casting the lone no vote.

An emergency clause got a unanimous approval.

That means the ordinance takes effect upon publication in a legal newspaper.

If there was not an emergency clause it would take 30 days for the ordinance to become law.

Fee schedule resolution

There was no discussion, or action, on an agenda item dealing with a fee schedule for filing and processing zoning, building inspection services, etc. Tillman said there was no need since the board didn’t approve the first ordinance.

Other business

The board approved:

• Replacement of a “washed out” tinhorn on Cemetery Road at Oklahoma Avenue for $6,500.

• $25,640 purchase from a state bid for a Chevrolet double cab for the street department. “Mainly for hauling mowers,” Tillman said. It replaces a 1993 oneton pickup.

• Approved repairs and painting at the Water Shop at 305 S. Main for $5,915. “The roof is rusty and leaking.”

• Bryann Duffey’s resignation as dispatcher. “She has been an excellent dispatcher,” said Gritz, who is also the fire chief.

• Closing Oklahoma Avenue west of Main Street for a last-Saturday-of-the-month Farmers’ Market. (Ed. note: See related story.)

• Final reports on a CDBG grant through NODA.

The board tabled, at the request of Tillman, action on approving citizen rates for use of the transfer station/dump.

At the meeting

All board members were present: Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Trustees Keith Meek, Gritz, Shaw and Simunek.

Staff at the meeting were Police Officer Matt Bruner, Tillman and Walters.

In the audience were NODA Grant Administrator Jennifer Firguar, Karel Hajek, Ladwig, Scott Hajek and Cline.