A telecommunications tower will soon be going up in Hennessey on the southwest corner of 7th Street and Cemetery Road.

Construction includes “a special provision that the town and/or county could put a repeater on the tower at no expense” to either of those entities.

Hennessey Town Trustees approved the “special use” building permit to Ferris Consulting for the project during a special meeting last Tuesday at Town Hall.

The action came after an earlier meeting of the Hennessey Planning Board that recommended approval of the permit, but with the addition of the repeater station.

Trustee Bert Gritz said, “If we put repeaters in, we would need a small, on-theground building for the radio itself and I would think that would be a 10 by 10, maximum. So, that would need to be included.”

Greg Ferris of Ferris Consulting was in the audience, and was then introduced to trustees.

Applicants are AT&T and Tillman Infrastructure

resents AT&T (of Dallas) and Tillman Infrastructure (of Heath, Texas), the applicants, in this case and they have agreements with AT&T.

“What I would prefer,” said Ferris “is that you just approve it, because we are going to have to have an agreement.

“There has to be one negotiated and we should have plenty of ground there to do that. I think we’re going to be able to come to an agreement about what ya’ll need. We should have plenty of ground there to do that, I think.”

Ferris asked if the fire chief was there, and he wasn’t.

Then Ferris said he thought someone from SCI Wireless “was working with the town’s fire chief and it’s going to have to be negotiated...It’s hard for me to say what you can and can’t do, because you’re going to have to have an agreement.

“We’re certainly willing to say, ‘yes, you can have a spot on the tower,’” said Ferris, “and we’re willing to work with you on whatever you need to accomplish that. If it’s alright with you if you would approve the tower, subject to the repeater being on there at no cost, and reaching an agreement ...I think they are talking about two antennas. We just need it for our protection, your protection and for insurance purposes... They are in discussion with all of that with your fire department.

“We’re certainly happy to tell you that you can be on the tower at a reasonable place.”

Ownership of Tower, Property

“Who is going to own the structure?”asked Vice Mayor John Peach.

“Tillman Infrastructure actually owns the tower,” said Ferris. “Then they negotiated with AT&T... that’s all done. What they want is to have the same right of agreement with you all.”

Peach asked who owns the property and Ferris said, “They are leasing it from Mr. (Doyle) Jones. It’s a 75 by 75 ground space.”

The board then voted 4-0 to approve the special use permit.

Property Owners Within Tower Location Certified list of ownership of the Kingfisher County real estate lying within 1,059 feet of the tract of land located in the E/2/-NE/4 26-19N of Section 26-19N-7W are: Marvin Jones Trust (Doyle Jones, Hennessey); Sharon J, Sharp, Hennessey; Joyce Ayree Jones, Edmond; Lisa Beth Deaton Moore, Hennessey; Vanderbilt Mortgage & Finance Co., Maryville, Tenn.; Manuel E. Merez-Hernandez/Maria Escarcega/ Alejandro Merez; Clay/Jill Vincent; Juan M. Valles and Maria Valles; Manuel Vargas Rojas and Mirma Patricia Vargas; Pedro and Marisela Valles; Anna Lightle Testamentary Trust; Pat Hennessey Properties LLC/ Hennessey; Pat Hennessey Properties LLC;/Estate of Teresa S. Loudermilk/ Dennis Joseph Loudermilk/ Ann Loudermilk/ Daniel M. Loudermilk/ Mary Elizabeth Wyant/ Dwey Michael Loudermilk; Sooner Completions Inc./ Shawnee; Eugene Catlett/ Hennessey.

Permit for Garage

The board also approved by a 4-0 vote a special use building permit to Juan and Catalina Coral at 200 Billy Bob St. for an accessory building (garage) larger than allowed by zoning. The Planning Board had also already approved that permit at their earlier meeting.

When asked after the meeting why the Ferris and Coral permits had required both the Planning and Town Trustees approval when past “special use” permits had only needed the Planning Board’s approval, Town Aministrator Tiffany Rowen said those were her instructions from the town attorney.

Mitchell Road Paving Grant Application Trustees approved a res-olution with a 3-0 vote to apply for a Phase 2 Municipal Road Drilling Activity Fund grant “committing to at least 25% of project cost and intent to complete it within a year of the award.”

Rowen said she was about to get bids on the town’s $493,000 Phase 1 Drilling Grant on Mitchell Road that the town was awarded when she learned she could also apply for the second phase of that program.

“The engineering is already done and Phase 2 will also cover another two miles on Mitchell Road,” she said. “So in four years we’ll have all of Mitchell Road completed.”

Rowen said District 2 County Commissioner Mike Sparks told her the county is getting ready to do some chip and sealing, adding she thought the county would help on Mitchell Road from the first phase “so it’s drivable,” she said.

“If you guys are OK with that?” asked Sparks from the audience.

“Absolutely,” said Mayor Randy Bohnstedt.

At the Meeting

Trustees at the meeting were Bohnstedt, Peach, Harold Shaw and Gritz (who was late for the first agenda topic on the grant).

Absent was Trustee David Jones.

Staff at the meeting were Rowen, Town Clerk Shelley Burch and Town Attorney Jared Harrison.