Hennessey Board of Trustees had an unusually short agenda during their Tuesday, May 14 ,meeting.

They were able to make quick work of two out of three items.

The quickest vote was the purchase of $7,561.87 in fireworks for the town’s annual July 4 display.

However, for a minute there seemed to be a snag.

That’s when Trustee Bert Gritz wanted to make sure Bryan Burch was certifi ed to run the electronic display again this year.

“He took fireworks school last week and was certified,” said Burch’s wife, Shelley, who is the town treasurer.

Her husband is also the town’s wastewater superintendent and a reserve police captain who is also the handler of the canine officer.

The fireworks were purchased from Rainbow Fireworks located in Inman, Kan., which has been the town’s supplier for several years.

Only Three Members at Meeting

It was unusual to have only three trustees at the meeting.

Present were Mayor Clif Vogt and Trustees David Jones and Gritz. Absent were Vice Mayor Harold Shaw, whose wife was in the hospital, and Trustee Randy Bohnstedt, who had a scheduling conflict.

Purchase of Utility Trailers

The purchase of two utility trailers to carry lawn mowers took longer because there were questions about (1) Are they needed immediately? (2) Do we need trailers that are better and sturdier? and (3) Would it be better to have steel bottoms instead of the wood bottoms shown in a quote?

Lowe’s quoted $1,679 for one size trailer and $2,848 (plus taxes) for a larger one.

Both have ramp gates. Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman was present at the beginnig of the meeting, but said she had to leave soon after it started.

In her absence, the board voted to approve a purchase of up to $10,000 for two heavy-duty trailers.

Tillman returned to the meeting before adjournment and said they needed those trailers right away because they didn’t have enough trucks to carry the mowers.

Also, those were available “now,” but she would check with David Treanor (head of the parks department).

Street Repair Machinery

Trustees had an almost one-hour pitch and discussion with Barry Dill, a representative from Asphalt Zipper Co. and watched a video about that product.

Jones said he saw a presentation on that equipment at a recent Oklahoma Municipal League convention, and asked Dill to present in Hennessey.

All three trustees at the meeting asked questions.

Jones said he particularly wanted Tillman there for the presentation.

“Have you discussed this with the staff?” Gritz asked.

Jones said since it was on the agenda he didn’t think it was necessary and expected Tillman to be there.

Board members asked several questions about the product.

Gritz said many years ago they purchased a similar device and it didn’t work for them.

“We ended up selling it at a surplus property auction for far less than what we paid for it,” Gritz said.

Cost of the equipment (to be used for potholes on intown streets) is $216,000 in payments of $50,000 a year with no payments the first year, the Zipper Co. salesman told the board.

He also said he could come back for another meeting, offered the names of other towns that use the company and the company could also demonstrate its product.

Car Show is Sunday

Jack Quirk, from the audience, told trustees that U.S. Highway 81 south of Hennessey and north to State Highway 51 will be closed from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. for this Sunday’s annual car show.

“Local cars will be parked in Luke Lough’s paved parking lot (on Main Street across the street east from Garrison Lumber),” Quirk said.

He said they want to reserve the street parking on Main Street for Cruis’n Oklahoma car club members.

In past meetings, Shaw has said the group needed liability insurance, but he was not at the Tuesday night meeting.

Before the meeting started, the KT&FP reporter asked Quirk if the group had insurance for the event and he said it did not.

Pavilion is Up

Quirk also reported the town’s pavilion is up. He said they were working to get some money for the cement flooring.

“Right now it’s just a mud hole,” he said.

The pavilion is located on town property where Roy Johnson Lumber was once located (west and south on First and Main streets.).

At the Meeting

In addition to town trustees, other elected officers at the meeting were Town Clerk Kelley Vaverka and Burch.

Also present were Town Attorney Jared Harrison, and Tillman (who was only there for the last few minutes of the meeting).