Richard Simunek told his peers he’s ready for reform in Hennessey.

“I’m giving a 30-day notice that I’m going to distribute some information,” Simunek, a town trustee, said in a special meeting of the Hennessey Board of Trustees last Wednesday night.

“There has been open hostility to new ideas and attending educational programs, especially designed to help towns,” he wrote in a two page list of suggested reforms.

He told the board that Mayor Bert Gritz “was trying to push his own candidate” for the town board in October after the resignation of Trustee Keith Meek, instead of calling an election to replace him. (Ed. note: An election was held in April.)

Simunek complained that “only a two-day notice” about a special meeting to discuss plans for the library was not enough time and although 50 peo ple attended, he’d heard complaints from others who would have attended.

Hennessey has “lost not thousands and thousands of dollars, but millions” he wrote in his plan, because “the board hadn’t pursued grants. As a result, needed infrastructure improvements to streets, water system, and sewage system have not been made.”

Simunek told the board, “I was going to clean up this government and how it treats people.”

He said before he went on the town board, he attended three Kingfisher City Commission meetings and “they were very professional.”

He said his reforms plan includes “basically what Kingfisher is doing” in their form of government, although he wants the town board to expand from five to seven members.

“A five member Town Council is too susceptible to being packed by a clique of three. It will be much more difficult for a clique of four to develop with a seven member Town Council,” he wrote.

The ninth item on his printed reforms sheet states: “The topic ‘Community Development, Long Range Planning, and Grants’ will always be at the top of the listed Town Agenda…I want to especially thank, again, Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman who has secured $700,000 in grants in the last three years.”

“I’ve had a belly full of trying to make changes,” Simunek said at the close of his comments. “And I’ll go to The Oklahoman and the New York Times if I have to.”

Other trustees present at the meeting were Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Harold Shaw and David Jones. Absent was Gritz, who is on vacation.

Trustee terms for Gritz, Vogt and Simunek will be up in April. Gritz has said in past meetings that he will not run for re-election.

(Ed. note: See related story on budget approval.)