The Hennessey Board of Trustees made quick work last week to approve a $30,475.34 estimate for a storm warning siren activation system.

“It allows remote and automated activation based on the National Weather Service warnings,” Town Administrator Tiffany Rowen told board members during their meeting Tuesday, May 13.

The town’s current system uses a console and radio and there have been issues with radio activation during a tornado, Rowen told the board.

“Command One is a cloud-based control system and allows activation from anywhere,” according to information given to board members by Chickasaw Personal Communications.

The Oklahoma company has offices in Oklahoma City, Norman and Ardmore.

There was some concern about the reliability of cell towers during tornadoes and trustees were told the radio and base stations would remain as backups.

The software is a onetime purchase and after the system is set up, the recurring cost is cell service and an $8.48 a year subscription.

There is no timetable yet for the installation of the new system.

2025-26 Budget

Board members were given a 31-page line-by-line report for the new budget that takes effect July 1.

The town administrator suggested they set up a “work session” to review the proposed budget lineby- line.

Department heads have submitted their budget proposal, Rowen said.

The board’s budget packet included history info, the current budget and year-todate as of the end of April.

Police Training Policy Needed

During her monthly administrator’s report, Rowen said that Officer Charles Blackburn had resigned.

Blackburn was hired in December and Rowen said the town needed a policy that would require an offi cer to work for a certain length of time, or repay the town for CLEET training classes that they are required to attend.

Rowen said other towns she’d talked with didn’t have a policy either.

Trustee Bert Gritz said at one time Hennessey had such a policy.

Other Administrator Reports

• No open records requests received, Rowen said. (Later in the meeting Trustee David Jones said he had made two requests, again. He said he’d made one last month, too, but it didn’t show up. Rowen asked what they were for and he said the same he’d asked for earlier: job descriptions for the police chief and fire chief. Rowen said the board had approved the police chief job description in October before they hired Christian Solis. Jones said he uses his personal computer and not the board member computer, to sign up online. Jones also said he’d talked with Angie, the town’s site manager. Rowen suggested he bring his computer into Town Hall and they’d see if that was the problem.)

• Angled parking spots are being marked on the side streets with plans to mark the Main Street parallel parking.

• The state signed the Municipal Road Drilling Activity Fund grant contract for paving on Mitchell Road and the town’s engineers are preparing bid documents.

• The Gonzales project is complete and all settlement agreement obligations were fulfilled.

• The Hennessey Aquatic Park opens Saturday, May 24. One manager, two assistant managers, nine lifeguards and one counter helper were hired for the pool, she said, and there has been difficulty in getting applications. She also mentioned that they have pool parties scheduled as early as 11 a.m. which will require long shifts for staff. Town Hall staffers may assist at the pool during slow weeks, she added.

• Two seasonal mowers were hired due to David Treanor’s retirement on June 1. Winter mowing needs can be done with one person and younger applicants (high school/college) are being considered, she said. Treanor has worked for the town 12 years and been head of the parks and cemetery departments and the pool and splash pad operator.

Other Business

• The board did not appoint a deputy treasurer because members wanted to check with their attorney on the protocol and compensation. Rowen said Keith Meek, a former town trustee, recently resigned as deputy treasurer.

• Gritz said they also need to come up with some pay for Kati Walters who worked as their temporary town clerk this month. She has worked at Town Hall in the past and back then had also been appointed town clerk. However, most-recently, Kelley Vaverka, who was the town clerk for two years, ran for town treasurer, and was elected to that position in April.

• Trustees acknowledged about 20 pages of surplus property by these departments: fire, police, streets, parks and town hall. There was no discussion selling the items.

At the Meeting

All Trustees were present: Mayor Randy Bohnstedt, Vice Mayor John Peach, Gritz, Jones and Harold Shaw.

Also present were Vaverka and Walters.

Staff at the meeting were Rowen; Public Works Director Alyssa Kubat, and Town Hall Office Manager Shelley Burch. Absent was Town Attorney Jared Harrison.

Visitors in the audience were Tim Riddle, District 2 County Commissioner Mike Sparks and OG&E Community Affairs Manager Crystal Garcia.