It took Hennessey’s Board of Trustees less than an hour in executive session Thursday afternoon to realize it needed more time.

The closed session was to discuss Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman’s employment contract.

The six-page contract was drawn up by John Wynne, the town’s attorney.

Wynne also attended the executive session, but apparently Tillman wasn’t invited yet.

Tillman was hired Aug. 29 as town administrator at an $85,000 a year salary after a 3-1 vote.

She had resigned in February after 17 years as administrator and spent about six of those years as public works director on top of her town administrator duties. Trustees said recently they plan to hire a public works director.

Thursday’s special meeting started at 12:30 p.m. and ended at 1:27 p.m.

The notice of the meeting was posted at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26.

That unusual meeting time caused problems for three of the five trustees.

Vice Mayor Harold Shaw didn’t make the meeting due to a heart doctor appointment; Mayor Clif Vogt had to get to his job by 2 p.m.; and Trustee Randy Bohnstedt was to take a family member for a treatment.

That left only trustees Bert Gritz and David Jones, which wouldn’t have been a quorum to continue.

Instead of adjourning their Sept. 28 special meeting, their attorney suggested – and trustees voted – to reconvene that meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 2.

That means trustees may only discuss, and act, on items included on that Sept. 28 agenda.

Comments From Audience

“What’s the rush to do this (contract)?” asked Frank Patton during the Thursday meeting.

“We’re not in a rush,” said Vogt.

“It seems like there is to me,” said Patton. “Why not have it at a regular (nighttime) meeting? People had to take off work to be here this afternoon.”

Gritz asked for members of the audience to raise their hand if they lived in town.

It appeared it was less than half of the 15 people who signed in.

“We all spend our money in town even if we don’t live here,” said a woman near the front row. She also keeps the grocery store and “dollar” stores going, she said.

Another comment was that some of the people at the meeting have businesses in town that helps with sales taxes to the town.

In the Audience

Visitors listed on the signsheet were: Keith Meek, Sharon Pollard, Misty Copeland, Linda Hardin, Nadine Hardin, Sandy Turner, Teresa Weber, Ross Hardin, Frank Shipley, Pam Shipley, Ashley Zielny, Marissa Choate, Denice Meloy, Starla Fuksa and Frank Patton. That doesn’t include three reporters.

Oct. 12 Meeting Stands

An agenda item to move next month’s meeting from Thursday, Oct. 12, did not pass through.

That meeting date is also the same day as a home football game for HHS and Fall Break will start the next day.

Gritz said he wanted to change it because lots of people would go to the ballgame instead of coming to the town meeting.

“I don’t see any reason to change it,” said Jones.

Bohnstedt said he didn’t have any problem in keeping it as scheduled.

Vogt declared they should keep the Oct. 12 regular meeting date.