The state’s medical marijuana laws made Hennessey’s town board take a left turn instead of approving a proposed employee handbook.

That handbook wording would not allow an employee to use or possess “alcohol or illegal drugs” on town property, or while conducting town business.

“How do we deal with this if they have a medical marijuana prescription?” asked Mayor Bert Gritz.

“And I use that term loosely,” he added.

Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman said she’d check with the town’s attorney along with the Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group and Oklahoma Municipal League.

The town does not have a drug testing for employees, but the proposed handbook wouldn’t allow an employee to use or possess “alcohol or illegal drugs” while on town property, or conducting business-related activities off the property.

“The problem is that the marijuana now is not the marijuana of the ‘90s,” said Acting Police Chief Aaron Fipps. “It’s stronger, and it’s not like alcohol. We can test for that, but marijuana can stay in a person’s system for a month.

“Yes, we can smell it inside a car,” Fipps said, “but there are grow areas everywhere, so we need to visibly see the marijuana.”

There were also comments that some pain relievers contain oxycodone that affect the brain.

Trustee Harold Shaw said he has a heart medicine that makes him feel like he “could get up and run a lap.”

“Nothing could make you do that,” Gritz said.

New Trustee David Jones said the police chief is right: “This marijuana now is four times stronger. It’s stronger than in the ‘70s.”

“How do we stop it though?” the chief asked.

No one responded and Jones later suggested they check with their insurance company.

Conceal and carry permits

“I’m pro-second amendment, but...” said Gritz during discussions about employees with conceal and carry permits.

The permits don’t allow any one, except police officers, to carry a gun inside town hall, said Tillman.

“It’s municipal property and they can’t carry one in town hall and not on any of our property,” she said. “Our employees sometimes work on school property and they can’t carry a gun there either.”

All members of the board were present for the March meeting: Vice Mayor Clif Vogt, Trustees Richard Simunek, Gritz, Jones and Shaw.

Application for storm drainage grant

The board got the ball rolling to apply for a matching Community Block Development Grant to help flooding on Third, Fourth and Fifth streets west of Mitchell Road.

This is the second of a two-phase storm drainage project and could cost more than $300,000.

The board held a hearing on the project, then approved a resolution requesting a matching grant from the state Department of Commerce.

They also accepted other application documents presented by Northern Oklahoma Development Authority Grant Administrator Jennifer Firguar, along with a drainage report by engineer Brian Schwegal with Cowan Group Engineering, Oklahoma City.

The board also closed out a REAP waterline grant with Firguar taking care of necessary documents.

HUA purchases

When the town board changed hats as members of the utilities authority, members approved these purchases:

• Water plant storage tank maintenance. Tillman said they were unsure if it had been serviced since the plant was built in 2001. “It could use a lot of TLC,” said Bryan Burch, wastewater superintendent from the audience. The board approved an 11-year program on the 250K ground storage with Suez Advanced Solutions. This year the company will renovate the exterior and interior and make repairs. Costs are $32,656 each year for five years, then drops to $10,356 year six; $10,722, year seven; $11,102, year eight; $11,495, year nine; $11,902, 10th year, and $12,324.

• Gooseneck utility trailer for Bobcat escalator, $13,475 from Belche Trailer, Tecumseh. “It was the cheapest one we could find,” Tillman said. Only problem is it won’t be delivered until May 9, she said.

• Remove and reinstall new Muffin Monster sewage grinder, and removal and reinstall of grinder plus install of new bottom on old motor and shaft, $16,795.74, Farmers Electric, Hennessey.

• Install 32 KW generator three phase 277/480 volt at north State Highway 51 lift station. General install on north fence east of life station controls. Estimate does not include gas hookup, $20,752.32, Farmers Electric, Hennessey.

Osborn project

Tillman reported that the 1,008 feet of sewer pipelines for the Osborn Addition came in that Tuesday and the manholes should be there in 10 days.

“They should be able to get started on the 21st and our engineer will be out there to help us with the installation,” she said.

The board voted to start the bidding process on those sewer lines in July.

That’s when Tillman said local builder Jay Ladwig planned to build 2,005 square foot homes in the northwest section of town, but there were no sewer lines.

The builder in that 1970s addition apparently failed to complete the job, the board was told.