Hennessey town trustees took no action Monday night on an employment contract with Tiffany Tillman, town administrator, after more than two hours in executive session during a special meeting.

There were 30 visitors in the audience and trustees were peppered with questions before entering the closed session.

However, they didn’t answer them.

That’s because this week’s meeting was continued from a special meeting Thursday, Sept. 28, that included a onehour executive session on the contract. That agenda did not list “comments from the public.”

Town Attorney John Wynne was late in getting to the meeting. After that, he did most of the talking.

Wynne said it’s unusual that the first draft of the first proposed contract (draft 9/8/23) was released to the five trustees and someone released it to the public (on Facebook) at the same time.

“The town and the town administrator are in negotiations,” Wynne told the audience. “There will probably be changes from both parties.”

He also said his office will have all the changes discussed by trustees and ready for their inspection at the board’s Oct. 12 meeting.

“We’re just wanting to slow the roll (on a vote),” said Frank Patton from the back of the room.

Patton later complained about the 3-2 votes.

“Let us go back, talk about it and see where we’re at,” Vice Mayor Harold Shaw told the audience. Shaw and Trustee David Jones have been on the losing sides of some votes.

The winning three votes have come from Mayor Clif Vogt and Trustees Bert Gritz and Randy Bohnstedt.

Audience Questions and Comments Among the questions and concerns from the audience were:

• Why an administrator’s contract now when there hadn’t been one in the past?

• Why a five-year contract?

• A base salary at $85,000 a year?

• Begin employment with 200 hours of accrued sick leave?

• Does Tillman want job security? We’re not saying we don’t want her, but why the contract?

• Why is the town not getting a state audit? The town’s annual audit (by Arledge & Associates, Edmond) is required to be sent to the state Auditor & Inspector’s Office each year.

• Town trustees aren’t representing what we want done. (The town attorney said then they could vote in elections for those who do represent their views. Terms for Vogt, Gritz and Bohnstedt run until 2027, and Jones and Shaw’s in 2025.)

• Some, but not all, of the questions/comments raised by acting administrator Starla Fuksa’s report, had been answered, a visitor said. Fuksa’s report stated the town doesn’t have a list of all of its vehicles. Someone at the meeting asked, “Why does the town not know how many vehicles it has?” Answer after the meeting: It does because it has to buy tags and insurance on all of them.

At the Meeting

In addition to town trustees, other elected officials were: Town Treasurer Shelley Burch (also office manager employee) and Town Clerk Kelley Vaverka. Other staff: Brandon Scott (fire chief); Steven Mitchell (library director); Alyssa Kubat (street superintendent) and Ruby Rodriquez (children librarian).

Visitors: Sandy Turner, Teresa Weber, Gene Weber, Georgia Tillman, Logan Tillman, Ruth Ann Hobbs, Carolyn Maddox, Meagan Tillman, David Tillman, Sharon Pollard, Daniela Villa, Peggy Patocka, Rachel Rogers, Regina Wanzer, Frank Shipley, Pam Shipley, Linda Hardin, Wes Hardin, Brian Dell, Frank Patton, Les Cofer, Chas Cofer, Denise Meloy, Jay Byrd, Sara Burgley, Shane Voskuhl, Lacey Copeland, Pene Cline and Ashley Zielny. Two others signed the visitor list but signatures weren’t legible. Not listed in earlier publications, but attending the Sept. 28 town meeting, was Teresa Buckner.