A suggestion that Hennessey’s Board of Trustees search for a business manager, instead of one administrator over all departments, failed in a 3-2 vote Thursday, April 13.

That wasn’t the only change that Trustee David Jones asked the board to make in a job description provided by Oklahoma Municipal Management Services.

OMMS is a recruiting firm the board hired last month for $12,000 to search for two positions: town administrator and public works director.

Jones suggested police and fire departments and the public works director would report directly to the board and a business manager would report to the board and be over the town office and library.

The approved administrator description shows: provides “direct supervision of employees, assigned by the town board,” and “general supervision and policy direction from the town board.”

“We need someone as number one and let them delegate,” said Mayor Clif Vogt, who was elected mayor earlier in the meeting.

“We need a chain of command,” said new Trustee Randy Bohnstedt, who took his oath of office that night.

Trustee Bert Gritz compared the administrator job to that of a school superintendent, or the CEO of a company.

“We need someone to put out fires before they come to us,” said Gritz, who is also the fire chief.

“We need someone with what I’ll call good customer service” for both administrator and public works director jobs, said Jones.

Voting to keep the OMMS job description, which included the town administrator title and current position, were: Vogt, Gritz, and Bohnstedt.

Voting against were Trustees Jones and Harold Shaw.

The job search is to replace Town Administrator Tiffany Tillman, a 17-year employee who resigned in February due to board conflicts.

David Treanor, a public works employee, was later named acting town administrator.

Public Works Director Duties 4-1 Vote

The OMMS public works director job description was approved 4-1 by the utilities board after the town board meeting.

Shaw cast the lone no vote.

The job lists supervision from the town board, town administrator “and exercises a considerable degree of independent judgment.”

“We need a public works director who can shoot a transit,” said Jones. “They need to be smart, someone who has worked in construction and is able to work with other employees.”

He also said again that they need to have “good customer service” and be able to talk with people who have complaints.

Required Vendor Permits

Trustees agreed that Hennessey residents will not have to pay for vendor permits, but will charge other vendors $50 a day.

However, they were unable to make that change to a second draft of an ordinance so will send it to their attorney for approval next month.

All vendors are urged to not to be close to businesses that also sell food, or similar products, unless that vendor owns that business.

Town Hall Staff Needs Computer Training

Trustees agreed town hall staffers need more training on the computer system after hearing from Shelley Burch, a clerk in that office who is also the elected town treasurer.

The cost is $7,000 for Computer Information Concepts to provide 40 hours of on-site training for: budgetary/fund accounting, accounts payable, payroll, utility billing and accounts receivable.

Burch said they have been able to get the billing out and bills paid, but don’t know how to operate programs on financial and other reports because they were all done by Tillman.

The staff spends most of their time on the phone with the computer company, or calling Tillman for help, Burch said.

“You don’t have any idea what all she did,” she said.

“I’ve worked here for nine years,” she added, and Denise Meloy started working at town hall in December, and Roni Decker has been there a month.

After Jones asked about the programs the town used, Burch told him, “Before you came on the board there were four of us, then three, and then it was just Tiffany and me.”

Burch questioned shutting down town hall for a couple of hours a day for the training, but didn’t get any positive replies.

Some trustees said they were surprised they were able to get much done because of all the drive-thru traffic, foot traffic and phone calls.

Jones said he thought about suggesting they go to the company for training, but noticed it was in Greeley, Colo.

He then suggested one person might go and come back and train the others.

Jones told Burch he wanted to go to Town Hall and see the program they’re using.

Plumbing Quote Needed

Quotes on construction and flooring for a restroom at the cemetery pavilion were not approved because a plumbing quote is needed first.

Jones questioned why restrooms weren’t included in construction.

Gritz said the anonymous pavilion donor worked only with their contractor on that project.

Citizen Comments Drainage – From the audience, Rachel Rogers said she understood the town had grants to help pay for water drainage issues on Mitchell Road south of Oklahoma Avenue and the school is doing the same north of there.

Trustees told her the school doesn’t have a grant, but is paying for the Mitchell Road work from Oklahoma Avenue to Iowa Street and worries how that will affect homes at Manning Street and Red Fork Drive where she lives.

She said there are already drainage issues on Redfork Drive and understood the town couldn’t apply for certain grants in the same year.

Rogers said she’d discussed problems with Tillman “and didn’t always agree with what she said.”

Rogers is a member of the Hennessey Planning Board and was recommended for that post by Tillman.

Speeders Near School – Rogers complained in another item for citizen comments about speeders and heavy traffic on Red Fork and Walnut streets due to the school closing East Iowa Street before and after school to control traffic.

Two others in the audience agreed about “speeders” in that area.

Rogers said the town should put officers there to stop the problems and suggested speed bumps there.

Routine Matters

• Approved $920.54 payment from hotel/motel sales tax for nine standard and two handicap portable restrooms for the Sunday, April 23, Main Street car show as discussed last month. The event is conducted by Cruisin’ Oklahoma, a group of car enthusiasts.

• Trustees named outgoing Town Clerk Kati Walters as deputy town clerk. Jones asked about the pay and was told it’s a “volunteer” position.

• Authorized Treanor as the flood plain administrator and Town Hall staffer Roni Decker as the town’s agent for OKMRF (employee retirement program).

At the Meeting

Staff at the meeting were: Treanor, Town Clerk Kelley Vaverka-Gettings, Walters, Burch, Reserve Police Captain and Sewer Superintendent Bryan Burch and Meloy.

Visitors in the audience were Tony Blackburn, Golden Chick owner and Cruisin’ Oklahoma member; Sara Bergley, 81 Grill and Bar owner; Rogers; and Sharon Pollard.