Dover Council considers solutions to light plant overages

Dover City Council held a special committee of the whole meeting on Dec. 10 to consider solutions to cost overruns incurred at the Dover light plant under former superintendent Doug Filippi. Filippi has yet to honor numerous requests to appear before council to explain the overages he authorized without council approval.

In Council President Shane Gunnoe’s absence, the meeting was run by President Pro Tem Justin Perkowski, who began the meeting with a moment of silence for former councilman Marc Cappell, who passed away that day.

Jason Hall, whose title is still assistant plant superintendent but is now functioning as the superintendent, explained as best he could to council the reasons for the overages presented and possible solutions moving forward.

Hall also presented options for upgrades at the plant that could be financed as part of an insurance claim filed when a generator caught fire last summer.

No action yet by mayor on ordinances

So far Mayor Richard Homrighausen has taken no action on five ordinances passed by council on Jan. 3 dealing primarily with his firing of three city employees, which Gunnoe called “retaliatory.”

Dave Douglas, Gerry Mroczkowski and Eva Newsome had cooperated with the 2021 investigation into the mayor’s well-being and fitness for office. Gunnoe said he fully expected the mayor to veto the legislation.

Law director Douglas O’Meara asked and council clerk Julie Leggett confirmed that the mayor received the ordinances last week, but they were still on the fired administrative assistant’s desk.

Light plant cost overruns

Last year Filippi approved work at the plant that exceeded by $350,000 the maximum amount approved by council. He did not inform council of his actions or the overages.

Hall methodically went through the overruns from each of the four companies involved, explaining, where he could, what the various charges were for.

When Hall addressed a charge from RCI Services that exceeded by around $34,000, O’Meara asked Homrighausen for the name of the owner of RCI. O’Meara later told the Bargain Hunter he asked the question because Charles Hoy, the owner of RCI, is the single largest donor to the mayor’s re-election campaigns.

After reviewing the overruns, Hall said he thought part of the problem was a lack of clear communication with council.

"We have to communicate," Hall said. "We have to communicate between our department and council and the mayor's office, the auditor's office, the law director, just so we're out in front of this stuff. I know you've had concerns in the past with emergency ordinances. That's something that we can alleviate too, if we get out ahead of this stuff and give ourselves more for due diligence."

Perkowski said while he understood it would not always be possible, bidding all projects out in the future would increase transparency and alleviate a lot of council’s and residents’ concerns. Hall said some projects can be bid, but other items cannot either due to the age of the equipment or the fact no one else makes the parts.

O’Meara seemed particularly incensed by charges from Sulzer Turbine of about $3,000 a day for two millwrights who had no work to do because of a delay in the scheduling.

Councilman Kevin Korns asked Homrighausen if he had asked Filippi about any of the overages as council had asked. Homrighausen said “nothing concrete” came out of the discussion with Filippi.

Upgrades possible through insurance claim

Hall outlined a number of upgrades that could be made to the plant and equipment to make the work environment safer and offer cost savings. The city will need to pay a one-time deductible of $25,000 for the generator fire. However, Hall said if that were paid and council approved the upgrades suggested by EMC Insurance, the result would be more than $315,000 in savings. Council will consider the proposal.

Legislation passed

In a special session held immediately after the committee meeting, council approved the following emergency resolutions:

—Accept the grant of a right-of-way from Dover Township trustees in the area of 28th Street, Cross Street, Ohio Avenue and County Road 80.

—Grant a provisional bid award to the Shelly Company in the amount of $1,831,625.15 for the TUS/Dover signals phase two project.

—Enter into the TUS/Dover Betscher Avenue sidewalk project.

—Recognize and thank Don Maurer for his years of dedicated public service as a council person at-large.