Dover wants answers, companies want payment for work at power plant

DOVER (WJER) (January 13, 2022) – Auditor Nicole Stoldt says the city is getting nasty letters from companies trying to collect payments on overrun costs from work they did at the city’s power plant last year. But City Council members and Law Director Doug O’Meara want answers about why those companies went over budget before they agree to pay them.

They’re inviting company representatives and former Plant Superintendent Dave Filippi to a future meeting to explain why annual maintenance work went $350,000 over budget.

Council members had wanted Filippi fired over the expenses because they say he didn’t get proper authorization before approving the additional work. Mayor Rick Homrighausen allowed Filippi to retire instead.

Stoldt says the companies are getting impatient.

“We’re getting nasty hate mail because we have not paid,” she said.

Stoldt says the payments would have to come out of this year’s budget, delaying some other projects planned for 2022. O’Meara suggested the companies should face the consequences of not staying within their contract amounts.

“Or not pay them,” O’Meara told Council members. “I don’t think you should jump to conclusions that people who don’t follow process and procedure entitled to be paid.”

Filippi has not accepted past invitations to meetings. Homrighausen said he questioned him privately.

“There was nothing concrete that I got out of the discussion,” he said.

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