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Contractor takes city to task on spending
Published Thursday, February 28, 2008
Photo by Susan Larson
Ron Melius, whose wife, Karen Dahlstrom owns Dahlstrom Carpet, add-ressed the city Finance Committee Thursday.
Leveling accusations of poor spending, Ron Melius, whose wife, Karen Dahlstrom, owns Dahlstrom Carpet, took the city to task during the Finance and Personnel Committee meeting Thursday.
“I’m upset with the spending of this city and you people obviously think I’m some kind of idiot,” Melius said.
Dahlstrom Carpet submitted a quote for new flooring for the Public Works shop about a month ago. According to Melius, Dahlstrom’s quote was lower than that of the Fergus Falls company awarded the bid.
“This city takes bids and even if they are lower, it utilizes other companies,” Melius said. “That’s poor spending.”
Dahlstrom Carpet, according to the city, bid $2,717.46 for ceramic tile, while Seland’s Floor Center, Fergus Falls, bid $2,970.40 for porcelain tile, according to the city.
While the city normally goes with the lowest price, Finance and Personnel Committee Chairman Ben Schierer said after the meeting, there are instances when it does not have to, such as when the bid/quote does not meet specific criteria.
The city, Public Works Director Anne Martens said, did not put the project out on bids because the dollar amount was under the state requirement to do so. The obtained quotes from various businesses, including Dahlstrom’s.While Dahlstrom’s was lower, the product was not the desired material or color.
Melius asked who removed the old shop flooring. He was told city employees. He replied that the city was setting itself up for a lawsuit because of asbestos removal issues.
Old carpet, not tile, was removed. The new product was installed over the tile, Martens later said.
Frustration was also expressed by Melius that the city, he said, will not return his phone calls.
“We have responded to you,” City Administrator Mark Sievert said.
“You lied,” Melius said.
“We took (the matter) to the city attorney and he said we did everything aboveboard,” Sievert said.
“Bull,” Melius said.
Sievert recommended to Melius that he file an official complaint with the city.
“I’m not done with you,” Melius said. “Karen Dahlstrom has been in business 33 years. Do you know how many carpet stores in this city that have come and gone that the city has supported?”
Melius intends to file a complaint, he said.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by jafo (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Nut case...
Posted by luvmyboys (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No, he's not a nutcase at all. He is DEAD ON. Too bad more people don't step up and take this city to task for their "questionable" spending habits. Way to go Ron!
Posted by votedem (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 2:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
People like this nutjob make our city look awful.
Posted by luvmyboys (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why? Because he stood up for what he believes in? Stood up for his wife? He (and everyone else in this city) has every right to ask questions when he thinks something is not kosher. It's our taxes, and we can ask questions whenever we want. How does that make the city look awful? I think you have it backwards. Sometimes it's "The CITY" that makes our city look awful.
Posted by jafo (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 3:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"porcelain tiles are much harder and more wear and damage resistant than ceramic tiles...porcelain tiles carry the color and pattern through the entire thickness of the tile making them virtually impervious to wear..."
For $250 more, the City got the better product for the money. Pretty simple,really. It's not that big of a deal, that it deserved such a ridiculous reaction by him.
Posted by barryf (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 4:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Since Karen Dahlstrom has been advertising for the last six months that she is retiring, maybe the city wanted to go with a business that plans to be around for awhile!
Posted by pilsnerurquel (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr. Melius sounds like a whiner. With an attiude like that it's no wonder the city didn't want to do business with him.
Posted by ajohnsonx (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 4:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I bet when Ron M. said... "I'm done with you"...everyone in the meeting was really dissapointed, since they won't get to deal with him in the future. This sounds just like the idiots that go to small claims court for $300. You'll never get your money back so why waste the time to complain?
Same thing for complaining to the city....what do you think you will get out of the deal? He didn't spend any money, labor, or materials on the bid so what does he think he is entitled to...?..some sort of refund? Ron M is the one wasting tax dollars by wasting the minutes of the council meeting. I don't forsee their business booming in the future with exposure like this.
Posted by lenny (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 5:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey johnx, way to read you dolt. He did not say “I’m done with you” he said “I’m NOT done with you”. Ron may or may not be wasting time at a city council meeting, but you, for sure, are wasting space here when you come away from a story with the complete opposite understanding of what the man said. As far as small claims court: it only cost about $30.00 to file a claim in small claims court…..lets see $300.00 minus $30.00 = $270.00 recovery. Sound pretty good to me, a better return than any bank or stock that I know of.
Posted by jafo (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 5:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If you had read the article, the City was not required to accept the low bid... so the cost of the $30 claim is going to be a loss of $30.
;-)
Posted by lenny (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 6:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey jafo I was responding to ajohnsonx, not the story, dork.
Posted by gumball (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 6:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, I think Ron just wanted to "call them on the carpet" and find out why they didn't get the work. Might have helped to find out if they wanted porcelain tile and then made a bid for both styles. He who does his homework, usually presents the best bid.
Posted by Redcloud (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 6:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Man this is sad, johnsonx can’t read and jafo can’t subtract. Jafo the difference between the two bids is $252.94, not $300.00. Lenny was talking about the hypothetical case involving $300.00 which seemed like too small a sum to go to small claims court according to ajohnsonx. Lenny is right you are a dork.
Posted by jafo (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 7:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I never said the difference was $300. And, the small claims case would be a SURE loss, that's the $30. And, I used $250 as the difference... it's called an approximation. Do you even know how to read?
Posted by Redcloud (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 8:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Let me try this one more time, I’ll try and make it simple for you. Lenny was responding to an idiotic statement by ajohnsonx where he (ajohnsonx) made a COMPARISON to the foolishness of some people who go to small claims court for what he (ajohnsonx) considers to be a paltry amount ($300.00). The $300.00 has or had nothing to do with the bids or the story. Just a comparison of suing for that small amount and the perceived foolishness of Mr. Melius arguments in front of the city council. I then came along and made the observation that while $300.00 may indeed be a small amount, if one only ventured $30.00 to gain the imaginary $300.00, it was never the less a good investment. Now please spare everyone some aggravation and yourself some embarrassment by reading this several times before you blurt out another nonsensical, irrational remark, and you are still a dork.
Posted by Paul (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 8:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
jafo, go stand in the corner.
Posted by jafo (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 10:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL, your ignorance is impressive, but I'll try again... with less words, so as to not confuse you more.
If you spend $30 on filing a claim in SCC...and you lose because your claim is stupid... you are out $30.
Posted by Redcloud (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 11:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
O.K. Jafo, you have proved again that you can not read. I give up, you win.
Posted by Paul (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 11:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
God, jafo, you have just been made a fool of and you don't even know it.
Posted by ffprofessor (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 11:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have been watching to see where this argument was going. Jafo, go back to the beginning of the article and start again and this time read each word. Then read each word of every comment. Remember it is better to keep silent and be thought a fool then to speak and remove all doubt.
Posted by Paul (anonymous) on February 28, 2008 at 11:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Save your breath professor, he just doesn’t get it.
Posted by jafo (anonymous) on February 29, 2008 at 7:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Re: The Article
1. By law, the City did NOT have to accept bids...period. They chose to spend $252.94 more for a product they preferred. Mr. Melius felt that he was wronged. That is what the article was about.
Re: The Comments
2. ajohnsonx brought up the Small Claims example, and lenny commented that it would be a good return on a $30 investment in Small Claims Court for a "hypothetical" case of around $300..of which Redcloud agreed. YOU guys are the ones who brought up Small Claims, not me... my ONLY point regarding that is... if the case is NO GOOD, for example, like this case WOULD be... as there were NO laws broken, that there would be NO return on the $30 cost of the claim.
OK, back to your sniping, and name-calling...
Posted by Paul (anonymous) on February 29, 2008 at 7:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
see.
Posted by ajohnsonx (anonymous) on February 29, 2008 at 8:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry for the missread. I will hold my comments to myself until further reading lessons have been taken. The one point I was trying to make regarding the small claims court example, (which really has nothing to do with the Mr. Melius complaint) was that when you go to court, regardless of the $30 filing fee, it is always easy to get a judgement, but getting the defendant to pay is another story. If they are in court for a small sum of money, what do you think the chances are that they have it? Point: Don't cry over spilt milk.
Posted by toad3 (anonymous) on February 29, 2008 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is the city's way or the highway! They can't plow snow, they can't clean the streets, what's new. I still think the city commissioners have to back up to pick up their paychecks!
Posted by Vampire (anonymous) on February 29, 2008 at 1:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lenny and redcloud, you should not call jafo a dork. He is a duffus!
Posted by Colt45 (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 7:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Is the plural of duffus..duffuses or duffi?
I think Ron can kiss any future jobs with the city goodbye after his sour grapes tirade.
Posted by lenny (anonymous) on March 2, 2008 at 8:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey jafo, I've been gone for a few days, just wanted to stop by and say you are still a dork.
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