Charles City shops local, buys new police vehicle

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City Council voted 4-1 at Monday’s meeting to accept a bid from Molstead Motors in Charles City for the purchase of a new police vehicle.

At its workshop meeting last week, the council discussed purchasing a 2021 Ford Police Interceptor, for the state bid price of $34,945, from a Ford dealer in Waukee. The new vehicle will replace a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe with 189,000 miles on it, which will then be used by the code enforcement department, according to Charles City Police Chief Hugh Anderson.

Council members wondered last week if the purchase could be made locally, so Anderson checked with area dealers and received bids from Molstead Motors for $35,445 (quoted as $500 over state bid), and Mason City Ford for $33,806. He reported those bids to the council at Monday’s meeting.

City Administrator Steve Diers told the council that all the dealers are reputable, and the council has a local preference policy in place, so that if a bid is within 10% of the low bid, the city can go with the local dealer.

Anderson said the vehicles are identical for all three bids, and said there would be additional cost for keys, not reflected in the bids.

Council member Philip Knighten made a motion to accept the lowest bid, from Mason City Ford. Molstead’s bid was about $1,500 higher than the Mason City Ford bid.

Mayor Dean Andrews said that he preferred to do business in town — which is why the local preference policy is in place.

Anderson told the council that the manager at Mason City Ford is a Charles City resident.

Council member Keith Starr spoke in support of accepting the Molstead bid.

“Mr. Molstead has done a lot for the community and he continues to employ local people,” Starr said. “If it were 3, 4 or $5,000 difference, we could go in a different direction, but this bid is pretty close.”

Knighten’s motion to accept the low bid from Mason City Ford was voted down, 4-1. The council then approved a motion, 4-1, to accept the bid from Molstead, with Knighten voting no.

Diers told the council that the budget had allocated $32,500 toward the purchase of a new police vehicle, short of the amount accepted in the bid, but that additional funds were available in the Police Capital Equipment Reserve that could be used. Diers said the Police Department budgets for about one new vehicle a year.

In other business on Monday, the council:
• Approved the necessary street closings for Community Revitalization’s annual Spookwalk event, to be held Oct. 29, from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Heard Mayor Andrew issue a proclamation stating the month of October as International Alpha Delta Kappa Month in Charles City, urging all citizens to honor women in education and to recognize their “great contributions toward the profession of teaching.”
• Approved placement of a permanent story walk feature at the park near the library.
• Approved a second reading of an ordinance amending the Charles City code provisions pertaining to the standard penalty for violations.
• Approved a second reading of an ordinance amending the Charles City code provisions pertaining to
animal neglect.