McHenry County Blog

I have to hand it to Daily Herald reporter Chuck Keeshan.

Back in 2004 Keeshan was the reporter who figured out that the McHenry County Board had hired the same construction management firm to oversee construction of the new jail cells that was implicated in the McCormick Place bid-rigging scheme.

Now, he has discovered McHenry County is suing the same firm for what his article calls “substandard work.”

The same day one of the Jacobs Engineering’s ex-employees pled guilty in the McPier bid-rigging case and implicated other company employees, the McHenry County Board hired the firm to oversee the jail’s completion.

In pleading guilty, Jacobs employee James Nagel swore other company employees were involved, although their names were not made public. The next day a second ex-employee, Elizabeth Koski, confirmed further company involvement.

The county board approved the “plan and design” contract only after Brad Simmons, a St. Louis-based vice president, told the board that his firm--$5 billion, multi-national Jacobs Engineering--had no involvement in the Federal McPier corruption case.

Board members had no knowledge of the plea agreements at that meeting.

A tape of the meeting—which, incidentally, was subpoenaed by a Federal Grand Jury—showed the following:

then County Board member Ann Kate (R-Crystal Lake) asked,

"And the investigation has only involved these two? I mean it’s been checked out that this isn’t more widespread within your company? It’s just these two, correct?"

“Absolutely,” Simmons replied.

Earlier Simmons said there wasn’t even “hint of implications” of “charges” against his firm.

Ending the questioning, then County Board Chairman and now State Representative Mike Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) said, “I had had some questions. I think this answers them very well.”

The county board then awarded Jacobs a $699,637 contract to oversee the $10 million project.

After a subsequent board meeting when members had been provided the plea agreements, Keeshan got these quotes:

"I am quite concerned that we are involved in this and we can be tainted by it," (then) board member Don Brewer said Thursday. "The issue here is obstruction of justice and what was known about it by the highest levels of that firm. That's some serious stuff."

"It taints everything and the public perception and our perception is that (Jacobs) can't be trusted," (then) board member Ann Gilman added.

And, now the county is suing Jacobs, hoping to get compensated for damage to underground utilities.

Labels: Ann Gilman, Ann Kate, Bid-rigging, Elizabeth Koski, Jacobs Engineering, James Nagel, McCormick Place, McHenry County Board., McHenry County Jail, Mike Tryon