Ogle settles with contractor, agrees to cover attorney expenses

OREGON – The Ogle County Board has settled with an Aurora construction company that sued the board after failing to win the courthouse renovation project.

EVS Construction officials agreed Tuesday to drop their lawsuit in exchange for $50,000, the amount of its bid costs and attorney fees, county administrator Meggon McKinley said.

Judge Michael Mallon signed an order dismissing the case, which was to go to trial July 10. The board admits to no wrongdoing.

EVS sued the board after it lost the contract to renovate Ogle County Courthouse to Ringland Johnson Construction of Cherry Valley.

“No one on the county board is excited about settling with EVS,” McKinley said in a statement. “The settlement decision was made to eliminate the risk of additional costs that would likely come if the court’s July 10 ruling resulted in an appeal and a construction delay.

“We can now move forward with the contractor the board believes will do the best job for the county at the lowest price possible given the circumstances.”

Board member Jim Barnes opposed the settlement.

“This is like a bully saying ‘Give me your lunch money,’” Barnes said. “I have trouble giving away $50,000 of taxpayer dollars.”

Mallon issued a temporary restraining order June 22 prohibiting the board from entering into a contract with Ringland Johnson.

Officials had planned to sign the contract that morning.

The lawsuit asked the court to award the general contract for the project to EVS, the lowest bidder at $5,427,600, reversing the board’s 16-8 decision June 16 to hire Ringland Johnson, the second-lowest bidder at $5,505,967.

The vote went against the recommendation of the Long Range Planning Committee, which favored EVS.