Solar Panel Scandal ???

IROQUOIS CO. (ECWd) –

What do you suppose happens when the government gets so intimately involved in our lives, and creates more and more ways to subsidize ideological projects instead of simply letting our Free Enterprise system work?

Corruption!

Corruption comes in many forms, from out right theft, to minor manipulation of events for personal gain, but regardless, it’s clear it runs ramped in our system of Government when it lacks integrity and accountability.

From all indications, the Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department and their purchase of a government subsidized solar panel project  may not be any different when it comes to, let’s just say, less than forthright business transactions by public officials!

As our regular readers are aware, we routinely cross reference actions by our local government bodies to the statutes to see if they are complying or simply doing what ever they want.  From all indications, this group does what they want!

July 18 2011     Board Minutes 158/11     Moved by Susan Wynn Bence to accept the verbal and written reports of Day and Night Solar contract signed by the Administrator on July 1, 2011 and authorization that paperwork was submitted for federal and state assistance for Solar Energy Rebate Program.  Motion seconded by Bernadette Ray. Motion carried unanimously. Further moved to solicit bids and review premium increase.  A special meeting will be held to award a bid contract for solar panel installation project. Motion seconded by Bernadette Ray. Motion carted unanimously.        

1st Red Flag?

March 26, 2013 –FOIA Request for copy of Contract reported to be signed by the Administrator on July 1 with Day & Night Solar.

Response from Julie Clark

“We do not have any contracts signed with Day & Night Solar”

How does an agency that approves their minutes claiming to accept the verbal and written reports of Day and Night Solar contract signed by the Administrator on July 1, 2011 not have ANY signed contracts with Day & Night Solar?

2nd Red Flag

July 18th minutes authorized the placing of bids for the installation of Solar Panels.  Note the word installation in the minutes versus purchase!

Why is that a key point?  Julie Clark, owner of Day & Night Solar sends an email to the local news reporter who is asking for a copy of the bid from Day & Night Solar and it appears the word shuffle begins!

Now they claim the contract sent is the Day & Night Solar/CMS Renewables Inc. Contract.

So how did a contract signed with Day & Night Solar now become a contract not only with Day & Night but also CMS Renewables?

3rd Red Flag

Minutes claimed a special meeting was going to be held to award a bid contract for solar panel installation project.  Interesting is the fact that the Bid in the Times-Republic was not for installation but for design and installation.  Is this where the Co-mingling of the two companies begins?

4th Red Flag

How does an insurance company issue a rate increase on the FIPHD insurance premium before the bidding even began?  Roger Schuldt Insurance Co. received a request on or before July 22, 2011 on the cost that the solar panels would raise the insurance premium.  He was given a value of $86,000.00 per system. This was before any add was placed in the local paper for bids, so how did they know that this dollar amount was what they needed a quote for?

He provided the rate increase to the FIPHD on July 28th, a day prior to the bids ending! 

5th Red Flag

July 28th, Angel Wind Energy submits their proposal.

No other bids have been provided prior to the Noon deadline of July 29th, 2011!

So how did Day & Night get awarded the bid?  They didn’t, even though minutes reflect a contract was signed with them.  Invoices sent for the project were from CMS Renewables, a Day & Night company according to their web site!

In fact, it’s claimed Day and Night has partnered with CMS Renewables, a Day & Night Company (project management section)

So how did CMS Renewables get the job?  I guess only Julie Clark, and Doug Corbett can answer that one because the paper trail does not reflect CMS as even bidding, let alone getting the contract!

6th Red Flag

The publication for bid specifically spelled out a brand specific product, Lifeline Energy.

July 27 2011     Times Republic Ad  #1 Lists a brand name(LF250WP-US)   

30 ILCS 500/20-50

Sec. 20-50. Specifications. Specifications shall be prepared in accordance with consistent standards that are promulgated by the chief procurement officer and reviewed by the Board and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Those standards shall include a prohibition against the use of brand-name only products, except for products intended for retail sale or as specified by rule. All specifications shall seek to promote overall economy for the purposes intended and encourage competition in satisfying the State’s needs and shall not be
unduly restrictive.

7th Red Flag

Bid publication states it must be a NABSAP trained installer.  It was a misprint in the paper and should have been NABCEP trained installer.

I asked for the certification proving the installer was NABCEP trained, which is a requirement outlined in the bid specifications.  What did I get back?

Entry Level training

Now why is that of any importance? 

Because that certificate is not in compliance with the requirement listed in the bid publication!

From NABCEP Web-site: “Individuals passing the NABCEP Entry Level Exams should not be confused with NABCEP Certified PV Installers or NABCEP Certified Solar Heating Installers. The latter can only be achieved by highly experienced individuals who have passed a much more rigorous examination and have demonstrated the capability to supervise complete system installations, and who have a detailed working knowledge of the electrical and plumbing codes, standards and accepted industry practice associated with PV and Solar Heating installations.”

So how is it that the company owned by Julie Clark and her husband end up with a contract for this job, when by their own provided documents they are apparently not in compliance with the Bid Specifications as it relates to installation certification, not to mention the fact we can’t seem to get a copy of any bid from the company that got paid for the job?

8th Red Flag

 #3 – Bids are only accepted by Email 

How on earth can you have any type of sealed bid when it is required to be e-mailed?  As soon as one company sends it in, the numbers are disclosed to anyone reading the email and they could very easily notify another bidder of those numbers!

9th Red Flag

July 29 2011 At 1:46 PM Day and Night Solar faxed in their bids!. That means they not only missed the deadline but they failed to e-mail it in!

October 7th Doug Corbett reports to the board that Day & Night submitted their bid online yet no one has been able to produce such a record!

 10th Red Flag

October 7th letter claims Angel Wind Energy system is less kW, less rebate, and did not follow the bid specifications for an American produced monocrystalline photovoltaic panels.

Did not follow the bid specifications? 

Lets look at some facts as it relates to that topic as it relates to Julie Clark’s business, Day & Night Solar and CMS Renewables Inc.

• No bid prior to the noon deadline
• Bid was faxed after the deadline
• No certified installer
• Bid awarded to a company that never bid, CMS Renewables!

11th Red Flag

Oct 4 2011 Doug Corbett Signs contract with CMS Renewables, yet all the past records point to a contract with Day & Night Solar!  More disturbing is the claim in his letter dated October 7th, it’s Day & Night Solar who he directed the contract to be signed with.

NO BID CAN BE FOUND FOR CMS!

12th Red Flag

Doug Corbett reports to the board members that he has directed Cary Hagen to sign contract with Day & Night Solar. You know, that company that never bid on time that is owned by Julie Clark, and is also the person that confirmed they have no signed contract with Day & Night Solar!

13th Red Flag

 Oct7 2011 Letter to Board of Health Members from Doug Corbet, 2nd paragraph reads:  “.. As of July 18 2011  you have given me the authorization to proceed as scheduled, I now need permission to carry out a contract with Day and Night Solar and to proceed with a loan.

Remember the contract is with Day and Night Solar not CMS Renewables!

14th Red Flag

(OK, they aren’t red any more they are black from all the burning!)

Same letter to the board reflects Day and Night Solar bid was $174,916.50  but they were given the ability to reduce their bid to $123,240.00 a 30% reduction without rebidding.  Clear conflict with the law!

15th Red Black Flag

FIPHD Seeks a bank loan.  A laundry list of bank loans were sought to include one in Edwardsville near where Julie and Stan Clark live, who are the owners of the companies doing the work.

ANY time your government takes out loans on terms its a red flag as its high time our elected and appointed officials stop putting that debt on the backs of the tax payers!

16th Red Black Flag

Dec 13 2011       Ford Iroquois PHD  issues two checks to CMS Renewables , check # 29756  for $47,130.00 and #29757 for $48,300.00

Can ANYONE provide a shred of evidence that supports checks being made out to a company that never bid on the project?

17th Red Black Flag

Dec 12 and 14, 2011   Stan Clark  signed full Lien Release on Paxton and Watseka facilities.

How does a company have a lien on the FIPHD when they never bid on the project to begin with?

18th Red Black Flag

Holiday Shores Sanitary District! 

Yet another public body buying solar panels and the only bidders were all partnered with Day & Night Solar! 

Stay Tuned for that article! 

For you intelligent people of Ford and Iroquois county, if you can’t see that there is a problem with all this, especially with all the hard evidence to support the timeline, then your tolerance for what appears to be questionable manipulation of our tax dollars is far greater than mine.

If you know of more information that we may have missed then by all means let us know so we can include it and by all means if you see an error in the evidence, point that out as well and if true, we will correct it!