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March 28, 2024

CERWD Denies The Obvious on FOIA Responses –

By John Kraft & Kirk Allen

On December 12, 2013

OLIVER, IL. (ECWd) –

During the October meeting of the Clark-Edgar Rural Water District (CERWD) the Engineer Firm Representative, Bob Colvin of Francis Associates in Paris, talked about the awarding of another contract to B & T Drainage.

During that conversation, Bob stated that he had talked to a bidder during the bid process for the contract in question by saying: “When I talked to John, uh, a couple times during the bid, he said price, uh, pipe prices weren’t up at all. Meters, all that stuff’s up drastically, but, uh, mainline pipe is not up, so, again, he was one point two percent…”

Anyone remotely familiar with bidding processes for public contracts should know that communications between bidders and the public body (or their representative) during the bidding process is not allowed unless it is for some type of clarification, and all bidding entities are made aware of the converstations, and a detailed log is kept.

In an attempt at figuring out if other bidders were aware of these conversations, I requested all information and records relating to the above referenced conversation(s), the reply was that to the CERWD knowledge no communication existed. I then asked them to ask the engineer firm about any communications and the same answer was given.

So my question here, is how can the person representing the CERWD make an unsolicited comment, during a public meeting, that he did in fact talk to B&T during the bidding process, turn around and deny any communication(s) existed.

Here is that portion of the audio from the October meeting – you decide.

 

 

 

 

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6 Comments
  • Old
    Posted at 10:11h, 12 December

    Whats Colvin’s kickback on this job. Couple hundred thousand? I’d bet it’s a good chunk if he is pushing for B&T to do the job again. Get rid of the thief, he’s one reason CEWD is in the money shape it is suffering.

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 10:26h, 12 December

      I am not accusing him of anything other than what is in the article – which no one can deny when it came from his own mouth.

  • carolyn wilson
    Posted at 10:48h, 12 December

    cd. not bring up audio

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 11:31h, 12 December

      Try it now.

  • Me
    Posted at 18:53h, 12 December

    If it was only verbal communication then there would be no record of it to produce. That’s the new way of doing business to get around FOIA,

    • jmkraft
      Posted at 20:18h, 12 December

      But they eventually always slip up and say something incriminating like he did during this meeting. Even phone calls with bidders are supposed to be put in a log with a quick run-down on what the topic was.

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