Following a special Warren County Board meeting, the Board had voted to temporarily pause the jail project in the County until more information was obtained from Ringland Johnson, the design build firm out of Rockford that was retained to handle the project. At the March 19th Warren County Board meeting, two members from Ringland Johnson were present to answer questions and concerns from the Board. As a result, the Warren County Board has hired a law firm to guide them in making sure the process is taking shape correctly, explains Buildings and Grounds Committee Chair Sean Cavanaugh:
“We researched and hired a law firm out of Springfield, called Feldman Wasser, to help guide us through the process to make sure everything was done correctly leading up till now to see if there needs to be any changes in the process or if everything was followed to a “t,” we just want to make sure of that and for full transparency for the taxpayer, we felt it was necessary, not only to inform them of the situation, but also hire an expert in construction law to make sure that the taxpayers are getting the answers that they deserve, being they are footing the bill for this jail. During the process of retaining Ringland Johnson, there were changes to Illinois law, which could affect the process. We want to make sure that everything is on the up and up so we don’t have any liabilities that could put the project in jeopardy.”
Cavanaugh also reported the total cost of the jail project is estimated to be around $19 million.
