Judge halts IDOT's suspension of local contractor
Posted: 09.05.2012 at 3:19 PM
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A judge in Adams County issued a temporary retraining order against the Illinois Department of Transportation saying the state agency cannot enforce its recent suspension of a Quincy construction company.

Circuit Judge Thomas Ortbal issued the order Tuesday. Ortbal set a status hearing for Monday in the case.

R.L. Brink Construction was suspended from bidding on any project that needs approval from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Ortbal's hand written ruling explained that “The court finds (the) plaintiff possesses a property right to be protected, (and) have show a likelihood of success.”

But there are some exceptions to that and the Capital project to asphalt about six blocks of Quincy streets and alleyways falls under one of those exceptions was suspended from bidding on any project that needs approval from the Illinois Department of Transportation.

"This is really not involved in that because this does not use any MFT or Motor Fuel Tax money,” Quincy City Engineer Jeff Steinkamp said Tuesday. “This is a capital budget project. It's capital money from the city.There's not IDOT or MFT money involved so it is allowed to go ahead and proceed and award the contract to Brink."

Steinkamp said that Brink was also allowed to finish the Safe Routes to School project on Maine Street after the city applied and received and exception from IDOT.

Another project has been put on hold and is under review by the city's legal department.

Brink filed an August 27 lawsuit against IDOT chief procurement officer Bill Grunloh and IDOT Director Ann Schneider.

The 120 day suspension came after complaints from a local union that Brink improperly classified workers while bidding on construction projects across West Central Illinois.

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