Advice for the McHenry County College Board from Jane Collins – 2

Here is the second part of Jane Collin’s advice to the McHenry County College board.

This section concentrates on accountability. Take a look at the amount of money that Mark Houser of Equity One has been paid and the lack of documentation for what he has done to earn the $400,000 in MCC taxpayer dollars.

And, notice Collins’ questions about the possibility that the college is using Houser’s company, EquityOne, to hide what it being paid to FCL and Cornerstone, companies that are presumably doing work for the college.

WHAT THE McHENRY COUNTY COLLEGE BOARD
MUST DO
TO RESTORE
PUBLIC TRUST IN ITS CONDUCT

II. Demonstrate a willingness to be held accountable.

Exercise prudent fiduciary oversight over District investments of taxpayer monies. Some trustees have failed and continue to fail to acknowledge that impartial third party reviews and experts have demonstrated that the proposed Sports & Entertainment complex is not a sound investment of taxpayer dollars. Instead, this would be a public subsidy for private investors.

A specific example of failed oversight:1. Mark Houser still being paid for a project that supposedly has been put on hold. (Mark Houser received all of the “Release to Begin Development” money: August 2007, $220,000; Sept. 2007, $100,000; November 2007, $80,000.)

2. Where is the tangible evidence of what the District has received in exchange for the $400,000 paid to Mark Houser, i.e., “the items that need to be started and or completed prior to the City of Crystal Lake’s final approval of the PUD include full architectural and engineering drawings, full specifications, full bid packages and bid reviews along with solicitations for naming rights, sponsorships and indoor center user groups.” Para. one, “Release,” 5-10-07.

3. Missing from Mark Houser one-page invoices: itemized hourly rates, services/tasks performed and by whom.

4. Does Mark Houser serve as a “pass through” for monies paid to FCL, Cornerstone and others with whom the District does not have executed contracts?

5. What financial and legal liability has this Board incurred in this “pass through” arrangement to those being so paid – to the engineering firm FCL has hired, for example?


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