“Irresponsible Contractor”: Highway Committee Moves to Ban Firm After Bridge Project Issues

Montgomery County Roads & Bridges Committee | November Meeting

Article Summary: The Montgomery County Roads & Bridges Committee is moving to blacklist a contractor after the County Engineer reported serious compliance issues, including the manipulation of materials to hide poor workmanship.

Roads & Bridges Committee Key Points:

• The Accusation: County Engineer Cody Greenwood reported that Yamnitz & Associates “manipulated materials” to make it appear they were installed properly when minimal quantities were actually used.

• Safety & Compliance: The contractor allegedly failed to maintain traffic control without official notification and lacked appropriate equipment.

• Labor Dispute: The firm reportedly refused to hire local labor for the township bridge projects.

• The Consequence: The committee agreed to stop accepting future bids from the company.

HILLSBORO, Ill. – A township bridge contractor may have dug their last hole in Montgomery County after the County Engineer presented a scathing report on their performance to the Roads & Bridges Committee on Wednesday, December 3, 2025.

County Engineer Cody Greenwood advised the committee of “past and continuing issues” with Yamnitz & Associates regarding township bridge projects. The most serious allegation involved the integrity of the work itself. Greenwood reported that the contractor had been “manipulating materials to give the appearance they were installed properly, when in reality only minimal quantities were used.”

Beyond the material issues, Greenwood cited a lack of appropriate equipment and a failure to maintain traffic control unless given official notification. Additionally, the contractor allegedly refused to hire local labor.

The committee discussed methods to prevent this issues in the future and agreed to a policy of not accepting any future bids from Yamnitz & Associates.

In other business, the committee recommended approval of the 2026 County Motor Fuel Tax (MFT) Resolution, appropriating $1.2 million for road maintenance—the same amount as the previous year.

The committee also continued discussions on the Nokomis Road (CH 7) extension project. The plan involves transferring the existing county road within city limits to the City of Nokomis and improving the road to Route 16 to divert truck traffic. The committee agreed to seek a proposal from an engineering firm to increase the road’s capacity, a necessary step to qualify for state grant funding.