DES MOINES (AP) — Des Moines has lost a lawsuit and been ordered to pay nearly $1 million in damages to a construction company it blacklisted.
A jury made the award last week to Jenco Construction Inc., which is based in Des Moines.
The city said Jenco didn’t finish a $3.3 million bridge reconstruction project on time and deliver quality work. Consequently, the city barred Jenco in December 2015 from bidding on city projects for three years.
The Des Moines Register reports that Jenco sued the city in May 2015, challenging the city's complaints. Jenco attorney Thomas Olson says the company encountered boulders, concrete, debris and tree stumps that nobody knew about.
Des Moines City Attorney Jeff Lester says city officials will be discussing their next course of action.