CATSKILL - Greene County officials remain confident that Barry, Bette and Led Duke is the right company to oversee construction of a new county office building despite two BBL employees figuring in the federal racketeering investigation of former Dutchess County Republican Chairman William Paroli Sr.  The county Legislature last week picked BBL Construction Services of Albany as the construction manager for the pending $14.7 million county office project. For $66,000, it will help prepare bidding documents and oversee the bidding. If the project survives an ongoing court challenge and goes forward, BBL will get an additional $511,000 to supervise the actual construction.

BBL also was picked to oversee construction of Ulster County's new jail. But in November 2000, Ulster officials replaced BBL with another firm when they discovered BBL was listed in the U.S. Attorney's Office indictment of Paroli.

The indictment stated that in 1997, BBL paid $10,000 in extortion money to then-town of Poughkeepsie Water Commissioner Fred Andros to facilitate the acquisition of permits needed to complete a private contract. Federal authorities alleged Andros collected the money on Paroli's behalf. Paroli eventually pleaded guilty to extortion and served 18 months in federal prison.

Robert Fortune, BBL's vice president of construction management, told Ulster County officials that the Dutchess incident was the result of poor judgment by two BBL employees who were acting without management's approval, Fortune said BBL was a victim in the case and was not charged.

Greene County Legislator William Lawrence, who heads the county office building task force, said Greene officials are aware of the Paroli/Andros case and BBL being dropped by Ulster County, and that the task force has discussed the matters with BBL.

"The question was asked about the situation with Ulster County," Lawrence said. "I think their credentials stand alone regardless of that situation." He also said the Paroli incident had more to do with Paroli than with BBL.

Lawrence, R-Cairo, and Greene County Administrator Douglas Brewer said BBL was chosen by the building task force after several firms were interviewed. The task force included Lawrence, Brewer, county Legislature Chairman Frank Stabile, R-Palenville, and other lawmakers.

"He (Fortune) explained it to my satisfaction and the others as well," Lawrence said, adding that BBL did not seek to hide anything.

Greene officials said one reason BBL was picked was the company had just completed a job renovating the Coxsackie-Athens Middle School and that school district officials gave the company a good reference.

"They're a very reputable firm, and they come with good results on their projects," Brewer said.

Added Lawrence: "I think they're going to do us a world of good."

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