Jail bids could save county big

Commissioner says everthing should be put out to bid to save money.

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By Josh Sweigart, Staff Writer 9:16 PM Wednesday, December 16, 2009

HAMILTON — Bids that came in this week for more than $6 million in services provided at Butler County’s jails appear to include substantial savings, according to county officials.

That’s what happens when work is put to bid that has long gone to the local nonprofit Resolutions, Community Solutions Inc. without a competitive bid, according to Commission President Donald Dixon.

Sheriff Richard K. Jones said it appears to justify his decision to close the county’s Resolutions jail this summer.

The bid documents are sizable — boxes and folders altogether the size of a high-backed couch — and will take time to review. But the food services portion of the bid alone appears to contain roughly $1 million in savings.

Resolutions offered to feed prisoners at the county’s jails for just over $2 million a year, compared to $1 million in bids submitted by two other vendors. The reason for this disparity is unclear, officials said, and will have to be reviewed before a choice is made. In other categories, Resolutions may be the lowest bidder.

Jones said exact numbers may not be crunched until the end of the month. “It looks like there’s going to be substantial savings in there,” he said.

“It’s certainly been a worthwhile venture, and couldn’t come at a better time with the budget situation we’re in,” Dixon said. “This is just the result of what happens when you go out for competitive bidding in the private sector.”

Dixon said this is further evidence that the county’s various offices need a centralized purchasing department, a concept there has been little political will to see through. “Everything needs to be bid out. Everything,” he said.

For years, Resolutions has provided all of the services at the county’s three jails except for security, which is provided by the sheriff’s office. Resolutions charged for all these services with a flat, per-prisoner rate. This netted the company $6.7 million in 2008 and $6.2 million this year. The bids break that out into five contracts.

The agency cut some of its services this year after Jones closed the Resolutions jail and terminated some education and substance abuse programs.

“I don’t see myself approving those programs this year,” he said.

Resolutions is also still embroiled in closed-door discussions with the county over utility bills switched into the county’s name allegedly without commission knowledge, and bills for work the agency did at the Court Street jail without a contract.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2175 or jsweigart@coxohio.com.

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