Ohio county commissioners to rebid prison foodservice contract

MANSFIELD, Ohio — Richland County Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to re-bid a food service contract for the county jail, juvenile detention and the Community Alternative Center just two months after accepting the bid for a new contract with a Florida-based firm.

Commissioners were forced to act after Trinity Services Group Inc. sent a letter last week exercising a 90-day termination clause, effective Jan. 19.

Trinity submitted the lowest figure of four firms that bid in July and took over the food service operations for the three facilities Oct. 1. The Oldsmar, Florida, firm's cost of 93.5 cents per meal was 10 cents lower than the bid from the former food service provider, Aramark Inc.

Central purchasing director Cathy Mosier told commissioners she and jail administrator Capt. Chris Blunk met with Trinity officials, who said they made a mistake in their bid, which should have been about $1.37 per meal. "They said they couldn't lose $130,000, so they exercised their option to terminate for convenience," she explained.

Officials estimated the county would have saved $56,000 per year under the Trinity contract. Commissioner Ed Olson said the county will save about $32,000 by the termination date, money that could be used to help fill budget gaps in general fund departments this year.

Commissioners on Thursday also received answers to questions they had earlier in the week about a contract between the county and the state to connect the new sheriff's office radio equipment with the state's Multi-Agency Radio Communications System. They said it appeared some of the listed fees were for equipment and services that the county would not be using.
 

Commissioners confirmed information in a conference call Tuesday with Sheriff Steve Sheldon and Capt. Jim Sweat that all agencies participating in MARCS receive the same "boilerplate" contract that lists fees charged for all services