Miami‑Dade County commissioners approved a contract for inmate meal services after a contentious discussion about small‑business participation, subcontracting commitments and price disparities for food trays.

The county recommended a joint venture led by CSS Summit Premier JV (managing partner Marlon Shenaha) as the awardee for item 8 P 2. The contract includes a stated annual Small Business Enterprise (SBE) purchasing commitment (the vendor projected investing roughly $5,000,000 annually with SBEs and $75,000,000 over the life of the contract). Commissioners pressed the prime and its SBE partner, Concession Service Systems (principal Junior Silva), to clarify whether a local supplier, Ghassan Enterprises (Gassant/Gazant/Ghassan in the record), had been validated for tray pricing and whether the SBE commitment was firm or a projection.

Representatives for Ghassan Enterprises told the commission they were included in the prime’s proposal without firm verification of prices and that a tray price shown in the proposal was far lower than the supplier’s current price for trays the county currently purchases under a separate contract. The prime’s team and their counsel said the prime would perform the turnkey contract and that purchasing of raw trays is handled by the SBE subcontractor (CSS); they also said price adjustments are governed by contract escalation provisions tied to the Consumer Price Index and living‑wage adjustments.

County procurement staff said their contract is with the prime vendor and that the county enforces the prime’s fixed per‑meal price; how the prime allocates spending to subcontractors is between the prime and its subs, although procurement reviewed the subcontractors’ qualifications. Chief James Reyes (Corrections) said the award reduces inmate access to kitchen spaces, removes inmate labor from kitchens and transfers operations to the contractor — changes corrections says will improve safety and free up sworn staff for other duties.

Commissioners expressed concerns about potential misrepresentation in the procurement process when a subcontractor’s proposed role and price were represented in a bid but had not been verified. Several commissioners said they wanted procurement documentation and counsel opinions available; procurement staff said the joint venture had committed to SBE spend and a performance bond would be in place.

After questioning and public remarks from both vendor parties, commissioners moved and seconded the award; the transcript records the board approved the item as moved. The administration said the award will deliver cost savings and operational changes for the county’s correctional food‑service operations. Several commissioners asked staff to document the procurement details and monitor contract performance and SBE commitments.