Summit proposes to assume Montezuma County jail food service; commissioners hold questions on start date and contract terms

Summit, a private jail food‑service and commissary company, presented a proposal to Montezuma County commissioners to take over food service at the county jail, absorb existing kitchen staff and provide menu options and pricing tied to inmate population.

Brandon, a Summit operations representative, said Summit "provide[s] food service and commissary, and we do it at over 400 counties nationwide," and argued the company's purchasing scale would reduce costs. Billy Wade, Summit's vice president of operations, described operational details and emergency contingencies used in mountain weather conditions.

The company told commissioners it would absorb the current kitchen employees — identified in discussion as Jeremy, Darla and one other cook — and include their existing pay and tenure, with a 3% pay increase factored into Summit's proposal tied to the January 1 start date in the RFP. Summit said the county's kitchen has sufficient dry, refrigerated and frozen storage…