Owen County approves RFQ for new jail; sealed proposals due Oct. 8

Owen County commissioners voted 2-0 to approve Resolution 2025-008 authorizing a request for proposals and qualifications (RFQ/RFP) to move a planned jail project forward under the county's build‑operate‑transfer process. The county attorney said sealed proposals must be received by 2 p.m. Oct. 8 and will be handled through the county auditor's office for later opening by the county attorney.

The action follows a presentation by Tice Carmichael, who identified himself as chief growth officer and chief information officer for Lower Bros. Construction Companies, and two company colleagues who described their experience building detention facilities and said they could deliver multiple construction delivery options, including construction‑manager‑at‑risk and design‑build. "We want to make sure that they are involved in the project, if they meet the qualifications, and if they choose to do so," Carmichael told the commissioners, stressing the firm's interest in using local subcontractors where possible.

The commissioners and presenters discussed the project's current status and budget context. Carmichael said similar jail designs have recently built in Indiana with low bids of about $22 million and another project of about $25 million, and described earlier work on a different project where his team was given a $52 million budget and ultimately delivered roughly $400,000 under that number after negotiating alternates and scope. County officials said a design is in hand and that a land swap for the selected site is complete; the county is awaiting a final survey and topography to share with prospective bidders.

The county attorney framed the action as the statutory next step under the build‑operate‑transfer law. He described the RFQ/RFP timeline and procurement logistics: sealed proposals will be submitted to the auditor's office (not to the commissioners), stamped with date and time, and later brought to the board for public opening by the county attorney. "Proposals under the timeline must be received by 2PM on October 8," the county attorney said.

Commissioners emphasized local participation but acknowledged firms must meet prequalification requirements. Presenters described tools the CMC/CMA process offers to prequalify and split work packages so local firms can bid on scopes that match their capacity. Commissioners said they expected the board to follow the county's standard procurement checks and to evaluate both cost and the contractor's ability to meet required standards.

The 2-0 vote to issue the RFQ/RFP was the formal step the commissioners said was needed to proceed. County staff noted next steps will include distributing the RFQ/RFP to prospective bidders, receiving sealed proposals at the auditor's office by the Oct. 8 deadline, compiling proposals for evaluation, and later opening them in public before the county attorney. The board did not set a final contract award date at the meeting.

Officials said they will make available the site's final survey and topography to firms once it is received and asked prospective bidders to review the RFQ/RFP for instructions on prequalification, alternates, and local‑participation expectations. The county did not commit to a particular delivery method beyond noting multiple delivery options will be considered and that statutory requirements for the build‑operate‑transfer process will control procurement steps and timelines.