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Sheriff seeks new jail food contract; Trinity Services recommended with estimated $65,000 annual cost increase
Summary
The sheriff recommended Trinity Services as the lowest responsive bidder to provide inmate meals. Trinity's bid would raise estimated annual food costs by about $65,481; commissioners authorized staff to bring a contract back to the board for approval.
The Beaufort County sheriff outlined problems with the current jail meal service and recommended the county proceed with contract negotiations with Trinity Services, the lowest responsive bidder for inmate meals.
Sheriff said inconsistent meal portions and temperature-control failures posed safety risks for detention staff and inmates and that the county sought a vendor able to meet nutritionist requirements. After a multi-round bid process, Trinity submitted the lowest responsive price for the county’s typical daily meal volumes. The sheriff said Trinity’s bid equates to $15.21 per inmate per day for three meals (estimated annual cost of about $360,000), compared with the current cost of $12.45 per inmate per day (about $295,000). The sheriff’s office said it plans to absorb the roughly $65,481 annual increase within its existing budget.
Commissioners asked detailed procurement questions: how many meals are served on a typical day (average about 60–70), whether refrigeration equipment costs were included (the sheriff said the vendor would provide refrigeration and that depreciation is built into the meal price), and what recourse the county would have if performance issues reoccurred. The board also discussed that an earlier vendor had amounts garnished by the state (the sheriff said $127,000 was garnished from the prior vendor) and whether that fact affected vendor reliability.
Several commissioners urged caution about changing vendors after five years of the previous provider; other commissioners said the documented quality issues justified seeking a new vendor. The board voted to authorize staff to move forward with contract negotiations with Trinity Services and to return a written contract to the board for formal approval at a future meeting. The board did not execute a final contract at this meeting.
What’s next: County staff will prepare a written contract for Trinity Services for board review and approval at a subsequent meeting. Commissioners requested full contract documentation be provided in meeting packets before any formal vote.
