Commissioners approve $389,556 sole-source door-lock system for county detention center

Rutherford County commissioners approved a sole-source purchase and contract to retrofit the detention center's cell doors with a patented Willow Winch Door Locking System at an estimated price of $389,556, county staff said.

Finance director Paula Roach said detention staff reviewed products and concluded this patented solution is the only product compatible with the facility, citing North Carolina statutory language that permits exceptions to the formal bid process for specialized equipment (transcribed citation: "statute 143 129 e 6"). Detention staff described recent incidents in which inmates broke out of cells and assaulted other inmates and officers, and they said the locks have failed "even recent as last week." Sergeant Sprouse told the board, "The locks are failing...so it's very important that we get these doors secured," and urged approval for officer and inmate safety.

A vendor representative outlined a project timeline: after purchase-order acceptance, engineering would schedule an on-site visit (about four to eight weeks out), prepare drawings, and then engineering/installation work typically ranges 16 to 20 weeks — yielding a total front-to-finish estimate of roughly 20 to 26 weeks depending on scheduling.

The board approved the sole-source purchase by voice vote and directed staff to proceed with contract terms drawn from the draft in the board packet. Funding for the purchase will come from the state-directed $10 million detention-center improvement grant referenced in the packet.

Clarifying details: the purchase was characterized as sole-source due to patent/status; staff provided patent and sole-source documentation in the meeting packet. The transcript reflects vendor timelines and a price quote; staff must finalize contract terms and schedule.