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Local trades press commissioners to require local hiring on proposed jail project
Summary
Building-trades representatives urged the commissioners to include local-hire preferences and to ensure a construction-manager-at-risk procurement would not exclude county contractors; commissioners said specialty trades may come from outside but committed to encouraging local participation.
At the July 21 hearing, local construction-trades representatives asked the commissioners to prioritize Lorain County contractors and workers for the proposed jail project.
Brian Baker, who identified himself as representing local building trades and construction interests, asked how the county will ensure local subcontractor participation when it engages a construction manager at risk and runs RFPs. He said modular elements and the scale of the project could lead to out-of-area contractors taking much of the work and asked the county to adopt explicit local-hire preferences or conditions.
Commissioner Jeff Riddell said the selected construction manager has a local-development track record and that out-of-area specialty contractors commonly hire local labor. Commissioner Marty Gallagher said he favors local first and region next but noted that some specialty firms large enough to perform jail-specific work are not based in Lorain County. Baker pressed for a clear plan to maximize local hiring if the project moves forward.
Commissioners invited follow-up conversations with local trades to explore procurement language and community benefits that could increase opportunities for local workers.
