County officials say the nonprofit was the only entity approached by then county administrator Derek Conklin, suggesting the deal was done before a bid ever went out.
“I would say that’s not how the bidding process is supposed to work,” said Commission President Donald Dixon. “I don’t think that’s hardly fair.”
In 2007, the county was looking for office space for its adult probation department. It requested bids April 23, giving applicants until May 8 to offer a price for 14,700 square feet of office space.
The only bidder was Fort Hamilton Healthcare Corp., which offered space for lease at an old Ringel’s Furniture warehouse the agency had just bought. The county signed a deal giving the nonprofit nearly $1.9 million over five years, with an optional lease for nearly $100,000 every year after that.
The bid documents submitted were drawn up Feb. 9, more than two months before they were requested.
It was no secret the county was looking for this office space, said Commissioner Gregory Jolivette. Commissioner Charles Furmon said they likely would have extended the deadline had they been asked.
This follows concerns about oversight of the recent renovation of the county’s Court Street jail, in which architectural work apparently was done roughly a year before it was bid out and a local nonprofit handled project management without a bid or contract.
That nonprofit was Resolutions Community Solutions, a subsidiary of Fort Hamilton Healthcare Corp.
Dixon said the county will be taking a tougher stance with this agency in the future, bidding out whatever services it can to make sure it’s getting the best price and having the county prosecutor’s office review all contracts.
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