LaSalle County committee weighs hiring consultant to run RFP for jail medical contract

LaSalle County Public Safety Committee members on a recent meeting discussed hiring an outside consultant to develop and manage a request for proposals that would replace the county’s jail medical services contract.

County staff told the committee the consultant could develop the RFP, run walkthroughs, handle vendor questions, assist the evaluation team, help negotiate with a selected vendor and assist with contract development. Staff said the initial cost to develop and implement that level of service was estimated at $25,000–$35,000; additional, recurring monitoring of billing and staffing was described as a separate, smaller annual expense.

Tom Templeton, District 11, cited past problems and liability concerns and urged caution: “If you are certified in something and following your training … you should be protected for that,” he said, while also noting the county previously discovered gaps such as missed nursing hours that had not been reimbursed under older contracts.

Staff and several committee members argued the county lacks in‑house expertise to write a sufficiently detailed RFP. Members said sample RFPs supplied by vendors in the past favored vendor language and that hiring a consultant with jail‑health experience could attract more competitive bidders and improve enforceability of contract terms.

Committee discussion focused on timing and procurement process. Staff recommended beginning vendor outreach in time to post an RFP by June; one‑year extensions currently in place make a June start advisable given a five‑to‑six‑month procurement timeline. Members debated whether to competitively bid the consultant itself or to proceed by professional‑services selection; legal and procurement questions were left for staff to clarify.

Next steps: staff will meet with the consultant candidate (Health Management Associates and related references were discussed), collect additional references and report back to the committee with cost details and procurement recommendations. The committee did not authorize award of any contract at this meeting.