Five vendors submit food-service bids; staff will review exhibits and recommend vendor in October

Chair and staff opened food-service bid packages live during the meeting. Dawn explained she requested an operating-expense exhibit for each bidder based on an average census of 65 and read the submitted totals aloud as part of the public opening.

Dawn reported New Horizons Food proposed operating expenses of $863,414; an HHS vendor had entries in the bid documents around $906,000 and other spreadsheet lines that read $909,106,907 (the bid documents contained multiple sheets); Culinary Services Group submitted $914,119; Whitsons Family (listed as Glendale Dining Services) showed $668,233; and HCSG submitted $706,991.31. Dawn said she would review the detailed bid packets, consult the state's attorney on the procurement process, and bring a formal recommendation to the full county board in October for final contract approval.

Committee members asked whether specific bidders (such as Source Tech) submitted packages; Dawn said they did not receive a bid from that vendor. No final vendor selection was made at the meeting; staff will return with a recommendation after legal review.