WINONA, Minn. – The County Board met in closed session to discuss a lawsuit threatened by a manufacturer of pre-fabricated jail cells for the new county jail. State transparency law allows the Board to meet privately to discuss litigation, although the law requires also that the Board report any decisions immediately afterward. There was no such report. At the closed meeting, the Board was briefed by Assistant County Attorney Alex Thillman. This much is known about the situation:
> Cornerstone Detention of Tanner, Alabama, bid $4.55 million in August to manufacture cells to be installed in thenew jail.
> Pauly Jail Building Company of Noblesville, Indiana, bid $4.68 million, also in August.
> Both bids were $1 million under the County budget. The difference between the Cornerstone and Pauly bids: $113,000.
> Cornerstone’s bid was rejected even though lower. There was no explanation, the company says. The issue, reportedly, was that Cornerstone didn’t plan to use galvanized steel. Unclear is whether the special steel was specified in the county’s request for bids or whether there was some oral indication that the steel didn’t matter.
> What went wrong? Who if anyone is responsible? County staff? General contractor Market & Johnson of LaCrosse? Architect Klein McCarthy of Minneapolis?
The $25.6 million jail project calls for cells for 80 inmates. The County already is running late on a state Corrections Department order to replace the current 50-year-old jail. The state has threatened to de-certify the facility.