SUNBURY - Will there be savings if an outside firm provides food service to the Northumberland County Prison?
That was the question asked by Northumberland County Commissioner Vinny Clausi at Wednesday's meeting of the prison board.
Clausi took prison operations coordinator Brian Wheary to task on the proposal to hire Aramark, of Philadelphia, to provide food services.
The firm was hired by the commissioners on Sept. 14, providing meals at a cost of $1.399 each, with an estimated savings of $100,000 to $200,000 per year.
Clausi said he now believes that information is wrong.
"Commissioner Sawicki and myself, we calculated the numbers and they are not adding up to the savings we were promised," he said. "We were given bad information."
Clausi said the savings were calculated based on a current in-house cost of $3 a meal. Instead, he said, the current in-house cost is $3 a day. With that, "There are no savings," Clausi said.
Wheary, who was at the meeting because Warden Roy Johnson was at a conference, said the savings are legitimate, and he's more than happy to prove it.
"We can get the numbers together and look it over," he said. "If there is a savings, commissioners can sign the contract. If not, we can work on another plan."
In 2010, the prison had a food budget of $220,000, which, figuring an average of 210 inmates per day, eating three meals a day, works out to about $1 a day for each meal. But Wheary, who discussed the issue at length in an interview later Wednesday, said that figure doesn't take into account hidden costs.
"The food budget is for food only. On average, you have two staff members, each working eight hours a day, preparing the meals and doing other kitchen duties, so their wages are another cost." Wheary said. "You have to give them two days off a week, so part-timers need to work and that's another expense."
The county has also lost "buying power" because of the county's sale of Mountain View Manor. The two entities used to purchase large quantities of food together.
"So our food costs are higher," Wheary said.
And that means it can save with Aramark, he said.
"Aramark will buy the food and bring their staff in to prepare it, so I can free up the two staff members from the kitchen to work in the prison, which would help cut down on overtime costs if we have people calling off sick or have holes to fill due to attrition," he said.
Acting County Controller Tony Phillips, also a member of the prison board, listened to both sides of the issue at the meeting, but reserved judgment until the facts are further studied.
"I think the best thing to do is wait for the prison to provide the numbers and make sure we are comparing apples to apples here," Phillips said. "Let's see where the prison is getting their numbers from and then compare that to the service that Aramark will provide."
While the commissioners unanimously voted Sept. 14 to hire Aramark, the contract has not been signed.
"Nothing will be signed until the prison can show us the savings," Clausi said.
Storm evacuation
Prison board chairman Frank Sawicki praised prison officials and staff for a smooth operation in the evacuation of the prisoners during Tropical Storm Lee from Sept. 8 to 10. Sawicki said State Correctional Institution-Coal Township housed 184 male prisoners at a cost of $22,186. SCI-Muncy housed 31 female inmates at a cost of $3,844, and $4,049.05 was paid in overtime costs to employees.
No bill has been received from Catawese Coach Lines for transporting the inmates, and Sawicki said the county hopes to be reimbursed 75 to 100 percent through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.