“She did talk to us over a year ago, but things change in a year’s time, and that was my concern. ... Things change so rapidly,” Coleman said, adding that he didn’t know prior to Tuesday that a vote would be held to close the jail.

Councilwoman Treska Wilson-Smith, who also voted against closing the jail, said that she, like Coleman, objected to the procedure used at the council meeting.

“Once the motion was given and seconded I stated, ‘It is very wrong for us to take such a vote or to even discuss this without having the department head present. She deserves to be here and speak on behalf of this discussion. We are very wrong in our actions.’ ”

Councilman Mike Ross also voted against shutting down the jail.

Pritchett said he never considered alerting Crawford of his plans.

“No. I didn’t think about calling her,” he said. “It just didn’t occur to me to call her because I didn’t think of anything she might have added that she hadn’t added over the last several years.”

Crawford said Thursday that no one from the city’s administration contacted her before the vote or since then.