A Hamilton County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Chattanooga lighting company that charged the city and EPB conspired to block implementation of a new energy-efficient street lighting system because it threatened EPB’s telecommunications model.
Circuit Court Judge J.B. Bennett ruled that the lawsuit as originally filed and later amended by Global Green Lighting (GGL) and its owner, Don Lepard, was not based upon appropriate claims against a municipality and public officials. But Bennett gave the plaintiffs 30 days to submit a new lawsuit and told GGL attorney Buddy Presley to meet with city and EPB officials to discuss the dispute and to help ensure any other lawsuits that Lepard might file would be properly entered for court consideration.
Global Green Lighting supplied thousands of energy-efficient streetlights in Chattanooga under a contract negotiated by former Mayor Ron Littlefield. But Mayor Andy Berke, who was elected in 2013 to succeed Littlefield, initially limited the GGL contract four years ago and then terminated it altogether last year when the city and EPB said too many of the lights failed to work as promised and the cost of the streetlighting program was more than what Berke wanted to spend.
Lepard said he sought to correct faults with the lights and radio controls when he was under contract with the city even though some of the failures were due to installation problems by EPB subcontractors.
The GGL founder insists his LED lighting system is more energy efficient and offers control capabilities that would help the city adjust its lighting and better fight crime.