Kenner resident Ryan Nugent told the City Council on Jan. 24 that the city’s lighting supply list used in municipal solicitations is so outdated and error-prone that it effectively prevents competitive bids.

Nugent, who said his background includes architecture and lighting, gave specific examples: he said a fixture used in Chateau Estates appears to be marked up more than 270 percent on the city’s list (he cited a GE representative’s estimate of about $1,700 per fixture versus a city contract price of $4,595), multiple item-specification codes are indecipherable or duplicated, and many entries reference out-of-production high-pressure sodium fixtures.

“If this one supply list is this much of a disaster, what does that mean for the other non-lighting related supply lists the city uses?” Nugent asked, arguing that the errors make it impractical for any vendor other than the incumbent to prepare a responsive bid without substantial follow-up from the city.

Nugent said he had offered the city free consultations with lighting experts but that those offers had not been accepted. He told the council the situation imposes a cost on taxpayers because it reduces procurement competition.

Councilmembers did not take action at the meeting but Nugent said he had delivered documentation to staff and remains available to assist in reviewing the specification list.