February 16, 2023
More than 4,000 Streetlights out across New Orleans
All Star Electric owed nearly $2 million in past due payments
Across the highways and neighborhood streets of New Orleans, numerous streets are dark due to inadequate maintenance in recent years – raising concerns over quality of life and safety.
The WDSU NBC I-Team investigated the widespread outages in the Crecent City which, for at least many months, has been falling short of its goal to have 98% of streetlights operational. City statistics reveal that among over 50,000 streetlights, more than 6,000 were out last fall. That number has recently been reduced to “just over 4,000.”
More than $4 million is reportedly being spent to repair lights on the interstate and across the city in 2023. The news report revealed that only one qualified contractor, All Star Electric, bid the project and was awarded the contract. WDSU’s Travers Mackel sat down with Sarah McLaughlin Porteous, Director of the city’s Department of Public Works, who explained a desire to have more qualified responses to city projects when they are out for bid.
New Orleans City Council member, Joe Giarrusso, told the I-Team that he has concerns that All Star Electric will walk off the job due to $1.8 million of unreconciled back pay, possibly leaving New Orleans with no other immediate options to get the work done this year. The report cites no promised timeline for the city to catchup with past due payments, but All Star Electric has reportedly not made any threats of walking off the job.
See the entire I-Team report in the video embedded above.
