Bledsoe still plans jail project lawsuit
By Ben Benton
Chattanooga Times Free Press
PIKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Bledsoe County has not yet filed a lawsuit against Crossville, Tenn., architect J. Mark Rodgers over the county’s justice center project.
There are no known delays, and the county will sue, officials said last week.
Mr. Rodgers withdrew from the jail project in October citing “a hostile environment” in a letter to the county mayor’s office. Officials said in November that the county would sue to recoup part of the about $250,000 paid to the firm.
“There’s no conflict to be resolved. He resigned in the middle of the project,” County Mayor Gregg Ridley said. He would not say how much the county will seek to recover.
“He left the project before the work was completed that he’d been paid for,” Mr. Ridley said.
He said he was unaware of any problems filing the suit.
Last Monday, Mr. Rodgers said he’s heard nothing from county officials since he withdrew from the project, but he’s still open to resuming work. “If they want to follow contractual guidelines, we’re happy to finish that project for them,” he said.
The architect contends the contract calls for disputes to be settled through mediation and arbitration, not court action.
The relationship between Mr. Rodgers and the county grew troubled after bids earlier this year doubled original estimates of about $5 million for a new jail. Commissioners studied variations ranging from 60- to 120-bed facilities with that price tag in mind, officials said.
The county spent about $250,000 this year on site preparation, road building and measures to protect the work from winter weather, officials said.
County Attorney Howard Upchurch said in November that he planned to file the suit that month, but Circuit or Chancery court officials said last week they had nothing on record. A person at Mr. Upchurch’s office said he was working out of town and could not be reached.
There’s was nothing to do but wait to see how the county proceeds, Mr. Rodgers said.
Until then, “we go on with our lives,” he said.
Copyright 2008 Chattanooga Publishing Company