Mayor Ron Littlefield said last week that Chattanooga needs to continue moving forward to get some buildings certified as “green” or it could mean being left behind.

“If it weren’t a good thing, I don’t think private industry would be doing it,” Mr. Littlefield said.

Because of the cost, some City Council members balked at getting green certification for a new fire hall at Enterprise South. The credential for being “a green building” involves obtaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification through the U.S. Green Council.

Despite the concerns, the council voted 6-3 almost two weeks ago for Campbell & Associates to perform the LEED certification on the new fire hall. The firm also is the designer of the building, which is estimated to cost about $2.7 million.

Councilman Peter Murphy and Councilwomen Carol Berz and Deborah Scott all voted against the certification process, saying the $20,800 cost of the certification is too high.

Mr. Murphy said last week he didn’t know if the timing was right for LEED certification because of the economy.

“Was it worth $20,000 for a piece of paper?” Mr. Murphy said. “I know for a fact you can get LEED after (construction is) done.”

Council members said making the fire halls environmentally sensitive from the start makes sense because in the long run it could save taxpayers money.

The buildings would be more efficient by saving money on electricity and water usage, Mr. Murphy said. The problem is paying $20,800 for the certification, he said.

“The piece of paper is the issue,” he said.

Paul Page, the city’s director of general services, said the cost of certification for the city’s other building going through LEED certification — Outdoor Chattanooga — ran $6,800. The reason for the price discrepancy is the size of the Outdoor Chattanooga building, he said.

“It’s a smaller building,” Mr. Page said.

COUNCIL CONCERNS

During last Tuesday night’s council meeting, Councilman Andraé McGary announced that green/spaces, a local nonprofit organization that champions green construction, would pay the $20,800 for LEED certification.

Jeff Cannon, director of green/spaces, said last week that the money is part of $100,000 originally committed to the city for certification and construction of the Outdoor Chattanooga building in Coolidge Park.

“It’s what we do,” he said. “It’s a natural fit.”

But Mrs. Scott and Dr. Berz said they had concerns that the same company hired to build the facility would be doing the certification. They said it should be conducted by an outside third party.

Campbell & Associates officials said last week that the U.S. Green Council allows the same company to build and conduct LEED certification on a building because one department of the company will do the certification while another does the design.

Mrs. Scott said she had some other problems with the certification process. During the council meeting two weeks ago, she made the statement that it was like “buying a medal and pinning it on yourself.”

She said she certainly was not sold on what looked like a duplication of services.

“We should not be paying one engineering firm to check the work of another engineering firm,” she said.

The benefit of LEED certification is that it makes sure the “green” process is followed and that the building is indeed environmentally friendly, Mr. Cannon said.

“It guarantees the results a taxpayer would want for a city-funded building,” he said.

All three council members who voted against the fire hall’s LEED certification said last week they believe the city should be building in an environmentally sensitive manner.

“There’s not a doubt in my mind we should go for LEED certification,” Dr. Berz said.

Mr. Littlefield argued private industries such as the new Volkswagen plant and the new BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee complex on Cameron Hill were getting LEED certification. He said the city plans to get certifications for two fire halls proposed in Cummings Cove and Hixson.

The city’s green efforts also are extending Chattanooga’s name beyond its borders, he said.

“It’s getting us publicity outside Chattanooga,” he said. “If we could go back and do it again, I’d have City Hall LEED certified.”