Cleveland's controversial light deal with a China based company is dead

CLEVELAND - On the night Cleveland City Council was to approve a 10-year, multi-million dollar deal that was to make China based LED light manufacturer Sunpu Opto the city's sole supplier of LED lighting the ordinance was suddenly tabled at the request of Mayor Frank Jackson.

The mayor told NewsChannel5 he requested the ordinance be killed after it was brought to his attention that when he announced, during his State of the City address March 4, that the deal was being finalized, they were still seeking information from other potential companies.

"After I realized that that was the case," Mayor Jackson said. "That I've drawn that conclusion in the middle of the process then I believe that in that respect the process was flawed."

Many on council objected to the way the no-bid deal was awarded.  Sunpu Opto in exchange for the contract was to make Cleveland its North American home and eventually employ up to 350 people in Cleveland.

The mayor said he plans to move forward on a new deal, but he will open up the process with very specific requirements.

"Technology that is advanced, that will reduce our energy consumption and our light bill and that will create jobs and investments in the City of Cleveland and help to grow our economy for the future," Jackson said.

"And anybody who can meet those specifications is who we going to do deal with," he said.