An engineer affiliated with the red light camera industry last month was banned from working in the state of North Carolina. The North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS) suspended the license of Robert F. Rennebaum over the actions he took on behalf of American Traffic Solutions (ATS, now known as Verra Mobility).

"You were notified the board had sufficient evidence which supports a charge of gross negligence, incompetence or misconduct," NCBELS executive director Andrew L. Ritter wrote in a December 5 letter to Rennebaum. "You were further advised that failure to comply with the decision and order would result in the suspension of the certificate of licensure..."

The board in 2018 had found ATS practiced engineering without a license, contrary to state law, by failing to conduct proper engineering studies before installing red light cameras in a number of North Carolina cities. Greenville tried to remedy the deficiency with its engineering surveys by hiring Rennebaum, a professional engineer licensed in North Carolina, to retroactively certify the camera plans. Retroactive certification is not allowed, because an engineer can only attach his seal to work performed under his direct control.

The board investigated the incident and in May fined Rennebaum $5000. The board also ordered him to attend an ethics course. Rennebaum ignored these directives, triggering the latest disciplinary action. Rennebaum, president of the Florida-based civil engineering firm Simmons and White, still lists his North Carolina professional engineering license on his online resume. The firm's website also lists American Traffic Solutions as one of its clients, despite the misconduct.

ATS/Verra Mobility is not alone when it comes to practicing engineering without a license. NCBELs caught Redflex Traffic Systems of Australia using unqualified individuals to perform work on red light camera installations in 2007. Last year, the state of Colorado issued a cease and desist order against Redflex for the same offense. In 2016, Texas cited an ATS engineer for misconduct related to a red light camera survey.

A copy of the license suspension is available in a 100k PDF file at the source link below.