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Sayreville council adopts resolution pressing BPU and JCP&L over outages, streetlight problems
Summary
The Sayreville Mayor and Council voted to approve a resolution calling on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and Jersey Central Power & Light to address repeated power outages and nonworking streetlights after residents described safety problems and unresponsive service.
Sayreville Mayor Kennedy O'Brien and the borough council on an April 2025 regular meeting approved a resolution asking the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L) to address chronic power outages and persistent streetlight outages across the borough.
The resolution, identified in public comments as 2025-95, came after multiple residents described frequent outages and dark streets that they said posed safety risks. Jim Robinson, a Parlin resident, told the council that he has repeatedly reported outages and streetlights that remain dark “for quite a while,” and said the borough pays JCP&L substantial monthly sums for service. “I noted on the bill list that the borough is paying JCP and L $62,000 this month,” Robinson said.
The resolution’s passage followed extended public comment in which residents urged the council to press state regulators and the utility for better responsiveness and clearer information about outage counts and repair timelines. Ken Ostrzewski, a Sayreville resident, said he has experienced numerous outages in the past three years and urged the council to obtain outage records from JCP&L and to request the utility send representatives to meet with residents.
Borough officials and callers at the meeting said they had pursued multiple routes of complaint, including contacting BPU during its public hearings. Councilmembers placed the resolution on the consent agenda; the council voted to close the public hearing and approve the consent agenda by roll call. The roll call recorded councilmembers voting yes: Roberts, Balcom, Khaleesi, Novak, Sunarski and Zabrowski.
The resolution and public comment cited several local impacts, including streetlights out in Laurel Park and a cluster of outages along Journey Mill Road and other areas residents described as recurring trouble spots. Residents also reported delays in connecting large development projects to power and problems completing planned solar installations pending utility action.
Council members said staff would work with the borough attorney to prepare any further action, including a written resolution or additional communications to state and legislative representatives. At the meeting, a council member said the attorney will prepare written language for a future meeting about charging back for streetlights that are not functioning.
The resolution does not itself compel JCP&L to act; it directs the borough’s elected officials and staff to press regulators and request information and meetings. The council did not set a specific follow-up deadline in the motion recorded at the meeting.
The council approved the consent agenda that included the resolution and several other items; staff and councilmembers said they will continue outreach to BPU and legislative offices and consider additional written steps if outages and dark streetlights persist.
