Villa Park council asks SCE and CPUC to fix frequent safety shutoffs, adds language on three‑month disruption and residents’ social‑emotional harm

The Villa Park City Council voted unanimously to send a formal letter to Southern California Edison (SCE) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) requesting changes to how SCE implements Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) and asking for clearer communications, more accurate outage mapping, and coordination with local public‑safety and water agencies.

Councilmembers said the council’s aim was to put the utility and regulator on notice about the cumulative impact of multiple, recent outages on Villa Park residents. Councilmember Crystal Miles led edits to the staff draft; the council directed staff to change a draft sentence that said outages occurred over six months to an accurate statement documenting that most outages occurred in the prior three months and to add wording noting the social, emotional and psychological impacts on residents and families (for example, stress, isolation and anxiety when power and communications are lost).

Public speakers described repeated outages in Villa Park, inconsistent outage maps, difficulty reaching meaningful SCE customer service answers, and worries about vulnerable households (older adults, medically dependent residents) and school impacts. A representative of an affected neighborhood group said Villa Park’s circuit had been de‑energized repeatedly and urged the city to press SCE for technical explanations and priority work to modernize or protect the lines serving the city.

The council’s approved text asks SCE and the CPUC to:

- explain the engineering rationale for repeated PSPS events that affect Villa Park while nearby circuits remain energized; - provide accurate, timely outage maps and clearer notice to residents and city staff; - prioritize infrastructure work (including covered conductors or other targeted mitigation) on circuits that repeatedly trigger PSPS events; and - coordinate with OCFA, the Orange County Water District and other local agencies to address vegetation and fuel management along recognized corridors such as the Smith Basin/Santiago Creek corridor.

Council members also arranged a follow‑up: SCE has agreed to appear at the council’s February meeting, and staff will schedule a public town hall with SCE and county partners so residents can ask technical questions directly.

Vote: The motion to send the Council letter with the three‑month timing correction and explicit language about residents’ social‑emotional hardship passed 5‑0.