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Parma council objects to FirstEnergy request for longer outages, cites multi‑day blackouts and risks to residents
Summary
At its Feb. 2 meeting, Parma City Council unanimously adopted Resolution 12‑26 urging the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to reject FirstEnergy’s request to allow longer or more frequent outages, citing repeated multi‑day outages, spoiled food, and risks to residents relying on medical devices.
Parma City Council on Feb. 2 adopted a resolution opposing FirstEnergy’s request to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio to allow longer or more frequent power outages, citing repeated service interruptions that council members said have harmed residents.
Councilwoman Debbie Lyman introduced Resolution 12‑26 and recounted multiple outages in her ward, including one she described as lasting three days: "Last summer, when I had a power outage for more than 3 days, I kid you not, I had 375 messages…because the power was out from Snow Road to Brook Park Road," she said. Lyman asked colleagues to reject FirstEnergy’s filing with PUCO and to consider the real harms to residents, including spoiled food and people who rely on electricity for medical devices.
Several councilmembers backed the resolution. "We would join … letters urging PUCO to reject this," said Councilman Kussmaul, citing bipartisan concern in the state legislature. Councilman (last name Davis as recorded) described residents having to seek alternate locations to power oxygen tanks and said constituents were forced to discard food after prolonged outages. Another councilmember said transformers had exploded in backyards and reported property damage he attributed to reliability problems.
The resolution frames the filing as unacceptable for Parma residents and cites concerns about public safety and economic harm. Council members reported meetings with FirstEnergy representatives and engineers and described company efforts such as tree trimming and circuit changes but said outages persist.
After discussion, the council adopted the resolution by roll call. The measure directs the city to communicate its objection to PUCO ahead of a hearing scheduled Feb. 26, 2026. No city action to authorize damages or compensation was specified in the resolution as adopted; councilmembers urged that residents be considered in PUCO’s review.
What happens next: The city’s resolution is a formal statement for the PUCO record and is timed before the Feb. 26 hearing on the utility’s request. The resolution asks regulators to refuse the proposed allowance for increased outage durations and documents local reports of extended interruptions and safety concerns.
