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Residents urge council to fix chronic Cleveland Public Power outages; utilities chair urged to act
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Summary
Multiple residents and neighborhood advocates told Cleveland City Council that repeated CPP outages — some lasting more than a day — have caused health risks, ruined appliances and imposed costs, and they demanded infrastructure fixes, accountability and compensation.
Multiple residents told Cleveland City Council on April 13 that chronic electricity outages from Cleveland Public Power (CPP) are causing health risks, ruined appliances and steep personal costs, and they urged the council’s utilities oversight committee to secure repairs and compensation.
The most detailed public testimony came from Greg Wheeler of Ward 9, who said CPP outages this spring included a 15‑hour event over Good Friday that spilled into Saturday, several multi‑day interruptions and shorter fluctuations that damaged appliances and forced families to check into hotels. "Money is wasted, food is lost, and appliances are ruined, and we have nobody to hold accountable," Wheeler said.
Why it matters: Council members heard consistent accounts from Glenville and other neighborhoods that CPP’s infrastructure is unreliable and that outages have medical and economic consequences for residents. Speakers called not only for repairs but for direct remedies, including reimbursement for damaged appliances and clearer plans from the utilities committee.
Several commenters tied the outages to policy and leadership questions. LaDonna Wheeler said some outages lasted 12–48 hours and called a prior apology from a councilmember ‘‘half hearted’’ and racially tinged; she demanded faster infrastructure upgrades and asked, "Where's my money?" after describing replacement of a refrigerator and dryer. Sabrina Otis and other residents asked whether CPP customers would receive compensation comparable to settlements paid by investor‑owned utilities following outages.
Council response and next steps: Councilman Michael Polensek, Councilman Christopher Harsh and other members acknowledged the testimony during announcements and committee reports. In public comments and later remarks, councilmembers committed to continued hearings and to asking city staff for more information on contracts, funding options and whether any short‑term customer relief is possible. No formal directive to spend or reallocate funds was adopted at the meeting.
What remained unresolved: Residents pressed for concrete timelines, dollar estimates for repairs or customer reimbursement and clarity about who will lead implementation. The utilities committee chair and council members signaled further discussion; the transcript does not record any formal motion directing staff to issue a compensation plan at this meeting.
The council adjourned with utilities issues flagged for follow‑up; no vote or binding action related to CPP infrastructure was taken on April 13.
