Council member wants to move Akron streetlight outage issues out of the dark

Ward 4 residents are calling City Council Member Jan Davis in tears because their streets are pitch black at night. 

After years of complaints about streetlights not working across Akron neighborhoods, Davis wrote a letter to city officials and several fellow council members requesting an actionable plan to fix the city’s streetlights, which are maintained by FirstEnergy’s Ohio Edison.

“We’re moving too slow here,” Davis said. “When it comes to people’s safety, then you have to move expeditiously.”

Davis included a list of requests in the letter that starts with the city’s Public Service, Public Utilities and Green Committee taking an active role. It also asks that the City of Akron administration help to establish a timeline on when things would be fixed.

Other requests Davis included are that:

• A formal committee review by the Public Service, Public Utilities and Green Committee at an upcoming meeting.
• Appropriate FirstEnergy executives and operations representatives be invited to appear before the committee to address the ongoing outages, explain the delays in repairs and identify the steps necessary to correct the problems.
• FirstEnergy provides an assessment of widespread streetlight outages, particularly those affecting entire blocks and neighborhoods. This would include the length of time the outages have remained unresolved.
• FirstEnergy develops and provides a documented corrective action plan with specific timelines, repair priorities and measurable progress toward restoring street lighting.
• The City of Akron administration actively advocate for the resolution of these concerns and work collaboratively with FirstEnergy and City Council to ensure that residents receive the attention and services they deserve.
• That a process be established for regular updates to City Council regarding outstanding streetlight complaints, completed repairs and anticipated resolution dates.

The email, which Davis shared on Facebook, is addressed to Ward 7 Council Member Donnie Kammer and Ward 6’s Brad McKitrick, who are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the Public Service, Public Utilities and Green Committee. 

Kammer and McKitrick both agreed with her about the streetlight issue, Davis said. 

Kammer told Signal Akron that streetlight outages are one of the more persistent issues he has heard about while on council, with some residents complaining about them for more than a year. 

A neighborhood meeting on streetlight outages will be held Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 5:30 p.m. at Canyon Trail Park in Akron’s Merriman Hills neighborhood. Fran Wilson, Ward 1 City Council member and Canyon Trail Park Collective are organizing the meeting between neighbors, City Service Dept., and FirstEnergy. Attendees are encouraged to bring a lawn chair and a notebook.

Davis also copied Akron City Council President Margo Somerville, Mayor Shammas Malik, Director of Public Service Chris Ludle and Director of Neighborhood Assistance Eufrancia Lash on the email. 

Signal Akron reached out to Ludle, the city’s public service director, but he was not immediately available for comment. 

What can I do if my streetlight doesn’t work?

You can:

• Call the City of Akron’s 311 line by dialing 311 or calling 330-375-2311 Monday through Friday. Or, report the outage using the 311 online submission form at AkronOhio.gov/311
• Submit a request online via Akron CitySourced or through the mobile app.
• Call FirstEnergy / Ohio Edison, the utility provider for street lights at 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) and say “streetlight” after the automated greeting.
• Text “OUT” to 544487 (LIGHTS) if your mobile phone is the number associated with your FirstEnergy account.
• Go to the FirstEnergy website.

When you report, you’ll need to have the following information available:

• Your name and phone number
• Exact address or location of the streetlight that’s out (nearest house number, business address or cross street)
• Utility pole number (usually stamped or tagged on the pole)
• Description of the problem (e.g., light is completely off at night, stays on during the day, flickering or damaged pole/fixture)

What are some of the causes of Akron’s streetlight outages?

Most of the city’s streetlights are maintained by Ohio Edison, one of FirstEnergy’s companies. It provides the city with a lower-than-average electric rate for streetlights through the Efficiency Safety Incentive Program (ESIP).

During the June 12 Ward 6 meeting, Akron Utilities Coordinator Joe Kunzler told residents that streetlight outages are caused by many things, including:

• Limited control because of the agreement with Ohio Edison.
• Slow and expensive conversion to LED lights, which currently cost the city more both from a hardware standpoint (LEDs cost more up front but use less energy over time) and because it is paying a favorable low rate in an energy program (ESIP) that will go away with new lights.
• An increase in thefts in the last several years. Kunzler said LED lights are on black/silver-colored, steel/metal/fiberglass light poles and have wire running underground feeding them electricity. Thieves are stealing the underground wire. The city is working to catch thieves, including installing video cameras. Also, Kunzler said that lights are being left on to curb thefts.
• Line cuts due to construction digging because of fiber network installations for high-speed internet, lead pipe service replacements and water and sewer repairs. When backhoes dig into the ground for such projects, lines powering lights can be disrupted. The city will require projects to run their work through any underground conduits, if available, to try to limit disruption to nearby lines.
• Rodents chew on underground wire. For example, Kunzler said, city workers recently  found a dead squirrel near a light pole and believe the squirrel shorted out the pole.
• Mechanical issues and older infrastructure that, on hot days, cause the light poles to lose power because a new or bigger transformer is needed for the area.
• Tree roots can damage underground wires, Kunzler said. Lights on wooden light poles with aerial electrical lines are more reliable.
• Careless drivers and accidents that involve light poles, especially in roundabouts, can be a cause of outages.  

Why doesn’t the city change over to lower-cost LED lighting?

The lower rate through the ESIP program would not be available to Akron if it switches to LED lighting. 

Completely switching to LED lighting, city officials told Signal Akron, would increase Akron’s annual energy costs by more than $800,000. 

City officials explained that while LEDs consume about 40 percent less energy and need less maintenance over time, replacing entire fixtures can be expensive. 

At the same time, the city is dealing with higher maintenance costs.

Only about 10 percent of Akron’s streetlights have been converted to LED so far. The city stated that they have concentrated these upgrades in historic business districts — sometimes referred to as “Great Streets” — and alongside major road projects such as those on Main Street between Cedar and Perkins, East Exchange near the University of Akron, and Romig Road. For lights owned by Ohio Edison, repairs are made based on resident complaints.

At this time, there is no citywide timeline for a full LED transition, according to city officials.