Akron councilmember seeks review and plan for streetlight outages

Akron Ward 4 Councilmember Jan Davis is asking a city council committee to review streetlight outages and is seeking a written corrective-action plan from FirstEnergy’s Ohio Edison. The requests would also involve city administration and regular updates to council, but they have not been adopted as a city plan and do not require the utility to make repairs.

Signal Akron reported on Oct. 15, 2026, that Davis emailed city officials and fellow councilmembers. The email was addressed to Public Service, Public Utilities and Green Committee Chair Donnie Kammer and Vice Chair Brad McKitrick. Signal Akron did not say when Davis sent it.

Six requests for review and follow-up

Davis’s reported email listed six proposed steps:

• Have the committee conduct a formal review of streetlight outages at an upcoming meeting.
• Invite FirstEnergy executives and operations representatives to discuss outages, repair delays and possible corrective steps.
• Ask FirstEnergy to assess widespread outages, including dark blocks or neighborhoods, and how long they have remained unresolved.
• Request a written corrective-action plan with repair priorities, timelines and measurable progress.
• Ask city administration to advocate for a resolution and coordinate with FirstEnergy and council.
• Set up regular council updates on open complaints, completed repairs and expected resolution dates.

Davis said residents had raised safety concerns about dark streets. Kammer described outages as a persistent issue he heard about on council and said some residents had complained for more than a year. Signal Akron attributed to Davis the statement that Kammer and McKitrick agreed with her; it did not independently quote McKitrick.

Most Akron streetlights are maintained by Ohio Edison, a FirstEnergy company. The requests seek a more formal way to assess and track problems, but they do not establish a repair schedule, funding or a utility obligation. Signal Akron did not quantify the number of affected lights or neighborhoods.

Existing reporting channels remain available

Residents can report streetlight problems through Akron 311 or Ohio Edison. Signal Akron listed Ohio Edison’s reporting number as 1-888-544-4877. FirstEnergy says people can report a streetlight problem with or without a FirstEnergy account.

A separate neighborhood meeting was scheduled for Oct. 20, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at Canyon Trail Park. Ward 1 Councilmember Fran Wilson and the Canyon Trail Park Collective organized the meeting, and neighbors, the City Service Department and FirstEnergy were involved. Signal Akron did not describe it as a formal decision point on Davis’s requests.