CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - One Cleveland neighborhood and thousands of power customers have experienced four power outages in just the last two weeks.
Calling it a matter of public health and safety, Cleveland City Councilman Michael Polensek, who represents Ward 8 and the Collinwood Neighborhood, says Cleveland Public Power and the city need to figure out what's wrong with Collinwood's power grid.
"When it's so frigid cold and when people don't have power, it's of great concern," Polensek said.
For now, the lights are back on in the Collinwood neighborhood.
But last Friday was the fourth time in two weeks that Collinwood and thousands of CPP customers were without power.
"This is of great concern because when it goes out, especially in the Lakeshore Boulevard area with these senior high rises and thousands of residents, they have no elevators.," said Councilman Polensek. "So they're virtually trapped in their building."
Councilman Polensek tells 19 News the Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission and the Director of Public Utilities for the city has scheduled a special meeting on Monday to try and figure out what's causing all the issues with Collinwood's power grid.
"Now we know parts of it go back to 1910 that's the reality. So when you look at all the electrical devices we have in our houses today, the grid is just old, and it needs to be upgraded," Councilman Polensek said.
What's interesting is that the power problem doesn't appear to be just brought on by heavy wind, rain, and storms.
"Like yesterday the weather wasn't bad, the day before the weather wasn't bad and it went out -- so no it wasn't caused by storms," said Councilman Polensek.
Councilman Polnsek also says he's asking Cleveland Public Power to have human beings not answering machines answering the public's calls when the power is out.
He says it's important to let residents know the issue is being addressed and give them some sort of idea when the power will be back on.