Utilities Committee, November 12, 2026

Cleveland City Council Utilities Committee meeting, November 12, 2026: The committee considered Ordinance 1171-2026, a proposed Cleveland Public Power (CPP) rate increase for 2027–2029. The administration said the increase would provide an average of approximately $6 million in additional annual revenue to meet operating and infrastructure costs and help support an approximately $30 million bond for substation and feeder investments identified in CPP’s five-year capital plan. Officials warned that without additional revenue, CPP could need to reduce overtime, defer material and equipment orders, limit outside support during major events, and constrain hiring. The committee approved the ordinance by roll call, with the exact tally unclear in the transcript, and advanced it to Finance; the chair said it would next be considered Monday. The Mayor’s name was to be added to the legislation.

Discussion focused on recurring outages, aging equipment, and the need for a more detailed long-term infrastructure and strategic plan before future rate requests. Members also discussed vegetation management, which CPP described as costing roughly $2 million annually across in-house and contracted work; a proposed $3 monthly vegetation-management surcharge was raised but no motion on it was recorded. Officials cited rising costs, tariffs, and extended lead times for equipment such as transformers. No contract award or vendor selection was identified.