Officials deactivate electricity to cabaret

By Elise Franco

The owner of an Austintown business has not followed proper safety procedures, fire officials said.

AUSTINTOWN — Power to the Go Go Cabaret was shut off after township fire officials discovered electricity to the attached hotel had been restored without permission.

Fire Chief Andy Frost Jr. said it was reported Wednesday to the department that lights were on inside Economy Inn on Clarkins Drive. The hotel is connected to the cabaret but is not operational.

Electric lines inside the building had been deemed unsafe by the fire department and fire inspector after two fires last year — in June and December.

Frost said the power was shut off after the fire in December, and Michael Patel, owner of the hotel, is required to submit renovation and safety plans to the fire department and go through an inspection by the Central Electric Inspection of Youngstown before Ohio Edison would be allowed to restore electricity.

“An order was issued to have that building inspected by the county electrical inspector and approved by me,” he said.

Frost said this process never took place.

Lt. Rick Milliron, fire inspector, said the process to reinstate electricity is in place for good reason, and the owner of the business should have complied.

“Submitting paperwork and architectural drawings is so we know what’s going on when we go in to do our inspection,” he said.

Patel was not available to comment Friday afternoon.

Frost said the power disconnection is not personal, and right now the hotel is unsafe.

“We’re not picking on them, but they didn’t do what they were supposed to,” he said. “There are defective electrical units in there.”

He said power was disconnected again Thursday to both the hotel and the cabaret. The cabaret is leased and not under the same ownership as the hotel, but its power is run through the hotel’s main power lines.

Sebastian Rucci, attorney for the cabaret owner, Robert Neill, said he’s been working with the department since Wednesday to get power restored to his client’s business.

“There’s now an agreement that’s been worked out through the fire department and prosecutor to have the electric turned on,” he said.

Frost said the cabaret has 14 days to have an independent electric source hooked up or power will once again be disconnected.

Rucci said the cabaret should have been fully operational again Friday night.

“We’re going to have our own separate meter so we’ll be independent from the hotel,” he said. “That will help avoid these types of incidents in the future.”

Rucci said the hotel’s electrical issues have impacted the cabaret enough, and he’s glad to be resolving his side of the problem.

“We appreciate the cooperation of the fire department,” he said. “Hopefully, the hotel will get themselves in line as well.”

Milliron said the department is now in talks with the prosecutor’s office to discuss the possibility of filing charges for “recharging without authorization.”

efranco@vindy.com