Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said Saturday he is bypassing LIPA's top managers and working directly with local substation coordinators to restore power to Suffolk County residents by Sunday night.
"We are taking matters into our own hands here," said Bellone at a 2 p.m. news conference in the parking lot at the LIPA / National Grid office in Brentwood.
He blasted the home inspection process LIPA implemented five days after the height of superstorm Sandy.
Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer also spoke about his efforts in negotiating with LIPA attorneys over restoring power to the homes south of Montauk Highway that were without serious structural damage.
Bellone also asked residents not to take their frustrations out on individual work crews trying to restore power.