Residents press council for long‑term fix to persistent sewer odor

A Newport resident told the City Council that an intermittent but persistent sewer odor has affected her neighborhood for about three and a half years and urged the city to seek a permanent fix. Carol Darling, identified as a Newport resident, described the smell as ‘‘toxic to the community’’ and said it affects people at local parks and ballfields depending on wind direction. She told the council she had repeatedly complained without a lasting solution and said residents had been told there was no money for a fix. Mayor Rick Alford Chase and council members acknowledged the complaint and said staff would research the matter and report back. The mayor said he is aware of the problem and that the city would take a deeper look to identify the cause and potential remedies. The exchange matters to residents near the affected area because the odor is an ongoing quality‑of‑life concern and appears in public comments as a long‑standing infrastructure issue. No detailed engineering findings or concrete remediation plans were presented to the council that night. Council members asked staff to investigate the source and return with findings; no timeline for the follow‑up was specified on the record.