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Residents ask city, water district for joint town hall after 'rotten-egg' odor in Summerly
Summary
Residents of the Summerly neighborhood urged the City of Lake Elsinore and the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District to convene a joint town hall and conduct testing after reports of a persistent odor described as "rotten eggs," which residents said has caused headaches and quality-of-life concerns.
Residents of the Summerly neighborhood urged the City of Lake Elsinore and the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District on Monday to hold a joint town-hall meeting and launch comprehensive testing after a persistent odor that residents described as "resembling rotten eggs" spread through the community.
Harvey Ryan, introduced by the clerk as a local director active in the neighborhood, said he spent several hours on site and fielded calls and texts about the issue. He urged coordinated action "including the city, EVMWD, the HOA, and whoever else needs to be involved," and proposed a town hall as soon as the next week so residents and agencies could share information and next steps.
"We do it together," Ryan said, urging cooperation rather than finger-pointing.
Tracy Avery, speaking on behalf of Summerly residents, told the council the odor has been "permeating the air" of the neighborhood and that "many of our residents are suffering from headaches and other medical concerns." Avery said the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District (EVMWD) has publicly characterized the problem as a city issue and asked the council to arrange a joint meeting with EVMWD for explanation and testing.
"We deserve clean, safe, and pleasant air to breathe," Avery said. "Our current situation is unacceptable. I am asking for a joint meeting. I will happily post it on all of our social media accounts so that both you and EVMWD can be present to have conversations with us."
City Manager [name not specified in the transcript] told the council the city and EVMWD are "working together to address the concerns regarding the odor in the Summerly community." He said teams are collaborating and pursuing comprehensive testing "until we find the sources, all the sources, and identify the solutions," and pledged to provide clear, transparent updates to residents.
No formal action was taken at the meeting. Council members thanked the speakers and repeatedly pledged to work with EVMWD and other partners to resolve the issue. The clerk had scheduled one-minute public comments for the first public-comment period; the city subsequently directed longer public-comment opportunities later in the agenda for other speakers.
The city manager and public commenters said the agencies are exploring causes and solutions; the council did not set a specific date for the town hall during the meeting.
