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Residents press Rowlett council on recurring sewer odors; city schedules Jan. 26 public meeting
Summary
Residents urged the Rowlett City Council to address persistent sewer odors in Liberty Grove and other neighborhoods, criticizing temporary fixes and warning of public-health and business impacts. City staff said a consultant is engaged and announced a public meeting for Jan. 26.
Dozens of residents used the City Council public-comment period on Jan. 6 to demand faster, clearer action on recurring sewer odors affecting parts of Rowlett.
"It is a quality of life issue and a public trust issue," resident Allison Felderhof said, arguing that monitoring and temporary mitigation are insufficient and that the city should prioritize permanent fixes rather than building a municipal complex on parkland. "This is not barbecue. It's not acceptable," she said, describing raw-sewage odors that prevent residents from using yards or opening windows.
Other residents echoed those concerns and described local economic and community impacts. Gary Lovell of Grove Community Church said the smell has disrupted tenants in a newly completed building that houses a daycare and a coffee shop, noting those businesses "depend on a clean, odor-free environment." New resident Jacqueline Baselon said the odor had started to draft into her neighborhood where she had not noticed it before.
City leaders acknowledged the problem and outlined a process for further public engagement. Mayor said staff is "actively engaged with a consultant" and that the city will hold a public meeting on Monday, Jan. 26 to discuss remediation options, including chemical dosing and next steps; staff will circulate meeting details via social media. City Manager David (first name used in the meeting) and staff asked residents to submit data and described a strategic, consultant-led approach rather than ad hoc fixes.
The council did not adopt policy at the meeting but scheduled the Jan. 26 public meeting as a next step and invited residents to provide additional information by email and at that meeting.
