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Resident criticizes council transparency and asks for update on East Center Street trailer court
Summary
During public comment, Dylan McGinnis told the council he and neighbors have not received promised updates about a trailer court on East Center Street, accused Alderman Whelan of making an inappropriate comment and urged greater openness from city officials.
A Salem resident used the public‑comment period to press the council for clearer, more consistent information about enforcement at a trailer court on East Center Street and to criticize council behavior.
"It's been almost two months, and they haven't hardly done anything," Dylan McGinnis said, referring to the property's owner and city follow‑up after a prior discussion. McGinnis said Alderman Letchworth had told residents the owner would begin work within about 30 days, but that little visible action followed. He said residents rely on the council for transparency and that social‑media posts do not substitute for formal updates at meetings.
McGinnis also told Alderman Whelan he found an earlier comment — described during the meeting as a remark about "when you get old and... wanting to still be able to spread hate" — to be inappropriate. He said that council members sometimes speak informally when cameras are off but are quiet during meetings, and he asked for more open communication.
The mayor thanked McGinnis for his comments; council members did not offer substantive immediate updates on the East Center Street property during the public‑comment period.
