Salem
Top issues
The five most-discussed unresolved issues, ranked by recorded discussion time (a measure of importance and contention), then by how many meetings they came up in.
| Issue5 | Status | Board | Minutes | Meetings | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reasonable Accommodations Administrative Review | ongoing | City Council | 0 | 3 | Nov 9, 2026 |
| Salem Skipper Ride Share Contract | ongoing | City Council | 0 | 3 | Nov 9, 2026 |
| City Seal Reconsideration | open | City Council | 0 | 3 | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Data Centers Zoning Ordinance | open | City Council | 0 | 3 | Oct 27, 2026 |
| Public Camping Ordinance Amendments | held in committee | Public Health Safety and Environment Committee | 0 | 3 | Oct 14, 2026 |
Issues on upcoming agendas
Issues linked from the meetings scheduled in the next 10 days.
| Issue3 | Status | Board | Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motorized Bikes and Off-Road Vehicles Regulation | open | City Council | |
| Reasonable Accommodations Administrative Review | ongoing | City Council | |
| Salem Skipper Ride Share Contract | ongoing | City Council |
Recent updates
Issues with new information found in the last 7 days, newest first.
| Issue5 | Status | Board | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin Street Harborlight Housing and Shelter | open | Planning Board | Nov 9, 2026 |
| Motorized Bikes and Off-Road Vehicles Regulation | open | City Council | Nov 9, 2026 |
| Reasonable Accommodations Administrative Review | ongoing | City Council | Nov 9, 2026 |
| Salem Skipper Ride Share Contract | ongoing | City Council | Nov 9, 2026 |
| Short-Term Rental Excise Home Rule Petition | open | City Council | Nov 9, 2026 |
Upcoming meetings
| Meeting9 | Board | Date | Time | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-12 - Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds | Board of Commissioners of Trust Funds | Nov 12, 2026 | 4:00 PM | - |
| 2026-11-12 - Administration and Finance Committee | Administration and Finance Committee | Nov 12, 2026 | 6:00 PM | - |
| 2026-11-12 - City Council | City Council | Nov 12, 2026 | 7:00 PM | - |
| 2026-11-13 - Registrars of Voters | Registrars of Voters | Nov 13, 2026 | 5:05 PM | - |
| 2026-11-16 - Ordinances Licenses and Legal Affairs Committee | Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs Committee | Nov 16, 2026 | 6:00 PM | - |
| 2026-11-17 - Ordinances Licenses and Legal Affairs Committee | Ordinances, Licenses and Legal Affairs Committee | Nov 17, 2026 | 6:00 PM | - |
| 2026-11-18 - Historical Commission | Historical Commission | Nov 18, 2026 | 6:00 PM | - |
| 2026-11-19 - Public Health Safety and Environment Committee | Public Health, Safety and Environment Committee | Nov 19, 2026 | 6:00 PM | - |
| 2026-12-03 - Administration and Finance Committee | Administration and Finance Committee | Dec 3, 2026 | 6:00 PM | - |
Recent meetings
One page per meeting, summarizing every record we have of it (agenda, minutes, video and transcript).
| Meeting15 | Board | Type | Minutes | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-10 - Beautification Committee | Beautification Committee | committee meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-10 - Board of Health | Board of Health | regular meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-10 - Cemetery Commission | Cemetery Commission | regular meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-10 - Community Preservation Committee | Community Preservation Committee | committee meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-10 - Salem Human Rights Coalition | Salem Human Rights Coalition | regular meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-09 - Committee of the Whole | Committee of the Whole | committee meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-09 - Licensing Board | Licensing Board | regular meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-09 - School Committee | School Committee | regular meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-05 - Housing Authority Special Board | Salem Housing Authority Board | special meeting | https://www.salemma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_11052026-8494 | none found |
| 2026-11-05 - Planning Board | Planning Board | regular meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-05 - Race Equity Commission | Race Equity Commission | regular meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-05 - Zoning Board of Appeals Special Meeting | Zoning Board of Appeals | special meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-04 - Bicycling and Shared Path Advisory Committee | Bicycling and Shared Path Advisory Committee | committee meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-04 - Historical Commission | Historical Commission | regular meeting | not yet posted | none found |
| 2026-11-04 - Salem Redevelopment Authority | Salem Redevelopment Authority | regular meeting (cancelled) | not yet posted | none found |
Issues with near term decisions
| Issue14 | Board | Last updated | People | Minutes | Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Seal Reconsideration | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Data Centers Zoning Ordinance | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Margin Street Harborlight Housing and Shelter | Planning Board | Nov 9, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Short-Term Rental Excise Home Rule Petition | City Council | Nov 9, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dodge Street Temporary Traffic Ordinance | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Parking Standards Zoning Amendment | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Motorized Bikes and Off-Road Vehicles Regulation | City Council | Nov 9, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Single Room Occupancy Housing Ordinance | Licensing Board | Nov 2, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Horace Mann School Decarbonization Funding | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Light Shield Ordinance | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Outdoor Dining Winter Waivers | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| State Homelessness and Mental Health Responsibility Resolution | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Temporary Surveillance Cameras for Haunted Happenings | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unattended Property Ordinance Amendment | City Council | Oct 27, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Long running topics
| Issue6 | Board | Last updated | People | Minutes | Meetings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reasonable Accommodations Administrative Review | City Council | Nov 9, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Salem Skipper Ride Share Contract | City Council | Nov 9, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Gas-Powered Leaf Blower Ordinance | City Council | Sep 24, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Hazard Mitigation Plan Update | City Council | Sep 24, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Living Wage Requirement Ordinance Amendment | City Council | Sep 24, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Noise Control Ordinance | City Council | Sep 24, 2026 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
No actions pending
Nothing right now.
Completed
Nothing right now.
Sources
Where the data comes from
- City/town website: https://www.salemma.gov
- Agendas and minutes: https://www.salemma.gov/AgendaCenter (also https://ma-salem.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter); about 50 bodies are listed, and minutes appear after approval
- City Council page: https://www.salemma.gov/780/City-Council ; 2026 Government Card: https://www.salemma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8612/2026-Government-Card-PDF
- Meeting video: YouTube channel Salem Access TV - Government, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyqW3FUQ_K4iWtWh1QmSuUg . Captions are YouTube auto-captions.
Data quality notes
- Video found so far covers only the City Council and its committees; no School Committee, Planning Board or Zoning Board video source was found.
- Committee chairs and the Planning Board chair are not confirmed.