No one from Dunkirk attended a recent meeting held in the city on the homeless problem in the area, and Councilman Frank Torain has expressed displeasure about it.

Torain questioned Mayor Kate Wdowiasz in the Common Council about the lack of city representation at the meeting, held at SUNY Fredonia’s “incubator” on Central Avenue. The meeting featured various local officials and law enforcers discussing ways to combat homelessness in the area.

“I was invited to that, as was (recently retired Police) Chief (Chris) Witkowski. I had a prior engagement, they rescheduled this meeting twice and I was not able to attend,” Wdowiasz replied.

The mayor added, “My position was, they were offering no solutions. I didn’t see where it would be beneficial for us to sit in on a meeting where it seemed like a floor walk for everybody. Sorry.”

Torain said that if similar meetings happen in the future, he would like to join them, “even if it seems fruitless.”

He commented further, “When you see the optics, you see nobody there (from the city of Dunkirk). The optics look terrible.”

Wdowiasz said State Senator George Borrello sent out invitations for the homelessness meeting, and she had no control over it. Torain told her that the next time she has a conversation with Borrello, she should let the senator know that he wants in on future discussions about local homelessness.

Torain concluded, “This is getting old, fast.”