In the first Council meeting of 2024, Muncie’s elected officials were scrambling to get documents prepared at the last minute. The meeting was filled with gaffes and moments of errors for the new makeup of the council, who spoke over motions made by its members and led to many moments of confusion. Nora Powell said to the Post-Democrat: “I would like to see a little more control, a little more relying on Robert’s Rules of Orders of true parliamentary procedure to then control the meeting.”
The council only voted for their council president (Jerry Dishman), vice president (Nora Powell), reading secretary (Sara Gullion), council attorney (Dan Gibson), along with reappointing Andrew Popp for Muncie EDIT Building Corporation. Appointments delayed for next month’s meeting include the Redevelopment Commission, Muncie Industrial Loan Fund, and Unsafe Building Authority.
Resolution 17-23, which was tabled for a second time in the previous meeting, was motioned to be taken off the table by Ro Selvey and immediately followed with public comment. The only way for the council itself to discuss it was after it was officially taken off the table by a 5-3 vote. After a tumultuous discussion, namely passionate comments from Ro Selvey, Harold Mason Jr. motioned to once again table the discussion. But although Democrats have a 6-3 majority, Brandon Garrett was absent and Jerry Dishman voted opposite of his party. The vote was 4-4 at which point Dan Gibson asked to make amends to the resolution to then have it voted on.
In frustration from the emotions and errors in the meeting, Democrats voted with Republicans to pass the amended resolution. Republican Dale Basham said the answers to their questions had been answered in a 340-page study given to council members. Dale Basham told the Post-Democrat “much of the assessment dealt with options and the resolution included the BOT. The resolution was clear to me, the report was what made it even clearer. And the amendments offered by council made it I think more agreeable to everyone.”
Although Sara Gullion said that the language in the resolution was different from what was in the study. According to Nora Powell: “Dale Basham read something that’s the study just saying what we all agree. We all agree that we need those fire stations, that’s what that study said. The study had no bearing on how we were going to fund those things. And unfortunately when you’re the fiscal body, that’s what your responsible for.” Powell also said that she never received the study to begin with, requesting a copy from Dan Ridenour but claims she never saw it.