MUNCIE, Ind. — After HB 1167 was passed in 2023, requiring local agencies to livestream and archive all public meetings, Muncie will be complying with Indiana’s law now that it’s taken into effect July 1. Prior to this month, meetings that were not livestreamed included the Police Merit Commission, Fire Merit Commission, Human Rights Commission, and the Unsafe Housing Hearing Authority Commission. For many of the boards, agendas and minutes are not continually updated online through City Hall.

Though the upcoming Police Merit Commission meeting, being held July 17 at 6:00pm, will not be livestreamed. While a Fire Merit Commission meeting and Unsafe Housing Authority meeting were both livestreamed last week, this meeting will not be held in City Hall’s auditorium due to an AV person not being hired yet, according to one source.

There have been concerns at City Hall over having additional meetings recorded. Starting last December when the Muncie Ethics Commission was established, discussions were had regarding whether it was in the city budget to have an AV technician record meetings for the new commission. Dan Gibson, Attorney for City Council, offered a portion of his salary temporarily to have the Ethics meetings recorded while appropriations were being made.

Mayor Ridenour serves as one of the members of the Unsafe Building Hearing Authority Board, and at the first livestreamed meeting last Thursday he was heard saying one of the residents who approached the board “drives me nuts.” Local political commentator Kristopher Bilbrey uploaded the incident online.