MUNCIE, Ind. — In an astonishing Muncie City Council meeting held last night, the Republican majority council took a turn of direction on three major issues. After recent uproar over public comment restrictions made by newly-appointed Council President Jeff Green, and an ordinance filed for a third time seeking to prevent council signatures from being forged on action items, both issues came to an end. Additionally, a resolution putting Muncie into an interlocal agreement for a municipal drone base was tabled by a 6-3 vote.

At the January meeting, just after Jeff Green was appointed as council’s new president, he announced six new changes for public comment including limits to how long members of the public can speak for, restricting the public from speaking when ordinances are up for introduction, and not allowing members of the public to sign up to speak after the meeting starts. The list also included a requirement for speakers to state their home address, which was reversed by Green at the February meeting.

Close to 20 people at the February meeting spoke against the rule changes, and at the beginning of the March meeting Green said the following: “[I] would like to make a comment concerning the structure of the council meetings. The way that we had been doing things we’re gonna change it again tonight, going back to the old former format. Public comment will be at the end of the meeting, three minutes will be given to each person. Do want you to know that Belinda [Munson] has asked that the list that Ro [Selvey] has for those who will be speaking, your name will be included into the minutes of the meeting. So I want you to know that.”

Following his decision was Ordinance 6-26, an agenda item with a history going back several months. The ordinance originated from a forged signature made by Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour’s executive assistant, Shareen Wagley, and revises city code to ensure future agenda items are filed by members of council. It was first introduced as Ord. 10-25 in November and voted down at the same meeting, however was refiled in January. While introduced unanimously at the January meeting, Councilor Ro Selvey asked at the February meeting to amend the ordinance to additionally require the city controller give a signature to all future ordinances and resolutions alongside a council sponsor and council attorney.

At that meeting a near hour-and-a-half discussion included four different amendments, various debate on the ambiguous language of “and” or “or” being used, questions over council’s ability to act autonomously with the added change, and a recess called by Green. After Ro Selvey’s first amendment to the ordinance passed, council voted down the amended ordinance 7-2. Shortly after that meeting the ordinance was refiled by Councilor Nora Powell as Ord. 6-26.