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Muncie board approves $1.58 million in claims, including $570,141.68 payment for Fire Station 6
Summary
The Muncie Board of Public Works and Safety on May 14 approved claims totaling $1,582,522 that included a $570,141.68 payment to GM Development for construction of Fire Station Number 6 and payments related to milling machine updates; board members questioned attorney-fee billing and cold-patch line items.
MUNCIE, Ind. — The Muncie Board of Public Works and Safety on May 14 approved the register of claims totaling $1,582,522, including a $570,141.68 payment to GM Development for construction of Fire Station Number 6, City Controller Craig Wright said.
The claims approval also covered the board’s routine payment to Indiana Michigan Power for traffic signals and street lights and payments to Southeastern Equipment from the local road and street fund for updates to the city’s milling machine, Wright said. Items for cold patch on the register included entries of $76,000 and $4,000 tied to milling-machine work, according to the board discussion.
The register drew board questions about legal billing. Jerry Weiss, a board member, asked why certain attorney fees appeared on the register instead of being covered by the monthly retainer. Craig Wright, Muncie city controller, explained the city pays a regular retainer for general legal services and that additional attorney fees shown on the claims reflect work billed to specific departments or tasks that go beyond the retainer. "Sometimes the attorney fees go beyond what the extra things that go beyond what the retainer holds," Wright said.
The board briefly commented on construction progress at the new fire station. The board president (name not specified) said, "Fire Station 6 is going up really nice, isn't it? ... Really cool." Ted Baker, a board member, and other members joined the approval without recorded opposition.
Board members approved the May 7 meeting minutes before taking up the claims. The motion to approve the register of claims passed after members voted "aye"; no recorded votes against or abstentions were noted in the public meeting audio.
The meeting included no formal assignments or referrals related to the attorney-fee questions; Wright characterized the additional legal charges as department-specific billing rather than an error or policy change. The board adjourned with no further substantive business recorded.
