Council adopts inclusion and small-business resolutions; public raises code-enforcement and crisis-center concerns

MUNCIE, Ind. — The Muncie Common Council on March 3 adopted a resolution affirming the city’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and took up a student-drafted resolution asking the council to encourage promotion and relief measures for small businesses. The meeting also included public comments asking for more active code enforcement in older neighborhoods and for clarity on the city crisis center’s operations.

Resolution 4-25, affirming Muncie as an inclusive community, was sponsored and debated briefly and adopted by roll call. Several residents and council members offered statements in support; speakers included Charlize Jamieson, who urged the council to explicitly use the words "diversity, equity and inclusion," and Council Member Selby, who shared her personal immigrant experience in support.

Resolution 5-25 — presented by a group of Muncie Central AP government students and their teacher Julie Snyder — encouraged the city to create a small-business committee and consider actions such as coordinated discount days, expanded promotion of free parking, and more opportunities for tax-abatement applications aimed at small businesses. The students described a survey of about 115 community responses and asked the council to consider establishing a liaison committee among local business support organizations. The council discussed the survey methodology and asked the students to provide the full results for council review; the resolution was adopted by roll call.

During public comment, Granville Neighborhood Association vice president Ralph Pivot asked the council to strengthen enforcement of codes related to parking and yard use in older residential neighborhoods. He said heavy commercial trailers, boats and other vehicles are being stored in front yards and causing property damage. Council members said they would follow up with the building commissioner and code-enforcement staff to review specific complaints.

Neighbor and resident Audie Barber raised budget concerns about public-safety raises earlier in the meeting and later reiterated fears about a possible local income-tax increase if city revenues are insufficient; a county commissioner and other council members discussed the timing and potential scale of state-level property-tax changes.

Resident Jim Filbre asked for clarity about the city’s crisis center. Communications Director Amber Green told the council the center has been open for about a month and, at Meridian Health’s request, is currently taking clients only by police referral as the operator is conducting a slow rollout of services. Council members said they would follow up with the mayor’s office and Meridian to provide more public information about hours and services.

What the council did

- Adopted Resolution 4-25 affirming Muncie as inclusive. - Adopted Resolution 5-25 endorsing measures to support and promote small businesses; students were asked to provide survey results to the council. - Council members committed to follow up with the building commissioner on code-enforcement complaints in the Granville neighborhood and to get an update on the crisis center rollout timeline.

Why it matters

The inclusion resolution is a formal statement of municipal values. The student-led small-business resolution proposes concrete steps the city could take to support local merchants and asks city leaders to form a collaborative committee to better connect small businesses with city resources. Public comments flagged operational gaps — code enforcement and crisis-center access — that the council said it would investigate further.