The Muncie Ethics Commission on June 11 reviewed items required for a city transparency portal and discussed how procurement records for purchases of $5,000 or more would be posted online.

Chair (name not specified) thanked the city clerk’s office staff for assistance and outlined the portal contents required by the ordinance: the code of ethics, a list of commission members, conflict-of-interest disclosure forms, advisory opinions if issued, complaint-related public documents for matters acted on, annual reports, and documentation verifying compliance with training requirements.

The commission discussed in detail how procurement records should be presented for different buying methods. For small, low-value purchases, the commission said the portal should include a description of the purchase, the suppliers who provided prices, the submitted prices, the selected vendor, and written justification if a vendor other than the lowest bidder was chosen. For an invitation to quote, the portal should include the list of invited suppliers, copies of all quotes received, and the executed contract with the selected supplier.

For competitively bid public-works contracts the commission said posted documents should include the public notice or invitation to bid, plans and specifications when applicable, copies of all bids received, the executed contract with the selected bidder, and any written justification for selecting a non-lowest bidder or for changes to bid requirements. For request-for-proposals procurements (typically professional services), the commission discussed posting the request for proposals, the list of recipients, all proposals received with names and dollar amounts, the successful offer and its dollar amount, and the basis for the award.

The commission identified an operational threshold: posting public documents for purchases of $5,000 or more, consistent with the ordinance language discussed. Members noted some departments (for example, the building commissioner’s office) may keep different contract formats and payment methods and will need department-specific guidance. The meeting referenced an internal procurement form (Form 96) as a common starting point for many departments.

Patty Goddard, the city’s HR director, prepared a combined training verification/conflict-of-interest report that staff plans to update quarterly and run cumulatively from Jan. 1 of the year to capture new hires and late respondents. The chair said departments and contractors should be notified in writing that bid documents and related procurement files will be posted online, and one commissioner recommended mailing affected contractors to give them an opportunity to raise concerns about specific material being posted.

No formal vote was taken. The commission directed staff to draft a memo—either from a commissioner or the city attorney’s office—specifying what departments should provide and how files should be submitted to the clerk’s office for posting. The chair said the commission would begin by posting contract documents from earlier in the year and then work to keep the portal current.