Muncie board approves 2025 demolition awards, requires contractors to attest to city ethics ordinance

The Muncie Board of Public Works and Safety approved awards for the city’s 2025 demolition program at its Aug. 27 meeting and required each contractor to attest that their company complies with the city’s ethics ordinance.

Courtney Walker, representing the building commissioner’s office, told the board that bids were tallied and the city planned to award most work to the lowest qualified bidders. "We're going with the lowest bids, of course," Walker said, noting some contracts had already been pulled from the list because of special requirements or because property owners had addressed problems themselves.

The board voted to award dozens of individual demolition contracts spanning properties across Muncie. Walker read the list aloud; awardees named in the transcript included Shroyer (Shroyer) Solutions (appearing as "Shroyer Solutions" or variants), Stein Builders, Yarberry and others. Examples read into the record included 215 South Grant, 3348 (amounts not all specified), 615 North Jefferson (listed at 1,881), 1719 South Pershing (6,881), 425 West Charles (12,750 awarded to Stein Builders) and 524 West Main (5,181 awarded to Shroyer Solutions). Walker told the board that some items were pulled because the building department or community development would rebid them due to special demolition and fill requirements.

Board member Linda (surname not provided) moved approval of the listed contract awards with the ethics-attestation stipulation; the motion was seconded and the board voted to carry the motion. After the vote the presiding official said, "Contracts will be signed, ready to go for you."

Why it matters: The awards authorize contractors to demolish multiple properties as part of the city's 2025 demolition program and place an ethical-compliance condition on each awardee, which the board said should reduce the risk of conflicts or violations tied to city projects. Walker also flagged procurement timing issues: one bidder's submissions were rejected because they arrived after the bid deadline.

Votes at a glance - Approval of Aug. 20 meeting minutes — Motion to approve made and seconded; vote: unanimous, motion carried. - Approval of register of claims — City Controller Craig Wright highlighted several large payments, including roughly $68,000 to EMB Paving for Petty Road resurfacing and $1,168,815.02 to GM Development Company for Fire Station No. 6 construction; the board approved the register by voice vote. - Approval of residential handicap parking space for Stacy Short at 1216 South Elm Street — Motion made, seconded and approved. - 2025 demolition contract awards — Motion by Linda (surname not provided) to approve awards as listed, with the stipulation that each awardee attest to compliance with the city ethics ordinance; motion seconded and carried.

Clarifying details and procurement notes: Walker told the board that all bids were due Aug. 8 and that late bids submitted after that date could not be accepted; she cited one bidder whose submissions arrived after Aug. 8 and were therefore disqualified. The building commissioner’s office also pulled several properties from the awards list because community development must handle special demolition or fill requirements, or because owners had already remedied issues on their properties.

Other business at the meeting included routine approvals of minutes and claims and the single residential handicap-parking approval. Board members asked for an internal check to ensure that, before packets are distributed, procurement staff verify timely receipt of bids to avoid reading long lists of bids that will not be accepted.

The board adjourned after the contract approvals and routine business.