Muncie parks board interviews four firms to craft five‑year master plan

The Muncie Parks and Recreation Board interviewed four consultant teams on March 17 as part of a competitive process to update the city’s five‑year parks and recreation master plan, a document that city staff said is needed to secure state and federal grant funding and to guide capital priorities.

The board heard initial pitches from Rundell Ernstberger Associates (REA), Flatland Resources, Framework Planning & Design (with USI Consultants and Zegate Insights as partners), and American StructurePoint. Each presenter described public‑engagement methods, a level‑of‑service analysis, and sample implementation projects aimed at producing an action plan with prioritized projects and estimated funding sources.

"We really pride ourselves on creating lifelong partnerships with our clients," said Cecil Penland of REA, who emphasized the firm’s experience in Muncie and the region and noted that ADA assessments and DNR review are standard elements of their process. Kyle Koger (REA) described a preliminary 12‑month schedule that targets an April 2027 final DNR submission and includes discovery, visioning, synthesis and a final report.

Framework’s David Armbruster said his team prioritizes consensus building and data‑driven engagement; partner Austin Hostetler described using statistical surveys and stakeholder workshops to differentiate community "wants" from "needs." "We really want to focus on giving you something that's actionable and implementable," Armbruster said. American StructurePoint highlighted in‑house engineering and bilingual public‑engagement options; Flatland Resources stressed local, day‑to‑day familiarity with Muncie parks.

Board members asked about subcontracting and capacity; REA responded that most work would be performed by in‑house staff and named specific team members who would lead analysis and engagement. The firms also discussed tools such as interactive GIS, open houses, event booths, and statistically valid surveys to reach a broad cross‑section of residents.

Chair said each board member will rank the four proposers and return scores by Thursday so the city engineer can negotiate a scope and fee with the top‑ranked firm. The board will announce the selection at a future meeting after contract terms are resolved.

The interview stage concludes the boards’ role in vetting qualifications; staff will carry the ranked recommendations forward to contracting and DNR submission steps.