Commissioners accept low bids for five repository properties in Elwood City and Pulaski Township

The Lawrence County Board of Commissioners on Aug. 5 approved bids for five repository properties that the county tax-claim office had placed for sale. Resolution 221 approved a $500 bid from Lane Wardai for a parcel on Lawrence Avenue in the borough of Elwood City (property ID 11-063800). The board noted Elwood City council had voted to accept the bid on June 16; the Wilmington Area School District had not responded within the 60-day review period and the county deemed the school nonresponse an approval per the county’s repository rules. Resolutions 222–225 approved four $500 bids from CBBR Heritage Hills LLC (submitted by Dustin Kercher) on four Pulaski Township parcels (IDs 29-903103, 29-903729, 29-900568, 29-902420). Commissioners said Wilmington Area School District approved these June 24 and Pulaski Township officials did not submit a response within the statutory review window; the county therefore moved to accept the bids and return the parcels to the tax rolls. Each resolution passed on motion and unanimous roll call. Commissioners voting yes, as recorded in the roll calls, were Commissioner Saenato, Commissioner Kennedy and Commissioner Vogler. The board discussed that when a bid is placed on repository property the three taxing bodies (municipality, school district and county) must approve; if any of the three denies a bid, it is denied. The tax-claim office had solicited bids and forwarded the offers to the taxing bodies, and the county considered nonresponse after 60 days as deemed approval. Ending: The accepted bids are subject to the statutory repository process that includes municipal and school-district review; the board voted to approve the five low bids and instructed county staff to proceed with the sale paperwork to return the properties to the tax rolls.