Supervisors approve sealed bids for surplus road equipment including historic Oliver disc

The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors approved use of a sealed‑bid process to sell surplus secondary roads equipment, including two single-axle trucks, a Ford tractor, a brush chipper and an Oliver disc that has sat by the engineer’s building for years. County Engineer Laura Sievers recommended sealed bids, saying local interest already exists and that the county could accept bids below reserve or decline if reserves are not met. Supervisor Dietrich moved approval and Supervisor Nelson seconded; the motion carried 4-0.

Sievers said the county found the items are either being replaced or are no longer needed and that sealed bids could avoid auction platform fees. She proposed opening sealed bids publicly at 10:00 a.m. on the Monday before a board meeting so the board could review results at the next meeting. Supervisors discussed reserve prices and local interest. One supervisor noted the Oliver disc’s local history and said residents may miss the landmark if it is moved.

The board approved the sealed‑bid process; staff said they will manage advertising, set reserves based on market research and handle the public opening of bids in the engineer’s office. The board did not set final reserve‑acceptance rules beyond the option to accept or reject bids once opened.