Winnebago County board OKs sale of three county properties after online auction

The Winnebago County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution authorizing the sale of three county properties following an online auction, the board said at its meeting.

The properties offered were identified in the hearing as Sunnyside Pit (Tract 1), a county shop and salt shed in Forest City (Tracts 2 and 3), and adjacent lots described in the Rebecca A. Clark addition. An online auction produced the following high bids: Troy Thompson for Tract 1 at $430,000; Joshua Diamond for Tract 2 at $390,000; and PBV LC for Tract 3 at $85,000. The presenters said the three high bids sum to $905,000 and that, after commission, advertising and legal fees, the county should expect roughly $875,000 in proceeds — well above the county’s prior estimate of about $700,000.

During the public hearing, county staff recommended moving forward with the sale and said purchase agreements were available. The board opened the public hearing, heard no public comments, then closed the hearing and voted to approve a resolution authorizing the sale and to execute closing documents. County staff said warranty and closing details will be reviewed by Jeremy Gray, who is handling the closings, before final execution of documents.

Why it matters: County staff and supervisors said the unexpected surplus from the auction will contribute to the county’s broader budget and could support capital projects, including the county’s planned new building. The board did not set a specific appropriation during the meeting; staff discussed the proceeds in budgetary context.

Details and next steps: Supervisors agreed to sign the purchase agreements during the session. Staff asked whether the board wanted Kelsey (county staff) or county counsel to review any remaining documents; they confirmed warranty and closing review would occur before final closing. No public objections or competing claims were reported at the hearing.

The board’s approval was by voice vote at the meeting; the record shows the motion passed after the chair called for aye, but individual vote tallies by name were not specified in the transcript.

Ending: Staff will process the purchase agreements and proceed to closing once the warranty/closing review is complete. Any further administrative steps, such as transferring proceeds into the capital or building fund, would require follow-up action in subsequent meetings.