Saline County authorizes sale process for former Brookville Fire Station

After the new Brookville Fire Station reached substantial completion, Saline County commissioners authorized staff to offer the former Brookville Fire Station for sale through a sealed bid process.

Deputy County Administrator Hannah Bet said the county took possession of the new station on Thursday and the former fire station at 122 East Aitenderson in Brookville will be vacated. Staff presented the board with photographs and a recommendation to advertise the property for sealed bids because state statute requires formal sale procedures for county real property valued above $50,000.

The property is described in the packet as roughly 1,300 square feet and constructed around 1970 (staff noted a discrepancy with the Brookville Fire District, which thought the building dated to 1960). The property’s book value in county records was reported as $50,100.

Bet said bids will be accepted through Friday, Oct. 10, with a commission award scheduled for the Oct. 21 meeting and public notice of sale to be published once a week for three consecutive weeks; the fire district will pay the notice costs. The alternatives presented to commissioners were to approve the sale process, decline to sell, or provide additional direction.

One commissioner asked whether county equipment (for example, a motor grader) could be stored at the vacated building; staff said the county and the fire district arranged to park the motor grader at the new fire station, but images suggest the old building is too small to house large equipment. The board approved the request (RFA 2025-128) by motion and second and the chair announced the motion carried by voice vote.

Staff will publish the notice, accept sealed bids through Oct. 10 and return to the commission for award on Oct. 21.