Dearborn County approves notice to sell Aurora property on Westside Drive

The Dearborn County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 4 approved a motion to publish a public notice for the sale of county-owned real property on Westside Drive in Aurora and directed staff to run the notice in the local paper on Nov. 13 and Nov. 20.

County staff member Andy told the board he prepared a draft notice using the assessor’s brief legal description and parcel numbers but said the county will need a full legal description — likely from a surveyor — before executing any deed or quitclaim. Andy said Farm Service Administration is the leaseholder of the building that shares occupancy, and staff will coordinate internally to confirm the precise description and parcel paperwork.

During the discussion, staff clarified bid handling procedures. Bids will be submitted to the county office identified in the notice; staff said they will date- and time-stamp submissions and keep them in a folder until opening. Commissioner comments confirmed bids would be received and opened according to the process outlined in the notice; the board did not specify an exact opening protocol beyond standard receipt and notation.

A commissioner moved to approve the notice; another seconded, and the board recorded ayes on a voice vote. The motion instructed staff — including Sue and Connie — to send the approved notice to the newspaper to run on Nov. 13 and Nov. 20. Staff also said they will work with Danny and, if necessary, the county surveyor’s office to obtain a full legal description for closing purposes.

The board did not provide a final deadline for bid receipt in the public discussion that was recorded, and the transcript shows staff momentarily debated the start date for receiving bids; that detail was left for staff follow-up. The transcript contains no vote tally by name; the motion was adopted by voice vote.