Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Surplus Property topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Harvey County tables plan to sell obsolete equipment through faith-linked auction partner pending legal review
Summary
Commissioners tabled a proposal to sell seven pieces of obsolete Road & Bridge and Noxious Weed equipment through an auction arrangement that would direct 7% of proceeds to neighborhood work run by a church-affiliated ministry, citing legal and procurement questions; staff will research and return next week.
Harvey County commissioners on Nov. 18 voted to table for one week a proposal to sell seven pieces of obsolete road and weed department equipment through an auction arrangement that would direct 7% of proceeds to neighborhood improvements led by a church-affiliated group.
Road and Bridge staff described a plan to list county equipment with Agrivision, which would mirror listings on the Auction Time platform. “Auction Time is actually...not an auction company. They're just the software platform,” auctioneer Ted Shetman said, adding that the platform reaches an international bidder pool and that listings can draw “6 point some million registered bidders.” Shetman said Agrivision's site is mirrored on Auction Time to reach those bidders.
Staff said the Agrivision arrangement would allocate 7% of auction proceeds to a ministry house project aimed at replacing dilapidated, condemned homes on West Sixth Street in Newton. Road and Bridge representatives said they view the plan as a way to keep proceeds in the local community and to remove blighted properties.
Several commissioners expressed support for the neighborhood focus but raised procurement and legal concerns. One commissioner asked staff to verify whether the auction platform produces comparable sale prices to better-known government auction services; another said the county should ensure proceeds or benefits would not be seen as a contribution to a religious organization. "...we run afoul of that, and I'm not saying that will be the case here," a commissioner said, asking staff to check whether similar arrangements have been used elsewhere and to consult legal counsel.
The board voted to table the item so staff can gather additional information on platform performance, commission mechanics, geographic equity for countywide equipment sales, and potential constitutional or procurement constraints. A motion to table was made and seconded and passed by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will report back at the next regular meeting with legal guidance and additional procurement comparisons to help the board decide whether to proceed with Agrivision/Auction Time or use a different auction vendor.
