Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Real Estate Disposition topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council asks staff to obtain cost estimate from EDC for McGinnis property disposition after rescinding sealed‑bid directive
Summary
After debate over sealed bid vs. auction and questions about vendor fees, council rescinded an initial motion to create a sealed‑bid packet and instead authorized staff to seek a cost estimate from the Lancaster EDC for drafting and promoting a sealed‑bid sale of the McGinnis property.
Council debated whether to sell the McGinnis property by sealed bid or public auction and whether to contract the Lancaster EDC to draft the packet and market the property. Early in the discussion the council approved a motion to create a sealed‑bid packet but later rescinded that motion after members said they lacked cost estimates.
Councilperson 4 highlighted the uncertainty of third‑party costs: "We need to know what those costs are, because if those costs come back and are so great, we may not wanna go that route," she said. Members discussed typical fees the EDC had proposed (up to $2,000 monthly for drafting and a percentage of sale) and possible commission scenarios if developers or brokers are involved.
After rescinding the initial directive, the council approved a motion to instruct staff to obtain an estimate of services and fees from the Lancaster EDC for creating a sealed‑bid packet and promoting the disposition of the McGinnis property. That estimate will inform a later vote on the sale method and any contract.
Council members also discussed timing and options to have the borough draft the packet and have the EDC provide a market "sniff test" or promotional help. The council asked staff to return with cost information and a draft contract before moving forward with sealed bids or an auction.
