Corona council approves declaring small properties surplus; staff says they will go to competitive bid after state review

The Corona City Council voted unanimously May 6 to declare a set of small residential parcels as exempt surplus and authorized staff to move forward with the process that will put the properties up for competitive sale once the state confirms the exemptions.

During public comment, resident Joe Morgan said he supported selling the properties but accused the city of a pattern of favoritism: "I am 100% sick of the insider baseball deal that's going on here," he said, urging the council to post surplus listings widely and not favor "friends and family." Mayor Jackie Casillas acknowledged the comment and called on staff for a response.

A city staff member identified in the meeting as Belden explained the required steps: "Once we clear the state process, the plan is just to put them out to competitive bid," he said, adding that the state will evaluate the property sizes and confirm the city's compliance with surplus‑property rules before the city posts sale notices. He said the city aims to recover the investment it made in acquiring the properties and to solicit the "highest and best offer" from interested buyers.

Council members moved and seconded the resolution on item 6.5; the council then voted 5‑0 to adopt the resolutions, with the city noting the state review is the next procedural step before public advertisements and sale.

The action does not specify buyer selection criteria beyond the competitive bid process; staff said sale notices and bidding procedures will follow state guidance once the exemption is cleared.