Des Moines County to seek realtor proposals to market three vacant lots and a recycling‑center property

Des Moines County officials at a work session agreed to prepare a request for proposals asking local real estate firms to list three vacant lots and a parcel that houses a can‑recycling business, county staff said. The board directed staff to return a draft RFP for approval next week and asked proposers to include an estimated market value and supporting market-analysis materials.

The discussion focused on whether to sell the properties via auction or by hiring a realtor. A county staff member explained that auctions create a legal presumption of fair market value, but if the county uses a realtor it must document that any accepted offer falls within fair market value. "In order to establish who would get that listing, we would wanna do a request for proposal of services," the staff member said, describing both informal (notice to three local firms plus an online posting) and formal solicitation options.

Board members described three vacant lots in the same neighborhood and a separate parcel with a recycling center. Todd Seifert said the county had a 2023 appraisal for some nearby addresses and that a local business owner who previously examined the recycling property indicated he "got the feeling $60,000 would be the most that he would consider to buy that," giving the board a rough market reference. County GIS/assessor records shown during the meeting listed full value of about $7,100 for each of the three empty lots; staff noted assessed values can differ materially from what a buyer is willing to pay.

Members agreed the RFP should require proposers to supply an estimated market value or market-analysis report (comparables) and to describe their marketing plan, commission rate, proposed listing term (e.g., six months or one year), and relevant experience in Burlington or Des Moines County. Board discussion covered evaluation criteria such as commission and marketing commitments, number of showings, and local experience; one member suggested a reputation or qualifications component in the scoring packet in addition to price-related items.

On next steps, staff said they would prepare an RFP packet and post it on the county website and to the local Board of Realtors distribution list. The board settled on a roughly one‑month response window for proposers; the county will document outreach to at least three real estate firms and bring the RFP back for consideration at the next meeting. A board member confirmed that the parcels had originally been purchased with donations for Hope Haven and that, because title is held by the county, the county intends to sell the property and donate the proceeds back to Hope Haven consistent with donors' original intent.

There was no formal vote recorded at the work session; the board directed staff to draft the RFP and return it for action at the next meeting.