Surplus items to be sold on first-come-first-serve basis

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The Seward County Commissioners have solidified how the county will sell its surplus equipment.

Following the completion of the Seward County Justice Center and the subsequent shuffling of offices, there was an increase in surplus office equipment like desks, chairs and filing cabinets.

During the board’s Nov. 14 meeting, the commissioners voted to sell the surplus items on a first-come-first-serve basis with the county clerk’s office facilitating the sales.

Previously, the board had discussed holding an auction for the items or donating them.

But after reviewing the county’s surplus property policy, Commissioner Whitney Fleischman said the board could assign values to the items in order to sell them to the public.

This would avoid costs associated with moving the equipment or hiring an auctioneer.

However, Fleischman was concerned about conducting the first-come-first-serve sale because she was unsure who would set the items’ values or how much the items are worth. She also said it would not be fair to make the clerk’s office negotiate with potential buyers.

“I don’t want to sit there and be in some negotiating authority when I’m just trying to get rid of garbage,” Fleischman said.

County Clerk Sherry Schweitzer said she and Fleischman have already made lists of the surplus items, and that values could be assigned that cover all items. For example, all chairs would be the same price.

Board Chairperson Roger Glawatz said the prices do not have to be set high because the point of the sale is to save the county from hauling the items away.

Deputy County Attorney Joe Dalton said money from the sales will go back to the county.

Some items are in the courthouse and some are currently in a storage roll-off at the West Wing, which costs the county $140/month, according to Fleischman.