Scio Village Council weighs online surplus sales; creek grant denied

Mayor James Clark raised the idea of selling village items on GovDeals.com at the Jan. 14 meeting. He said village Solicitor Jack Felgenhauer had drawn up the paperwork, but added some details could change once the village obtains an account. Clark described two types of auctions on the site: a traditional auction and a sealed-bid auction.

“But we don’t have to accept the highest bid,” Clark said, adding the village would not have to accept a bid if it did not meet the village’s expectations.

Felgenhauer, answering a council member’s question, said the items would be unwanted or unneeded personal property, not real estate.

“If you do your publication twice over the 10-week period then you’re done,” Felgenhauer said. “You don’t have to do it again. And so for every single thing you have to get rid of, you just do it once.”

He said the approach would benefit the village and help save money. Clark said he would provide the draft resolution for council to review.

“GovDeals has other multiple buying options but the only ones that are legal in the state of Ohio would be the auction,” Clark said.

Felgenhauer also clarified limits on what the village could sell, noting items such as firearms or a police car would not be allowed.

“It’s nothing we’ll ever encounter as a village so, pretty much makes it a little easier,” he told council.

Clark also told council a grant he pursued to clean up the creek connecting Scio and Jewett was denied. He said he met with Harrison County Commissioner Paul Prevot and Jewett Mayor Bo Bailie about the matter, and the request for the initial creek study was presented to the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District, which denied it.

“Paul is investigating other sources for that money,” Clark said.

On trail improvements, Clark said bids received were too high and the project will go out for another round of bids.