Section 721.15. Disposition of property unneeded, obsolete or unfit for municipal purposes

(A) Personal property not needed for municipal purposes, the estimated value of which is less than one thousand dollars, may be sold by the board or officer having supervision or management of that property. If the estimated value of that property is one thousand dollars or more, it shall be sold only when authorized by an ordinance of the legislative authority of the municipal corporation and approved by the board, officer, or director having supervision or management of that property. When so authorized, the board, officer, or director shall make a written contract with the highest and best bidder after advertisement for not less than two nor more than four consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation within the municipal corporation or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code, or with a board of county commissioners upon such lawful terms as are agreed upon, as provided by division (B)(1) of section 721.27 of the Revised Code.

(B) When the legislative authority finds, by resolution, that the municipal corporation has vehicles, equipment, or machinery which is obsolete, or is not needed or is unfit for public use, that the municipal corporation has need of other vehicles, equipment, or machinery of the same type, and that it will be in the best interest of the municipal corporation that the sale of obsolete, unneeded, or unfit vehicles, equipment, or machinery be made simultaneously with the purchase of the new vehicles, equipment, or machinery of the same type, the legislative authority may offer to sell, or authorize a board, officer, or director of the municipal corporation having supervision or management of the property to offer to sell, those vehicles, equipment, or machinery and to have the selling price credited against the purchase price of other vehicles, equipment, or machinery and to consummate the sale and purchase by a single contract with the lowest and best bidder to be determined by subtracting from the selling price of the vehicles, equipment, or machinery to be purchased by the municipal corporation the purchase price offered for the municipally-owned vehicles, equipment, or machinery. When the legislative authority or the authorized board, officer, or director of a municipal corporation advertises for bids for the sale of new vehicles, equipment, or machinery to the municipal corporation, they may include in the same advertisement a notice of willingness to accept bids for the purchase of municipally-owned vehicles, equipment, or machinery which is obsolete, or is not needed or is unfit for public use, and to have the amount of those bids subtracted from the selling price as a means of determining the lowest and best bidder.

(C) If the legislative authority of the municipal corporation determines that municipal personal property is not needed for public use, or is obsolete or unfit for the use for which it was acquired, and that the property has no value, the legislative authority may discard or salvage that property.

(D) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in division (A) or (B) of this section and regardless of the property's value, the legislative authority of a municipal corporation may sell personal property, including motor vehicles acquired for the use of municipal officers and departments, and road machinery, equipment, tools, or supplies, which is not needed for public use, or is obsolete or unfit for the use for which it was acquired, by internet auction. The legislative authority shall adopt, during each calendar year, a resolution expressing its intent to sell that property by internet auction. The resolution shall include a description of how the auctions will be conducted and shall specify the number of days for bidding on the property, which shall be no less than ten days, including Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. The resolution shall indicate whether the municipal corporation will conduct the auction or the legislative authority will contract with a representative to conduct the auction and shall establish the general terms and conditions of sale. If a representative is known when the resolution is adopted, the resolution shall provide contact information such as the representative's name, address, and telephone number.

After adoption of the resolution, the legislative authority shall publish, in a newspaper of general circulation in the municipal corporation or as provided in section 7.16 of the Revised Code, notice of its intent to sell unneeded, obsolete, or unfit municipal personal property by internet auction. The notice shall include a summary of the information provided in the resolution and shall be published twice. The second notice shall be published not less than ten nor more than twenty days after the previous notice. A similar notice also shall be posted continually throughout the calendar year in a conspicuous place in the offices of the village clerk or city auditor, and the legislative authority . If the municipal corporation maintains a web site on the internet, the notice shall be posted continually throughout the calendar year at that web site.

When the property is to be sold by internet auction, the legislative authority or its representative may establish a minimum price that will be accepted for specific items and may establish any other terms and conditions for the particular sale, including requirements for pick-up or delivery, method of payment, and sales tax. This type of information shall be provided on the internet at the time of the auction and may be provided before that time upon request after the terms and conditions have been determined by the legislative authority or its representative.

Amended by 129th General AssemblyFile No.28, HB 153, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2011.

Amended by 128th General AssemblyFile No.9, HB 1, §101.01, eff. 10/16/2009.

Effective Date: 01-25-2002; 11-05-2004; 04-27-2005