By Conrad Dudderar
Associate Editor
EL RENO – Canadian County Commissioners have rejected the only bid received for the sale of vacant land near the county’s juvenile justice facility on E Highway 66.
Youth & Family Services submitted an $80,000 bid for the four-acre tract immediately north of its Donald W. Reynolds Caring Center, 7565 E Hwy 66.
After determining the land was surplus, Canadian County Commissioners recently accepted a $100,000 appraisal of the public property.
During their weekly meeting Nov. 6, they voted 3-0 to reject Youth & Family Services’ $80,000 bid at the recommendation of Assistant District Attorney Tommy Humphries.
“The point of selling real property and getting that appraisal is you all have to sell it for market (value),” Humphries advised commissioners.
Under state statute, commissioners must go through the process a second time by advertising again for bids on the four-acre tract.
“If there are no successful bids, then you can consider selling below market,” Humphries added. “I would reject today.”
A new agenda item to solicit bids is expected to be considered at an upcoming commissioners’ meeting.
Youth & Family Services had contacted Canadian County leaders to see if they’d be interested in selling the property – which the Gary E. Miller Canadian County Children’s Justice Center likely would never occupy, according to County Commission Chairman Dave Anderson.
“There are steps laid out in statute that we have to follow,” Chairman Anderson explained.
Commissioners again must advertise for bids over a period of two weeks.
Youth & Family Services Executive Director John Schneider indicated he believed the bid had to be at least 80% of the market value – which would be $80,000.
“We’ll just touch base, and we’ll figure out a way to move forward,” Schneider told county officials.
Youth & Family Services provides temporary and emergency shelter to abused and homeless youth.
THIS AND THAT …
Among other business at their Nov. 6th meeting, Canadian County Commissioners approved:
- An agreement with Elevation Land Surveying to survey county-owned property that includes two ponds in Mustang’s Lakehoma Addition. The dam has a spillway pipe that’s causing erosion on adjacent private property. The survey, which will cost $900, will identify where the property points are in a tract of land the county acquired in the ‘70s. This will determine whether the private property owner or the county is responsible for repairs.
- A contract with Atlas Paving to replace the Canadian County Assessor’s Office parking lot at N Choctaw and Highway 81. The company was awarded a $201,997 bid to install a new asphalt surface.
- A change order from construction manager Lingo Construction Services for the Canadian County Health Department renovation project on Highway 66. County health officials and comfortable investing additional funds to provide a more efficient use of space.
- A change order for additional plumbing repairs on corroded pipes in a wall at the Canadian County Children’s Justice Center.
- Designation of Sarah Ward and Sabrina Buller as requisitioning officers and Barbara Dawson and Deanna Cash as receiving officers for the Canadian County Treasurer’s Office.
Undersheriff Kevin Ward on Nov. 6 presented the weekly Canadian County Jail report for the sheriff’s office.
The update showed 202 inmates in custody, with 166 prisoners housed at the El Reno detention center and 36 others being held in contracted counties.
The total count is down 16 from last week as 54 prisoners await transfer to state Department of Corrections (DOC) custody.
