The facilities manager, in consultation with the fleet services manager, IT manager and PW property manager, will develop a management plan outlining the criteria for the determination of surplus property. The management plan will be initially approved by the board of county commissioners through resolution although modifications to the plan will be approved through memorandum.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
All county surplus personal property with an estimated value of $5,000 or greater shall be managed by the board and by the elected and appointive officers therein, and held, used, leased, transferred, licensed and sold pursuant to this title and the laws of the state of Washington.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
Each county department and official shall promptly advise the board when any personal property with an estimated value of $5,000 or greater is surplus to its needs, and the board shall thereafter determine if the property is surplus.
(1) 
To declare personal property as surplus, the board shall find that no other county department has a need for the property; conversely, and upon finding such a need, the board shall transfer control of the property to that department at such value as is required by law.
(2) 
Upon board findings that the personal property is surplus, the board shall evaluate and select one of the following dispositions as most advantageous to the county: (a) trade-in for similarly valued property that meets current or future needs of the county; (b) lease or sell by either public auction, private consignment auction that is open to the public, or by sealed bid to a nongovernmental entity or to private individuals; (c) transfer, sell, or lease to another governmental entity; or (d) donate to a qualifying nonprofit organization, as defined in this chapter.
(3) 
Upon a determination that personal property with a value of $5,000 or greater is surplus, the board shall appraise the property and establish an estimate of the market value by appropriate means and exercise its best judgment to make a good faith determination as to the value or lack of value of the property.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
The board shall consolidate and aggregate all personal property for disposal as described in LCC § 3.30.270 on the quarter-year or as often as is practicable, except (1) where the cost of administering, storing and transporting the property to a central public sale exceeds the fair market value of the property, or (2) when an emergency is declared by the board. The aggregate value of the property to be disposed of shall determine the method of disposition under this chapter as being the most advantageous to the county.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
If the board determines that a sale of the county surplus personal property with a value of $5,000 or greater is most advantageous to the county, the board shall then follow the procedures and provisions set forth below.
(1) 
The board shall advertise the sale of personal property with an estimated fair market value of $5,000 or more except as identified in subsection (4) of this section.
(2) 
The board may sell property at public sale, following publication of notice of sale in the official newspaper of the county at least once a week for two consecutive weeks. The first notice must appear not less than 10 days before the sale date. The notice shall describe the property to be sold and designate the date, time, and location of the sale or bid collection and the date and time bids will be opened.
(3) 
The board may list property for sale with a broker who deals in that kind of property, and who has all licenses required by law. Within such period of time as the board may specify, the broker shall submit to the board all written offers to purchase all or any portion of the listed property. The board may accept any offer it determines is in the best interest of the county, even if the offer does not represent the highest monetary return of the offers submitted. The board may reject all offers. Final action selling the property shall be taken at a public meeting.
(4) 
The board may sell property in a directly negotiated sale to one or more designated buyers.
(5) 
Where the board has found an emergency to exist, the board shall set forth the facts of the emergency in a resolution and provide such reasonable notice as is commensurate with the facts of the emergency for the purpose of providing the public with knowledge of the sale and to establish value. Such notice may include notification of appropriate segments of the press and telephonic communication with a potential purchaser.
(6) 
No notice shall be required for sale to a governmental agency or if traded in upon purchase of a like article.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
All sales of county surplus personal property with an estimated value of $5,000 or more shall be made at public sale with the following exceptions:
(1) 
The board may dispose of or lease county surplus personal property to another governmental agency and may acquire property for the county from another governmental agency by negotiation, upon such terms as may be agreed upon and for such consideration as may be deemed by the board as adequate compensation in compliance with RCW 43.09.210.
(2) 
The board finds an emergency to exist, as defined within this chapter.
(3) 
The board may trade in personal property belonging to the county when purchasing replacement property, when such purchase is made on award following advertised call for sealed bids or pursuant to Lewis County Resolution No. 95-41.
(a) 
On any call for sealed bids wherein the county has elected to trade in property, a notice shall be included in the call for bids that the county has for sale or trade in property of a specified type, description and quantity which will be sold or traded in on the same day and hour that the bids will be opened on the property to be purchased.
(b) 
Any person may bid for the purchase of such trade-in property and any supplier may include within its offer to supply an offer to accept the designated county trade-in property by setting forth in the bid the amount of such allowance.
(c) 
In determining the lowest and best bid, the county shall consider the net cost to the county after trade-in allowances have been deducted.
(d) 
The county may accept the bid of any bidder without trade-in of the county property, but may not require any such bidder to purchase the county property without awarding the bidder the purchase contract.
(e) 
Anyone may make an offer for the purchase of the used equipment on a bid of the new equipment and the county shall consider such offers in relation to the trade-in allowances offered to determine the best sale and purchase combination for the county.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
The board may, if it deems such action to be for the best public interest, reject any and all bids/offers, either written or oral, and withdraw the county property from sale.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
Where there is no bid within the advertised terms for the advertised minimum value on the property, the county may withdraw the property from sale and thereafter negotiate the sale of the withdrawn property, provided: (1) the negotiated price is higher than the highest rejected bid; (2) that the public has two weeks' notice by at least one advertisement in the official newspaper of the county; and (3) that the public has an opportunity to compete for purchase by offer of more favorable price on the terms negotiated.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
Sales of personal property must be paid prior to county release of sold properties. As to each sale, on a case-by-case basis, the county reserves the right to determine the acceptable method(s) of payment. Pursuant to RCW 36.29.190, the county shall bear the transaction processing cost if it permits use of credit cards at a sale.
(1) 
Failure to comply with the terms of sale by a purchaser will result in forfeiture of any and all monies paid.
(2) 
In no case shall property title be transferred by the county until the purchase price for such property has been fully paid to the county.
(3) 
The county auditor is authorized to establish such funds and accounts as may be necessary to deposit personal property sales and proceeds until final disposition of the property.
(4) 
The county shall deposit personal property sales proceeds with a value of $5,000 or more to the fund from which the original price was paid. The cost of a sale shall be proportionally borne by the departments or offices receiving proceeds from the sale.
(5) 
The sale proceeds and appropriate documentation shall be provided to the Lewis County treasurer's office immediately and in the case of public auction, no later than 5:00 p.m., on the first regular business day following the sale or in the case of private consignment auction no later than 30 days following the sale.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
The employees of the county who are involved in the inventorying and disposing of county personal property, as designated by management, and members of their immediate families, as that term is defined in this chapter, shall be prohibited from purchasing at public sale.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)
The name and mailing address of each purchaser or recipient and the particulars of the sale or transfer shall be recorded. Such information shall be promptly transmitted to the board as a record of such sale.
(Ord. 1331 (Exh. A), 2021)