Jul 28, 2023 By Mark Hofmann, For The Greene County Messenger 2 min read

news@greenecountymessenger.com

Desks, copiers, kitchen appliances, airport runway lighting, office supplies and art are among the more than 70 items the Greene County commissioners agreed to list in an online auction, with money from the sales going to the county’s general fund.

Commissioners Betsy McClure and Blair Zimmerman approved the move during the board’s meeting last Thursday. Commissioner Mike Belding did not attend.

Some of the unwanted property belongs to the county, with other items left by former tenants of the Silveus Building in Waynesburg. The county bought the building, located at 30 W. High St., in 2019, with plans to turn it into a business incubator. That has yet to occur, officials said, because the county needs to complete some modifications and repairs first.

Chief Clerk Jeff Marshall said the county was able to lease space on the building’s first floor to a company, but when the company left, they left behind items that have become part of the auction.

All 73 items can be viewed and bid on through the Walt Stout Auction, at www.waltstoutauction.com, through Tuesday, July 25 at 6 p.m. All of the items are being sold in “as-is” condition, and there are no returns.

Marshall said the renovation work at the Silveus Building had been going along well. However, additional work went out for bid recently, and no proposals were submitted.

“We hoped to have it done by this fall, but will now likely be this spring,” Marshall said.

He wasn’t certain when the commissioners would again solicit bids for the work.

In collaboration with Waynesburg University, the incubator will provide workspace, services, access to industry experts and mentors to foster development of early-stage companies, with the goal of creating new jobs in Greene County.

Last year, the county secured $1.3 million in federal grants for the project.