Polk County is trying to sell approximately 2 acres it owns on Park Street in Columbus and decided this week to sell it by sealed bid.

County commissioners met Monday, Aug. 5 and approved advertising for sealed bids on the property. If sold, the county plans to give the money to the county’s economic and tourism development commission in order to plan for an industrial park in the county.

County attorney Jana Berg gave commissioners options of  disposing public property, which include a public auction, sealed or unsealed bids, private negotiations with another government or an exchange.

Commissioner Ted Owens asked if the county went with sealed bids, could the county have the right to refuse all bids.

Berg recommended that if the county sold the property through a sealed bid process it include a minimum amount. She said the county would have to say ahead of time what amount is acceptable.

Commissioners decided to sell the property through sealed bids with the minimum amount accepted set at the property’s tax value, or $81,480.

The county purchased the property in 2009 for $95,000 to construct the new department of social services building. The county later decided county-owned property off Wolverine Trail in Mill Spring was better suited for the building.