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Surplus Township Equipment Will Be Auctioned Off Online
By Keith Hagarty
Move over eBay. Brick Township is now getting into the online auction business.
The council recently adopted a resolution authorizing the township's purchasing and contracting unit to sell hundreds of surplus items in a public bid. Brick's first ever online auction is being held to sell off the multitude of surplus equipment and goods the township no longer has a use for, including vehicles.
To assist in the auction, the township is using the services of GovDeals.com. Authorized by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, GovDeals. com is a national pilot program, an online service providing municipalities and government agencies with the opportunity to sell surplus and confiscated goods over the Internet.
The township intends to advertise the auction on its Web site, www.twp.brick. nj.us. GovDeals then receives 7.5 percent of the sale price of each sold item for categorizing, tagging and pricing the goods.
"They collect a fee based on what the total gross amount they procure from the sale," said Township Business Administrator Scott M. Pezarras.
By utilizing the site, the municipality could save money on overtime, legal advertising, auctioneer and other costs associated with traditional surplus auctions.
"When we used to sell our surplus equipment, we would have to pay for legal advertising, an auctioneer and for workers to bring all the equipment and set it up at the auction site," said Mayor Stephen Acropolis. "Since most auctions were held on weekends, this meant overtime. We won't have to pay those costs anymore."
Councilman Michael Thulen was satisfied knowing the online auction company has a vested interest in the products and goods they offer to sell for the town. The Brick Township Municipal Utilities Authority (BTMUA) may look to follow suit.
"That kind of eliminates the possibility of having a piece of equipment go out (for bid) and auctioned off at a lesser condition than it would be ordinarily," he said.
However with some vehicles and supplies having a checkered past in Brick's history - a reference to scandals involving equipments purchases, sales and bidding in town - Councilman Anthony Matthews asked the administration how this online auction will be any different.
"What type of fail-safes have you put in over the last few years to stop what went on here at one time?" he asked.
Matthews alluded to a former township employee and the individual's controversial practices in handling the town's previous supply of surplus goods.
However, the administration is confident history will not repeat itself.
"That individual is no longer working for the town," said Pezarras. "We've never had a problem with our (current) fleet maintenance supervisor with regards to disposal of municipal equipment in the past."
In answering the inquiry as to what measures the township is taking to ensure a similar fate doesn't befall them this time around, Mayor Stephen Acropolis said it's a matter of trusting the character of the municipality's staff of employees, and working to ensure a positive outcome.
"There were procedures in place over the past several years that people were supposed to follow so that we didn't have the problems that we had in the past," said Acropolis. "The only problem is that if people decide not to follow those procedures - and the guy running the show didn't follow those procedures - there wasn't another fail-safe."
"I think it's attention to detail, it's being conscientious of your job and being qualified in your job," he said. "We feel we have the appropriate people in place who will follow written procedures on the disposal of township equipment, and that this will not happen in the future."
Thulen is eager to see Brick's expendable surplus items being available to the highest bidder.
"That is not just a state situation, there was stuff from all over the United States," Matthews said of the online auction site. "So people from all across the United States will have the opportunity to bid on this stuff."
Any shipping costs associated with the auctioned goods would be paid for by the winning bidder, who could also pick up the item directly from the town.
"Even though they (GovDeals.com) are nationwide, I anticipate that most of the participants in the bidding are going to be from the surrounding tri-state area," said Pezarras.
However, Acropolis said you'd be surprised how far some potential bidders would go just to get their hands on something they truly desire, adding "the more bidders, the better."
"My friend was selling a motorcycle on eBay, and a guy picks up a $500 Fed-Ex truck as surplus deal as he flies in from Newark, drives the truck down here, puts the motorcycle in the back, and drives back to California," said Acropolis. "If the price is right, people will go all over to get it. I think it's fantastic we can actually have all of these pieces of equipment - whatever it is - all over the country, and not just in our geographic area."
The mayor is optimistic that utilizing national online auctions will be a positive avenue in generating additional township funding for years to come.
"I think it's going to work out pretty well," said Acropolis.
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