Trickey Pond lot for sale by bid

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“Realtors have a wider net. They might get $1 million. Bring somebody to the party from out of state who has deeper pockets,” he said.

“Kevin is right. There’s no rush. Take our time. Get the best deal for the taxpayers of Naples,” Grattelo said.

Earlier in the discussion, Naples Town Manager John Hawley introduced the agenda item, asking the board what method of sale it would prefer.

“At your last meeting, you determined that you would sell parcel 5A in the Mayberry Landing Estates. Now, you need to determine how you want to sell the parcel, whether it be by auction, by sealed bid or by listing it with a realtor,” Hawley said.

“I think sealed bid option is the best. You get the biggest bang for the buck in terms of competitors interested,” he said.

After Hawley advised using the sealed bid method, Selectman Ted Shane asked if the town should require a minimum bid price.

Grattelo favored using a minimum bid, which is permissible in municipal government.

“Our obligation is to notify abutters, and we’ve done that. We have a right to put it out to bid and set a minimum bid and accept bids form anyone that is interested,” he said.

“What is number as a minimum? We should figure out what the price is and set a number higher than that. My recommendation would be to set minimum as high as we think we can get,” Grattelo said.

Selectman Colin Brackett asked how the sealed bid process works.

Hawley explained that the town would advertise it for about a month.

“The last time, we shortened the timeframe, the responses were limited. We are not in any hurry to sell so we can afford a month,” he said.

“Word of mouth will generate interest,” Hawley said.