Tentative Sept. 12 date set for school auction

Auction of Chase County Schools’ property known as the Wellington site is tentatively set for Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 10:30 a.m.
    While that’s not set in stone yet, school board members Tuesday at their monthly meeting indicated they are hoping for that timeline.
    For the past several weeks, a Colson Agency “for sale” sign has caught the eye of passers-by along East 12th Street on the north edge of the property.
    John Engbrecht of Colson Agency said they are finalizing details for the tentative Sept. 12 auction. They are running the listing and will hire the auctioneer, he said. Walk-throughs can be scheduled by contacting their office in Imperial.
    Engbrecht and School Supt. Joey Lefdal both said the sale will be an absolute auction.
    The property, which used to house the high school, will be auctioned in two parcels—the football field as one and the buildings as another.
    Engbrecht said CCS board members have stipulated that  both parcels must receive bids. If not, they will sell both parcels together for one bid on that same day.
    A preliminary survey was finished Monday, Engbrecht said. There are a few issues to be worked out, but he believes the Sept. 12 auction is doable.
    Members of the school board’s buildings and grounds committee planned to meet on the upcoming auction after Tuesday night’s meeting.
    The Wellington property is currently all zoned residential. According to the Imperial Comprehensive Plan, schools can exist in residentially-zoned areas.
    Nearly all of the school programs and athletic practices that were held at the Wellington site have been relocated to the school on East 9th Street, with the exception of the bus barn.
    In June, school board members accepted a bid to build a new bus barn at the East 9th Street site, to be located northwest of the main building.
    C & S Construction of Madrid was the low of three bidders for the $565,850 project, and was selected as general contractor on a 7-2 vote.
    School board members plan to maintain use of the current bus barn at the Wellington site for the coming year as the new bus barn is built. That was included as part of their motions in June.
    Supt. Lefdal said at Tuesday’s meeting this week the general contractor hasn’t started on the new bus barn as he’s waiting for the subcontractor’s dirt work to be completed.