La Plata, MD – What should Charles County do with its surplus property?

That was a question before the Charles County Commissioners Tuesday, March 15 when Planning Director Peter Aluotto and Property Acquisition Officer Judy Michael appeared before them to provide guidance to the disposition of county real estate no longer needed for public purpose.

“We follow state law,” Aluotto stated during the briefing, noting that Section 3 of the Maryland Annotated Code determines what is surplus property.

“We have hundreds of parcels,” he pointed out. “We have to find out what do we have and if we have a use for the property. No use goes on a list of surplus property. Because we have so many, at what cost do we dispose of these?”

Aluotto said it costs money to dispose of property, including surveys.

“It may require some fund, budgeted to make that happen,” he suggested.

Most would go to auction, he said, with sealed bids and devices in place where proceeds would be deposited.

“The county has a preference for cash if the bidder can put down a 25 percent deposit,” he added. “The county has the right to reject any and all bids.”

He said the focus is to nonprofit agencies.

“It should benefit the county and save the county money,” he said. “All property would be sold as is, where is.”

“This was a policy before,” Michael noted. “This is an attempt to update, revise and make that process better.”

“It’s pretty daunting, but it looks like a potential revenue stream for the county,” Commissioner Ken Robinson [D-District 1] said. “Only other requirement would be, for me, I’d like to see a list of county properties we can dispose of and raise funds.”

“It’s in the hundreds,” Aluotto said.

“We’ve had several requests from non-profits who wanted the county to give them land,” Commissioner Vice President Debra Davis [D – District 2] noted. “I’m glad of the even playing field moving forward. This addresses most of my concerns.

“Do nonprofits have to maintain their nonprofit status?” she asked. Charles County Commissioner President Peter Murphy [D] stated that they did.

“It would revert to the county if the property was not used as a nonprofit,” Michael agreed.

“We need to make sure historic research is done to figure why we have the land,” Commissioner Amanda Stewart [D – District 3] said. “Land increases in value. I am wary of gifting land not knowing down the road if there is a bigger purpose for that property.

“We need to know why we have the land,” she added. “I’m not a huge supporter of gifting or giving away land.”

“We’re not giving away land,” Aluotto insisted. “This doesn’t require you to gift the land.”

He said that would be stressed as the process moved forward.

“Having that conversation would be beneficial,” Stewart said.

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com