City opens bids for five properties

Five properties owned by the city are up for sale. 

At a special meeting Monday, Portland Board of Works opened two bids for four vacant lots. 

The properties are located at 130 E. High St., 509 W. High St., 961 S. Bridge St., 815 E. North St. and 910 E. North St. The city tore down blighted houses on the properties. The High Street lots are each valued at $3,500, with the remaining three appraised at $7,500 each. 

The board advertised the properties for sale this month and opened two bids for them Monday. 

Matt Billington with Evergreen Real Estate offered $2,000 for 910 E. North St., $2,000 for 961 S. Bridge St. and $1,000 for 815 E. North St. He plans to build new houses on the lots. Bill Childers bid $500 for 130 E. High St. Neither bid on 509 W. High St. 

The board took the bids under advisement and will confer with the city attorney about its options. 

In other business, board members Bill Gibson, Jerry Leonhard and Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman: 

•Approved a change order of $25,400 for Jutte Excavating to update the wastewater treatment plant’s supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system. At its last meeting, the board selected a bid from 4TC Corporation of Portland to replace the system, which operates the plant.

•Tabled bids for building, concrete and electrical work for a new storage building at the wastewater treatment plant. 

•Hired Joe Jackson as a water department employee. He is not related to superintendent Doug Jackson.