April 4, 2017
CANISTEO, NY – Superintendent Jeremy Palotti invited school district attorney James Gregory to Monday nights monthly BOE meeting to clear up a lot of questions if the board decided to proceed with the sale of the old Greenwood school building.
Having been empty for the last 5 years, and after a recommendation from consultant Rhonda Carley a few months back, Palotti decided it would be in the best interest of the district and taxpayers to explore options and procedures for selling the building along with the approximately ten acres of land it sits on.
One of the big questions the board had for their attorney was whether they, or the surrounding residents in Greenwood, would have any say about the possible new tenants. According to Gregory, the procedure is pretty cut and dry and in 90% of situations the building must go to the highest bidder. One possibly way around that would be to donate the building, but according to the law it would have to be donated to the public and not a private entity.
The next major step in selling the building would be having it appraised and/or to list it. As with all sales of vacant school real-estate, it may take a long time. Of note is that the board will not need public approval to sell the building, that only happens when purchasing property. If the voters decide they are not happy with the outcome of the sale, they can sign a petition. If 10% or more of the voting base signs the petition within 30 days, it would force a referendum.
