Mayor’s Message: Bernie Platt
Online forums are a popular way to turn one’s trash into treasure. Look at the increasing popularity in recent years of sites like eBay and even Craigslist.
The premise is simple: Individuals find items they no longer want or need; they’re posted on the website; and with a few clicks of a mouse, those items have found a new home.
The buyer has gotten a potentially great deal, since these items usually sell at much lower prices, and the seller has turned a profit on what would otherwise have been trash, tossed into a landfill to live in perpetuity. Here in Cherry Hill, we recently began using a new online tool that will help our municipal offices and the police department get rid of old, unused or confiscated equipment and vehicles, and in turn, realize a small profit.
Earlier this year, the Township partnered with the government auction website www.GovDeals.com to begin selling surplus office furniture, unused equipment, and old or confiscated vehicles. The first auctions conducted were run through the Cherry Hill Police Department, which has auctioned off nine vehicles since January and received about $52,000 in return.
Items auctioned off thus far included a confiscated Volkswagen Jetta and Toyota Corolla and a Crown Victoria and Ford Taurus that had recently been decommissioned from the municipal fleet. Individual auctions have generated anywhere from a few hundred dollars to more than $35,000 for a low-mileage, 2007 Cadillac Escalade.
Now, selling these old and unused items is nothing new. For years, the Township has held traditional auctions, advertised in the local newspapers and in Town Hall. But the online auction forum brings added benefits to the table.
For one, there is little doubt that GovDeals enables us to reach a much wider audience. It gives us access to potential buyers around the state and even around the country, rather than just in the immediate area. That, by extension, gives us the best chance to realize the greatest profit.
An added bonus is that, by selling these items to those who can and will use them, we’re diverting untold amounts of trash from the waste-stream. In short, this move is just one more way we at Town Hall are leveraging the newest technologies to improve the effectiveness of our municipal operations. Navigating the website is simple, and all auctions are open to the public. Users can bid on posted items by creating an account at www.GovDeals.com. (You do not need an account to browse ongoing auctions.) Users can select a “Search by Zip” option to look for items specifically posted by Cherry Hill; they can also search by keyword or category, or select “Advanced Search” to narrow a search by multiple criteria.
Visitors can view current auctions, as well as browse a history of items sold in the last year.
Payment is made directly to the GovDeals website, and can be made via PayPal or credit card. It should be noted that buyers are responsible for picking up items they’ve won; the township will not deliver them. Additionally, I would encourage any potential bidder to inquire about any listed item before placing a bid — particularly when bidding on any vehicle. A designated contact is posted on each listing.
At the end of the day, this is a wonderful network from which both the Township and its residents can benefit. The added revenue is key, of course, as is our ability to in turn make sure these items are reused rather than tossed in the trash. And from the consumer’s end, there are a number of incredible deals to be found. Our trash truly could be a treasure to someone else.
While Cherry Hill currently has no active auctions pending, I would encourage visitors to check the website frequently, as it is updated often. Additional items are set to be posted in the coming weeks and months — including additional vehicles, and an assortment of office equipment and supplies. You never know what you might find.
