Though it originally intended to sell its surplus items through an online auction, the city of Albert Lea will now have a joint live auction with Freeborn County in May to sell the surplus property.

During the Monday Albert Lea City Council meeting, councilors approved the sale of the items — which are either forfeited property or old city property.

Interim City Manager Lee Bjorndal said city staff decided to follow through with a live auction as in years past because of contractual obligations with the online auction sites that would have lead to low financial returns.

The live auction will be May 6 at 4:30 p.m. at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds.

The items previously advertised to be sold will be at the auction, along with some new items.

Items previously advertised to be sold were a kayak, plastic kids snow sled, two round tables, four stationary upholstered chairs, approximately 60 bikes, 18 rolling upholstered chairs, old style light bar, Nordic Track ski machine, elliptical stair stepper, weight bench, portable ice house, 12 park bench bases, three civil defense sirens, three old police bikes, 19-inch color TV, 13-inch color TV, Christmas tree stand, cordless phone, Little Playmate cooler, DVD player, three VCRs, mini cassette recorder and numerous tools from a seizure/forfeiture.

The following are additional items to be included in the sale :

The Albert Lea City Council is still awaiting a response to the offer regarding the city manager position.

On Saturday, the City Council offered the job to Alan Lanning, city manager of Pines North, Colo.

Olympia cordless phone

Olympia digital recorder

Christmas tree stand

blower

1.5 amp outboard battery charger

propane torch

camera tripod

TV/VCR combo

two couches

one desk chair

one steel desk

VCR camera

microwave

16-channel mic/line mixer

1991 Chevrolet half-ton pickup

1999 Dodge Ram

2002 Ford Explorer

In other action, the council:

Accepted the feasibility report for a neighborhood improvement project in the south-central part of the city.

The project includes streets that are bounded on the north by Front Street, on the south by Plainview Lane, on the east by Spark Avenue and on the west by Fourth Avenue.

It includes a two-inch bituminous overlay of the streets, along with the replacement of sections of curb and gutter that have settled and are causing drainage issues, or that are damaged or displaced. New sidewalk would also be placed along all three sides of Bellview Park.

A separate part of the project includes replacing the surface on the frontage road off of South Shore Drive south of the Interstate 35 overpass.

Total estimated costs are about $744,000 with just over $400,000 being accessed to adjacent property owners and about $335,000 being city costs.

A public hearing will be April 26 to receive input about the project.

Accepted the feasibility report for the construction of sanitary sewer main and watermain that would serve existing homes along County Road 45 that have been annexed into the city.

The project includes 17 lots with an additional eight served by the project in the future.

Total project costs are estimated at about $348,000 with $252,000 of the costs being assessable. About $76,000 would be held for future assessments. And city costs would be about $19,000 for the oversizing of the watermain.

If approved a public improvement hearing would be April 26, with a neighborhood meeting scheduled for March 30. The tentative bid opening is May 4.

Awarded the contract for the Edgewater Drive and utilities improvement project to Heselton Construction at $220,000.

This project includes furnishing and installing water and sanitary sewer service main and piping, restructuring and repairing shoulders, seeding and mulching shoulders and bituminous paving.

It will be paid for with remaining state bonding funds.

Approved the orderly annexation of three tracts in Bancroft Township off of County Road 45.

Approved a request to put up large signs promoting the Scouting for Food drive in the old Mexico Lindo parking lot and on the corner of Broadway Avenue and Fountain Street from March 24 through 27.

Approved a request from the Cloverleaf Lions to use the main hangar at the Albert Lea Airport for the annual flight breakfast on June 13.

Approved the sale of a sander from the street department that was purchased in the early 1990s.

The Albert Lea School District has agreed to pay $1,700 for the sander.