WINTON – Those looking for used office furniture have the opportunity to secure a deal through Hertford County local government.

As a result of the relocation to the new county Courthouse and Government Center, there is a significant amount of furniture currently sitting unused in the old Courthouse as well as across the street at Hertford County Administration Office Building #1.

M. Ray Wiggins, Assistant Hertford County Manager, said county staff is currently in the process of finalizing an inventory of that surplus furniture.

At last week’s meeting of the county’s Board of Commissioners, Wiggins went on the details of a timeline that will be used for the disposition of that furniture.

Wiggins said the initial step in that process would be for the commissioners to declare, by vote, that the pieces of furniture that are in such poor condition they are no longer of any use need to be deemed as “no value/worthless” and discarded.

As far as the remaining furniture that is usable, Wiggins said county departments/agencies in need of those items be given the first opportunity to select from among the available furnishings. That opportunity ends Sept. 25.

During the month of October, Wiggins said any remaining items of furniture will be made available and donated to Hertford County Public Schools, other local government agencies in the county, not-for-profit organizations located within the county, and non-county agencies.

Any remaining surplus furniture will be disposed of through the means of a public or online auction from Nov. 2-13.

Should there be any items remaining following the public auction, those will be declared as “no value/worthless” and discarded by Dec. 7.

“Upon your approval of this timeline, it will put us on track to substantially clear the old Courthouse and Office Building #1 of these surplus furnishings and equipment by the end of December,” Wiggins told the Commissioners.

Wiggins did remind the board that this process and timeline does not account for the unused, surplus furniture and equipment currently in the old Clerk of Court office. It also does not account for the records from the District Attorney’s office temporarily stored in a locked vault inside the old courthouse.

“I would recommend that you should issue a letter of understanding with the Clerk of Court and the District Attorney that establishes that any documents, records, materials of value should be removed from the old courthouse by no later than June 30, 2016,” Wiggins said. “That should give them ample time to relocate those items of value from the old courthouse.”

With that latter date in mind, Wiggins said it would clear the way for proceeding with the demolition of the old courthouse later in the summer of 2016.

The Commissioners approved the timeline as presented.

CountyManager Loria Williams told the board there would be a resolution developed and presented to the Commissioners that will show what items were donated to any agency/organization.