A “yard sale” done online has netted $64,000 to the county engineer’s office, about five times more than when it got rid of its junk the old-fashioned way.

Recently the engineer put 17 pieces of equipment up for sale on assetauction.com, taking a page from the Ohio Department of Transportation, which sells equipment that can no longer be used online.

“This is the first year we have taken a different approach,” Doug Cade, county engineer, said. “

In the past the engineer’s office has sold that kind of equipment locally. But through the online auction house, sales went across the country and even into Canada.

“We had an old Mack truck the door came off the first day I was there,” Doug Cade, county engineer, told the county commission at its Thursday meeting. “That ended up in Miami, Fla. Two back hoes went to Ontario.”

Buyers have seven days to pay for the equipment by credit card or cashier’s check. Then they have an additional seven days to pick up their purchases.

“We don’t hand title to them until after they get out the gate,” Cade said. “We don’t pay the auctioneer. It is a buyer’s premium.”

That is an additional percentage charge the auction house puts on the hammer price to cover its expenses.

All proceeds will go back to the office for replacements. Right now Cade estimates there is about $1.1 million worth of equipment needs for his department, which he plans to meet through a 20-year replacement plan.

Commissioners approved putting out to bid a $1 million repaving project of which $625,000 will come from the Ohio Public Works Commission. The engineer’s office will fund the remainder.

Among the roads to be resurfaced are County Roads 37, 104, 276, 410, 120, 118 and 115.

In other business the commission:

• Approved a $10,617 association fee with the Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission that works to get grant money for the county. Since 1960 through its efforts the county has received $9.6 million in Appalachian Regional Commission funds and $7.7 million in Economic Development Administration money;

• Approved an agreement between the county and the Southern Central Ohio Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Chillicothe for two beds at $85 per day per bed;

• Terminated employment with the county EMS for Richard Carr, Darrin Black, Derrek Euton and Gerald Osborne for failure to meet mandatory training;

• Hired Virgil Cole as a part-time EMT at $9 an hour.

• The commission will not meet next week because of the Lawrence County Fair.