The first phase of the plan to move the village municipal offices to a new location occurred last week when the board of trustees unanimously voted to sell the current village hall building at 46 E. Genesee St. to Chittenango developer Rick Moscarito for $855,000.

The sale ended a month-long period during which the building was officially termed “surplus” village property and offered for sale, about 20 prospective purchasers inspected the building and four purchase bids were sent to the trustees.

“The trustees conclude that the high bid reflects a fair and reasonable sale price for the property,” said Mayor Marty Hubbard, reading from a village resolution authorizing the acceptance of the bid at the March 22 village board meeting.

Although the bid was less than the undisclosed minimum reserve price the trustees previously had set, the authorization stated that the trustees “believe that it is in the best interests of the village taxpayers if the high bid is accepted,” rather than go through a second round of bidding with no assurance of a higher price being received.

The village will ultimately receive $830,000 from the sale of the building, which is the net sale price minus a 3 percent real estate commission.

Moscarito, president of Finger Lakes Luxury Homes and owner of Ty-Cass Property Development Corporation, both of Chittenango, was not present at the meeting announcing the sale.

His real estate representative, Molly Elliott, of Williams Realty in Skaneateles, was present, however, and said Moscarito was “very excited” about his purchase. She said Moscarito already has consulted with Skaneateles architect Robert Eggleston about the possibility converting the building to first-floor commercial use and second- and third-floor residential space, although “nothing is set in stone yet.”

The building at 46 E. Genesee St., built in 1888, had previously had only three owners. From 1888 through 1929, the building housed a bank. From 1929 through the present day, it has been a municipal building.

Bids for the purchase of the village hall building were opened by members of the village board of trustees at a special meeting Monday, March 19. The village hall meeting room was filled to capacity as Trustee Marc Angellilo opened each of the four bids and read aloud the net amount offered.

The four bids ranged from $437,000 by Skaneateles resident Joseph Vitale to Moscarito’s $830,000.

Also at the meeting:

—Due to the early warm spring weather, the village DPW is now picking up residential brush and has opened the Clift Park Gazebo restrooms, said Director of Municipal Operations Bob Lotkowicz.

—Trustee Marc Angelillo said plans for the Austin Park playground project continue to move forward, and the village DPW will scrape and level the ground to prepare for the mid-May construction. He said the PARCS intends to put it a water fountain but does not want lighting installed for night use.

—The village board voted unanimously to terminate its contract with Koester Associates, of Canastota, for the installation of three new Rotational Biological Contactors, or RBCs, at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Koester could not provide the RBC materials as it specified in its contract with the village and so far “has done no work,” said Village Attorney Michael J. Byrne. The failure “has caused us serious delay and put us in jeopardy,” Byrne said.

RBCs are 26-foot-long by 12-foot-wide cylinder-shaped pieces of equipment, made mostly of plastic, that continually rotate, passing waste water through the liners, thereby removing anaerobic bacteria (organic materials and ammonia) out of the water. The RBC process is one step in the total village water treatment process.

—The board scheduled a tentative public hearing on the village budget for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 12.

Jason Emerson is editor of the Skaneateles Press. He can be reached at [email protected].