(1) The commission is not required to sell any personal property proposed for sale through the procedures described in these rules through the Property and Supply Bureau's Surplus Program, nor is it subject to the bureau's rules for disposal (22-3-1003(8), MCA).

(2) The commission may have the personal property item(s) appraised to determine the dollar value of such items in order to assist the commission in setting the sales price of any personal property item. The commission, in its discretion, may obtain more than one appraisal and may obtain a review appraisal.

(3) The commission shall direct staff to provide for a competitive process for the sale of personal property, including but not limited to auctions, sealed bids, open bids, via web sites established for such a purpose, or any other fair and equitable manner that the commission approves for an item as part of the commission's decision to sell that item.

(4) The commission shall provide public notice of the sale. The notice shall include any requirements of the sale. The commission will endeavor to encourage competition by advertising the sale in advance and in as many locations as practical.

(5) Personal property item(s) will be sold to the highest qualified bidder, but shall not be sold for less than the appraised value. Persons or entities with an established, recognized, and verifiable interest in personal property item(s), such as kin of the original owner or communities with historic connections to the property, may, at the discretion of the commission, be invited to match the highest responsible bid and be awarded the item.