Subd. 1.

Before offering any surplus state-owned lands for sale, the commissioner of administration may survey such lands, and if the value thereof is estimated to be $40,000 or less, may have such lands appraised. The commissioner shall have the lands appraised if the estimated value is in excess of $40,000. The appraiser shall before entering upon the duties of the office take and subscribe an oath that the appraiser will faithfully and impartially discharge the duties as appraiser according to the best of the appraiser's ability and that the appraiser is not interested directly or indirectly in any of the lands to be appraised or the timber or improvements thereon or in the purchase thereof and has entered into no agreement or combination to purchase the same or any part thereof, which oath shall be attached to the report of such appraisal. Before offering such surplus state-owned lands for public sale, such lands shall first be offered to the city, county, town, school district, or other public body corporate or politic in which the lands are situated for public purposes and they may be sold for such public purposes for not less than the appraised value thereof. To determine whether a public body desires to purchase the surplus land, the commissioner of administration shall give a written notice to the governing body of each political subdivision whose jurisdictional boundaries include or are adjacent to the surplus land. If a public body desires to purchase the surplus land it shall submit a written offer to the commissioner not later than two weeks after receipt of notice setting forth in detail its reasons for desiring to acquire and its intended use of the land. In the event that more than one public body tenders an offer, the commissioner shall determine which party shall receive the property, and shall submit written findings regarding the decision. If lands are offered for sale for such public purposes, and if a public body notifies the commissioner of administration of its desire to acquire such lands, the public body may have not to exceed two years from the date of the accepted offer to commence payment for the lands in the manner provided by law.

Subd. 2.

1. (a) Lands certified as surplus by the head of a department or agency other than the department of natural resources shall be offered for public sale by the commissioner of administration as provided in this paragraph. After complying with subdivision 1 and before any public sale of surplus state-owned land is made, the commissioner of administration shall publish a notice thereof at least once in each week for four successive weeks in a legal newspaper and also in a newspaper of general distribution in the city or county in which the real property to be sold is situated, which notice shall specify the time and place at which the sale will commence, a general description of the lots or tracts to be offered, and a general statement of the terms of sale. Each tract or lot shall be sold separately and shall be sold for not less than the appraised value thereof. Parcels remaining unsold after the offering may be sold to anyone agreeing to pay the appraised value thereof. The sale shall continue until all parcels are sold or until the commissioner orders a reappraisal or withdraws the remaining parcels from sale.
2. (b) Lands certified as surplus by the commissioner of natural resources shall be offered for public sale by the commissioner of natural resources in the manner provided in paragraph (a) for sales by the commissioner of administration.
3. (c) Except as provided in section 94.11, the cost of any survey or appraisal as provided in subdivision 1 shall be added to and made a part of the appraised value of the lands to be sold, whether to any political subdivision of the state or to a private purchaser as provided in this subdivision.