Rush Township's Housing Rehabilitation Project was among those recommended by the Schuylkill County Community Action Bureau to receive funds this year from the Schuylkill County Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

At the work session held by the county commissioners, Jeff Feeser presented to the commissioners for their approval at next week's public meeting the five applicants whose programs were chosen to receive funds and the amounts.Rush Township is listed to receive a grant of $20,000. Feeser said this will provide the township with the required "leverage" to seek a "HOME" grant of $330,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. The program calls for housing rehab for lower-income homeowners to remove code violations.Others recommended to receive trust fund monies were:• Schuylkill County Housing counseling program, $12,616.60 for counseling services supporting home buyer education, closing cost assistance, mortgage default, reverse mortgage, homeless, etc.• Schuylkill Countywide Housing Rehabilitation Program, $20,000 to provide leverage for a $500,000 HOME grant for a housing rehab program eliminating health, safety and lead-based hazards in homes of very-low income homeowners.• Schuylkill Haven High Rise Energy Improvements, $41,744.40 for a project consisting of replacing inefficient windows, light fixtures, exit signs and uninsulated walls and provide ADA access to exterior at Schuylkill Haven High Rise building.• Senior or Disabled Housing Repair Program, $60,000, to replace or repair major systems in homes of senior citizens and addressing the accessibility needs for physically disabled homeowners.Fathers proclamationTwo proclamations were adopted by the commissioners.One was designating the week of June 20 to 26 as "Fathers Make A Difference Week," pointing out one in three children in the United States live in a fatherless home and the federal government spends nearly $100 billion a year to support single parent families. The Clinical Outcomes Group of Schuylkill County has secured a grant from the federal government to develop increased capacity for fatherhood and to promote a program to have fathers become more engaged with their children.The second proclamation designated Thursday, June 17, as "Dump The Pump Day" and the Schuylkill Transportation System (STS) throughout the day offered free rides to all citizens on their buses. The goal is to get more people to ride buses and points out the use of public transportation in the United States last year helped save 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline the equivalent of 900,000 cars filling up every day.Open bidsFour bids were received to supply approximately 1,000 tons of coal for the courthouse and prison for one to three years. Four bids were opened and action will be taken next week on awarding contracts.Bidders were: Reading Anthracite Coal Company, Pottsville, one year, $138.95 per ton; Roy Manbeck, Frackville, one year, $145 per ton; Direnzo Coal Company, Pottsville, one year, $190 per ton. Penn Keystone Coal Company, of Claysburg, Blair County, bid on three years, first year, $197.90 per ton; second year, $222.90 per ton and third year, $247.90 per ton.Three bids were received for medical supplies for Rest Haven Home and Hospital. Although a total amount was listed by each company it did not show item for item on what the costs were. JML Medical Company, Lakewood, N.J., $34,751.79; Manheim Medical Supply Company, Manheim, $140,519.19; and McKesson-Extended Care Company, Golden Valley, Minn., $127,050.13.Question leaseAt the start of the meeting during the public segment, controller Melinda Kantner asked if the commissioners made any effort to recover $3,500 of taxpayers money expended to perform an appraisal from the owner of the building at 33 S. Main St., Shenandoah, which the commissioners expressed interest in buying but the owner at the last minute changed his mind.The county had been renting the building and using it as quarters for a district justice. She received no response from the three commissioners.However, during the course of the meeting when Mark Scarbinsky, county administrator, asked for approval to enter into a lease agreement with James McAndrew, owner, for a five-year period at $2,062.50 per month, Commissioner Mantura Gallagher commented that the request to purchase the building came from President Judge William E. Baldwin. The county, under the law, is required to have an appraisal made before it purchases the building.The building was appraised at a higher market value than it is currently listed in the tax assessment office. The owner, after the appraisal, changed his mind about selling the building to the county. There is no increase in the rent for the next five years. Commissioners Gallagher and Frank Staudenmeier voted for the new lease. Commissioner Francis McAndrew abstained as the owner is a second cousin.Permission to bidRobert Evanchalk, director of parks and recreations, was given permission to seek bids for a project at the Sweet Arrow Lake County Park located in Pine Grove area. The bid is for a handicap access and boat mooring project.Evanchalk said this project will provide special needs access to the shoreline at the fish and boat access area and will be used primarily for fishing and provide seasonal shoreline mooring for boats, canoes and kayaks.Personnel matterThe commissioners reviewed recommendations for hiring a number of people, promotions and terminations.The Human Resources Department recommended the appointment of Michael Carney, Frackville, a retired state trooper, as an investigator on a temporary basis; Rest Haven Home announced the termination of Colleen Wronski, Mahanoy City, a part-time nurse's aide and the promotion of Antoinette Huntzinger, Pottsville, as director of staff development and resignation of Howard Smith, Pottsville, a part-time nurse's aide and Andrew Smith, Schuylkill Haven, business office manager.Also, the Election Bureau recommended the appointment of Carol Leashefski, Orwigsburg, as a temporary clerk; Solid Waste Department recommends the promotion of Lee Raring, Auburn, to be the solid waste and recycling coordinator; Tax Claim Bureau recommends the appointments of Jason Rhoads, Branch Township; Jennifer Johnstone, McAdoo; and John McGauley, Shenandoah, as per diem posters of notices on properties.The court administrator's office recommended the appointment of Colleen Riley, Rush Township, as district judge assistant 1 at District Judge James Reiley's office. Pottsville; Office of Senior Services, reported the resignation of Kayla Wufsus, Hazleton, who served as aging care manager 2; Drug and Alcohol Bureau announced the resignation of Pamela Tomko, Ringtown, who was the drug and alcohol prevention program specialist; and Veterans Bureau recommends the appointment of Caitlin Gallagher, Ashland, to work as an unpaid extern.Salary boardAt the work session of the salary board, action was taken to create three new positions, an investigator for the Human Resource Department; a per diem clerk for the election bureau and three poster positions for the tax claim bureau.The board fixed salaries for the investigator, $35 per hour; per diem clerk in election bureau, $10 per hour; posters, $11 per hour; solid waste coordinator, $37,147 annually; and director of staff development at Rest Haven, $51,835 per year.