Contracts were awarded by the Schuylkill County Commissioners for cleaning services for the courthouse and 9-1-1 buildings in action taken at their worksession held Wednesday at the courthouse in Pottsville.

TKO Cleaning Services, Pottsville, received a two year contract beginning Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2012, for cleaning the 9-1-1 Communicaitns Center Complex, located on Centre Street, Pottsville, at a cost of $21,000 per year. TKO has been the provider for the past two years.William Liptok, public works director, explained the previous two years the contract was for $25,000 for each year and the new contract is a savings of $8,000 for the same amount of work. TKO was low bidder. Joanne M. McGee Cleaning and Janitorial Service Inc. Lebanon, had bid $23,000 per year.TKO also received the contract for cleaning the courthouse building for one year at a cost of $92,000 beginning Jan. 1, 2011. They replace Avenues, of Pottsville, which employes handicapped people.Approval was given to Election Director Frannie Brennan to hire 14 "rovers" for traveling on election day checking out 440 electronic voting machines which will be used in the the county's 125 precincts on Nov. 2. They will be paid $10 per hour.Also a polling place change was approved in Tower City from Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, 415 Grand Avenue, to Christ United Methodist Church, 400 E. Brand Avenue. It is the lone voting precinct in the Approval was given to John Richmond, head of the Adult Probation Department, to purchase a vehicle through a state contract for $27,473 for use by his department. The cost will be paid from the offender supervision fee collected from each defendant on probation.The commissioners are seeking bids for the Blythe Township water line project which is sponsored by the county's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Bids must be in the controller's office by Nov. 1 and will be opened at a commissioners meeting on Nov. 4.Several budget adjustments for various departments were approved as the commissioners require any budget changes must first be reviewed by them.Children and Youth Services Agency, transfer of $125,000 from contracted services to indirect costs for 2009; Tax Assessment Office, transfer from other accounts of $2,116 to pay the board of assessment appeals now in session hearing appeals from tax assessments.Court Administration, transfer of $5,000 from profession legal services to pay costs of arbitrators who hold hearings on civil cases in which damages sought that do not exceed $50,000, because the arbitrtation cases have greatly increased. Court Administrator Lois Wallauer reported 107 hearings have been held this year between January and September which has exceeded to estimate in the budget.Treasurer Jacquelyn McGovern asked to transfer $1,600 from her contingency fund to reimburse additional postage cost for tax collectors; Central Services Department asked increase of $1,000 from its telephone account to pay for dues and conferences; Rest Haven Home and Hospital asked transfer from several accounts to pay $10,000 for computer maintenance; $10,000 for nursing materials supplies; $5,000 for medical insurance premiums paid; $25,000 for in increase in nurse pool costs; $500 in digital cable cost, $3,500 in material and supply costs for maintenance department; and $10,000 for additional electrical cost which was not estimated at time budget was adopted.