Action was taken Wednesday by the Schuylkill County Commissioners to seek a grant of $8,000 from the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs to obtain bullet proof vests for deputies in the sheriff's office.

A contract was approved with Alissa Halaperin, Phoenixville, for consultation services to be provided for clients served by the Senior Service Office at $85 per hour with a contract cap at $35,000. She will be working with local apprise programs statewide to provide technical assistance for development of training and for promotional efforts to publicize the programs.A contract was entered with Robert Talecki and Associates, Harleysville, for the provision of financial and cost report consulting services for Rest Haven Home at $150 per hour with a contract cap of $10,500.A contract was awarded in the amount of $12,950 to the firm of Donohue Exscavating and Paving Compnay, Schuylkill Haven, for improving the entrance for handicaps into the Mahanoy Township Municipal building.Other actionsPurchase of service agreements was entered with four companies on behalf of Children and Youth Services Agency.The were, Salvation Army, West Nyack, N.Y., for foster care at $37.93 per day, specialized foster care at $60.95 per day and intensive foster care service at $70,78 per day; Adelphoi Village, Latrobe, for multi-systemic therapy at a unit cost of $69, intensive supervision Group Home at $223.40 per day and diagnostic center service at $1,800 per unit; Bethanna, Southampton, for medical foster care at $39 per day, foster care 1 at $50.59 per day and foster care II at $73.37 per day; and Cornell Abraxas Group Inc., Pittsburgh, for abraxas I intensive residential program at $286.32 per day.Four members were reappointed to the Children and Youth Advisory Board for three year period ending Feb. 14, 2014. They were, Edward Butler, Minersville; Sharon Chiao, Morea, Mahanoy Township; and Beverly Weikel and Gayle Rehnert, both of Pottsville. Three members resigned from the advisory board, Patricia Domalakes, Frackville; Jennifer Gensemer, Orwigsburg; and Robert Nestlerode, Jersey Shore.A contract was entered with Minichi Contracting Company, Dupont, for replacement of the county bridge which carries Mill Street over Schuylkill River in Port Carbon. The contract is in the amount of $1,451,000. The firm was low bidder.A lease agreement to strip mine for coal on county land in Branch Township was renewed with Selkirk Enterprises, LLC, for one year. Royalty payments received for the first year of the contract was $1,925.Personnel mattersDistrict Attorney James P. Goodman appointed Attorney John Thomas Herber, Pine Grove, to serve as an assistant district attorney in prosecuting criminal cases and the county salary board fixed the salary at $20,794.Clerk of Courts Stephen M. Lukash appointed Pamela Hatter, of Tremont, as Clerk II at $11.5300 per hour.President Judge William E. Baldwin appointed Ian Keck, Schuylkill Haven, as a Juvenile Probation Officer I at $20.8200 per hour. Three juvenile probation officers received promotions, Michael Purcell, Minersville, from supervisor III to Deputy Chief Probation Officer IV at $52,936 per year; James Ketner, Pottsville, from Juvenile Probation Officer I to Supervisor/Juvenile Probation Officer III at $27.16 per hour; and Dominic Eckley, Pottsville, from Juvenile Probation Officer I to Juvenile Probation Officer II at $23.31 per hour. Matthew Morgan, East Norwegian Township, resigned as an adult probation officer.Rest Haven Home, Kim Louisenheiser, Schuylkill Haven, was transferred from part time nurse's aide to full time nurse's aide and her salary set at $12.013 per hour; Melissa Beck, Pine Grove, was transferred from part time nurse's aide to full time nurse's aide and her salary set at $12.3734 per hour and Kathryn Harvey, Pottsville, was appointed a part time activities aide at $9.50 per hour.Retirment boardThe market value of the Schuylkill County Employees Retirement fund continues to rise. At the monthly meeting of the board which manages the fund it was reported the market value as of Wednesday was $98,057,342.Controller Melinda Kantner made a motion to have Cornerstone Advisors Asset Management, which supervises the investments with 13 financial institutions scattered throughout the country, make quarterly reports to the board on the investment. There was no second to the motion and her request was denied.Commissioner Mantura Gallagher later commented that the board pays Kantner an annual salary of $3,000 to serve as secretary and it is her duty to provide such a report. Gallagher added in some county's the secretary serves without pay. Gallagher and Commissioner Frank Staudenmeier refused to second the motion. Commissioner Francis McAndrew was absent.