Preparation for the General Election to be held on November 8 were made by the Schuylkill County Commissioners at Wednesday's public meeting held at the courthouse in Pottsville.

East Union Township was reduced recently to one precinct and voting will be temporarily held for the fall election at the Sheppton/Oneida Volunteer fire Company building at 900 Center St., Sheppton. The regular voting place is the township's municipal building but renovations are still underway.Hired as drivers to deliver the ballot boxes to the 129 polling places in the county were:Karen Davison, Tamaqua, for $200; Kurt Yoder, Hegins, $190; Joseph Contrady, McAdoo, $200; William Klinger, Frackville, $150; Joseph McElvaney, Saint Clair, $240; Shelly Smith-Moyer, Pottsville, $200; Edward Yeneshosky, Saint Clair, $150; Walter Leashefsky, Orwigsburg, $210; Kenneth Eichenberg, Minersville, $160; and Kenneth Breish, Schuylkill Haven, $200. The pay is based on the number of boxes and precincts delivered.Permission was granted Election Director Frannie Brennan to hire 14 people who will serve as rovers to travel on election day to assigned polling sites or were needed if problems arise with the electronic ballot machines. They will be paid $10 per hour plus $0.555 per mile for travel expense. Also to be hired are six people to serve on the computing board which will convene after the election on Friday, Nov. 8, at the election board quarters to make the official count of the vote. They will be paid $70 per day.Four people were appointed to serve on the Resolution Board which will convene at the STS bus warehouse in Saint Clair on election night when an unofficial count of the vote is made. Their job is to resolve any problems arising with a ballot to be counted.Appointed were Edward Barkett, Pottsville; Charles "Skip" Miller and Adam Pancake, Tremont, each will be paid $100 for their services. Mark Scarbinsky, county fiscal administrator, is the fourth member of the board but he will serve without compensation,Community projectsCommissioners reprogrammed funds from the 2010 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program to undertake projects that might otherwise have been cut but funds were made available because several activities originally budgeted for 2010 were completed under reprogramming funds from previous years.The commissioners approved $30,000 for project at Tuscarora Fire Company, Schuylkill Township; $60,000 for a sewer line in Rush Township; and $64,431 for a water line in Porter Township.A resolution was also adopted for Grant Writer Gary Bender to submit an application to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for the 2011 CDBG program in amount of $341,144. When received the funds will be used for stormwater projects in MIddleport, McAdoo, Frailey Township and Lost Creek village in West Mahanoy Township.A resolution was adopted to seek a grant of $100,000 from DCED for the home community housing development program and also set a date for a public meeting to bet input on what needs are sought to improve living conditions.Funds will be used to help support organizational and administrative staff for salaries and fringe benefits, staff training, space and utilities and communications. Funds also will be used for operating assistance to support affordable housing activities and pursue community development opportunities such as production of rental projects and homeownership.Fall cleanupProposals for services for the 2011 fall cleanup were accepted.Weiner Iron and Metal Corporation, Pottsville, receive scrap metal from seven collection sites in the county; Mostik Brothers Disposal Site, Atlas, for bulky items from four sites; Disposal Management Services, Coal Township, bulky items from two sites; Rick's Refrigeration and Heating Company, Mahanoy Plane, freon reclamation from two sites; Potts and Monger Sanitation, Pine Grove, bulky items from one site; and Yost Mechanical Inc., Schuylkill Haven, freon reclamation from one site.A contract was awarded to Hazleton Scrap/Recycling Company, Hazleton, for collection of bulky materials at $200 and $250 per pull and Eco International Company, Vestal, N.Y., for collecting electronic materials at $330 per pull.With negotiations at a standstill between the county and its two court related unions which represent employees working in the court system, the commissioners approved appointment of Attorney Albert Marshall as the county appointed arbitrator. He will be paid $200 per hour.An agreement was reached with Capital Blue Cross for medical coverage for county prisoners at the rate of 14.4 per cent per paid claim, with a $5,000 annual minimum. The terms of the contract is for the period retroactive to Jan. 1, through Dec. 31.A contract was entered with Comcast to increase the internet bandwidth available to the county computer network from 50 megabit service to 100 megabit. The increased cost is from $189.95 to $369.95 per month.A new lease agreement was entered for the magisterial judicial judge office in Orwigsburg with the rent increasing from $1,272.88 per month to $1,566.32.Approval was given to use monies from the liquid fuels fund to improve a county bridges.The bridge which carries the Mahantongo Mountain Road over Mahanoy Creek in Mahanoy Township at a cost of $100,000; repairs to the county bridge carrying Black Creek Road over Mahanoy Creek in Barry Township at a cost of $325,000, and for an engineering design for repairs to the county bridge which carries Mahantongo Mountain Road over Mahanoy Creek in Upper Mahantongo Township to Traffic Planning and Design Company, Pottstown, in amount of $99,500.An agreement was approved with the Schuylkill County Volunteer Firefighters Association for space in their warehouse at the fire school in Frackville to house the Emergency Management Agency's incident support vehicle and other related equipment and vehicles.A training contract was entered with Advanced Training Solutions Inc. to provide advanced threat and response training to emergency management personnel at a cost of $49,979.52. John Matz, director, said payment of the contract comes from a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.Personnel actionThe commissioners acted on a number of personnel matters presented by the Martina Chwastiak, director of Human Resources Bureau.Rest Haven Home - Sarah E. East, Pottsville, hired as full time social service caseworker at $13.41 per hour; Michelle Hummel, Saint Clair, hired as part time licensed practical nurse at $16.8814 per hour; Crystal Wallick, Hamburg, transferred from part time to full time registered nurse at $20.69 per hour; Carmella Mattera, New Philadelphia, transferred from part time licensed practical nurse to full time at $16.39 per hour; Carl Oliver, Cressona, transferred from part time nurse's aide to full time at $11.72 per hour; Nancy Schneck, Pine Grove, retired as full time housekeeper and Diana Lighstone, Frackville, terminated as full time licensed practical nurse.Former director of Rest Haven Home, Elaine Schaeffer, continues to be retained on a per diem basis at $38.37 per hour to assist in a litigation brought against the county hospital.The board also approved wage adjustments for six part time nurse's aides to $11.72 per hour after passing their training program. They are, Rachelle Butz, Pottsville; Alaina Cardens-Kramer, Pine Grove; Carl Oliver, Cressona; Roberta Sherman-Rosa, Mahanoy City; and Brittany Webb and Rebecca Worth, Schuylkill Haven.Jillian Symons, Minersville, resigned as a clerk in the Domestic Relations Department.Check presentedCounty Coroner Joseph E. Lipsett presented a check for $33,000 to the county which represents proceeds form the sale of unclaimed assets from decedents over a four year period. The claim was that this was the first time in history of the coroner's office that any monies have been returned to the county and the commissioners.County Controller Melinda Kantner took issue with the statement and later after the meeting ended released an account inquiry which showed former county coroner, David Dutcavich, turned between 2004 and 2009 a total of $29,783.92. "All they had to do is check with my office to get the correct information," Kantner stated.Issue proclamationA proclamation was adopted to proclaim the week of Sept. 17 through 23 as "Constitution Week" in recognition of the magnificent document drafted at the Constitutional Convention in 1787.