Two Schuylkill County residents had questions for the commissioners during the board’s regular meeting Wednesday, complaining about operations of the Register of Wills and County Coroner’s offices.

Charles Dalvet of Pottsville questioned the coroner’s use of the virtual autopsies to determine cause of death. County Coroner David Moylan adopted the use of the virtual autopsy in 2012. The virtual autopsy is done using a CT machine; images are then interpreted by a physician skilled in CT interpretation and protocol.

Before the meeting, Dalvet said that his son James was 47 when he died in March; the cause of death after a virtual autopsy was determined to be a heart problem. Dalvet said that his son had sleep apnea and that he believes that condition caused his death.

During the meeting, Dalvet said that the cause of death as determined by virtual autopsy is not accepted in court proceedings. He also said that he feels that Moylan’s method of running his office is a conflict of interest, as the county rents Moylan’s office space and trailer where the coroner’s business is conducted.

Commissioners’ Chairman George Halcovage expressed sympathy in Dalvet’s loss of his son and invited both Charles and his wife, Sally, to sit down with the commissioners and county administrator Gary Bender after the meeting to discuss the matter.

Also, under public comment, Palo Alto resident Jeff Dunkel complained that the county has no official policy regarding nepotism. He added that he has filed Right to Know requests with the county and is not satisfied with the results. He said that the solicitor for the Register of Wills office, Hank Clarke, had his law license suspended in November.

By phone after the meeting, Clarke acknowledged an “administrative” suspension of his license for barely one business day, due to his late submission of the annual renewal fee

“I met all the requirements for renewal, but hadn’t sent in the fee,” Clarke said. “As soon as I found out about it — it was on a Friday — I paid the same day and was reinstated immediately, officially on the following Monday.”

Clarke is paid $3,000 a year for his solicitor work with the Register of Wills office.

During the meeting, Dunkel asked the commissioners what their response would be to his allegations, and Halcovage replied that his concerns were now “on the record.” Commissioner Gary Hess suggested that Dunkel talk to county solicitor Al Marshall after the meeting.

In 2001, at the age of 18, Dunkel became mayor of Mount Carbon, a borough of 100 in Schuylkill County. He and his mother, Kathy Dunkel, both Democrats, served the borough for four years after Dunkel won the primary on a vote of 22-10, becoming the sole candidate in November, and his mother won a write-in vote for a council seat.

Dunkel, now 36, was re-elected as mayor of Mount Carbon in 2005. He ran unsuccessfully for prothonotary two times, losing in the 2003 general election and in the 2007 primary. He ran for commissioner in 2011 but lost in the Democratic primary.