Schuylkill County commissioners on Wednesday approved rates with the Pottsville Parking Authority for 90 parking spaces at the Capitol Parking Lot at $30 per space per month and 14 parking spaces along Laurel Boulevard at $20 per space per month.

The rates are in effect from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. The total contract costs $35,760.The spaces are needed for county employees, particularly the Children and Youth Services agency, which is expected to hire more people because changes in the state's child abuse laws have resulted in a bigger workload.In other matters Wednesday, commissioners approved a budget adjustment for the Office of Solid Waste to offset the cost of the county's first household hazardous waste collection.County Finance Director Paul Buber said the office had $43,000 of the $87,000 cost of the event, which was held Nov. 15 and collected about 153,000 pounds of waste. The remainder of the money was transferred from the contingency fund, he said.Commissioners also extended cost-saving natural gas contracts with PPL Energy Plus for the courthouse, prison and Rest Haven. The current contract expires Oct. 31.Under the new agreement, the contract starts on Nov. 1 and expires Oct. 31, 2018.Gas markets have dropped significantly, and the county will realize savings of about 26 percent from its current rate of $5.699 per one million British thermal units.Commissioners also approved Champ Holman of Barnesville as a member of the county Industrial Development Authority. His term runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2019.