Schuylkill County Commissioners voted to spend $238,000 on plumbing and fixtures for county buildings to address COVID-19 concerns.

By unanimous vote, commissioners voted for the contract Wednesday with Antz Energy Systems, Shenandoah, to install “touch-free plumbing toilets and sinks.”

County Administrator Gary Bender said the work is taking place in all county buildings.

He said COVID-19 funding will be used for the expense, which was approved by the consultants who review such expenditures.

The agenda says the term on the contract is from Sept. 5 to Dec. 31, 2020.

Commissioner Boots Hetherington said he supports the spending but said how it is taking money from the millions allocated.

“That pot of money just got a little shorter,” he said.

“If I stand here and say I don’t want to protect the employees of the courthouse, that’s not a good position for a commissioner to be in,” Hetherington said.

Bender said the courthouse has taken steps alleviate the virus in the courthouse.

“Everything we’ve done with this money here in the courthouse is to protect our employees,” he said, mentioning safety shields among other uses.

Hetherington said the virus is brought into the courthouse.

“No one generates COVID-19 in the courthouse. It comes on from other people and spreads here,” he said.