Schuylkill County commissioners approved HVAC and other upgrades to the Schuylkill County Prison Wednesday.

By unanimous vote, commissioners voted to spend $1,176,959 for an HVAC upgrade, direct digital controls for the major equipment, a prison intake purge fan and bipolar ionization system within the HVAC units. COVID-19 money will pay for the purchase.

McClure Company, which has offices in Harrisburg and other locations, will do the work scheduled to be completed by Dec. 31.

“The last thing we need right now is to have an epidemic come out of the prison and spread throughout the whole county,” Commissioner Barron “Boots” Hetherington said.

Schuylkill County Administrator Gary Bender said the county had a contract with the company so the project didn’t need bid out.

Schuylkill County Commissioner George Halcovage Jr. said the company has shown the county savings with other projects.

“I think they’ve done an exemplary job,” Halcovage said.

Commissioner Gary Hess said the project, which had been slated for $770,900, is needed. The other costs were options the county could select and presented at a prior prison board meeting.

“This I look at as a safety factor,” Hess said.

He said the county is fortunate they have not had an outbreak at the prison.

“As you know, we do have and operate a prison across the street, which is 200 and some people that are in there, also were entrusted to make sure while they are in there incarcerated that they are under our care, not only them to look out because of they get sick we still have to foot the bill,” Hess said.

County engineer Lisa Mahall said the additional costs are as follows: bipolar ionization system, $40,070; direct digital controls, $200,525; and prison intake purge fan system at $165,464.

Bender had previously mentioned concerns about high humidity and recirculated air in the prison.