Street paving in Tamaqua and Shenandoah, the next phase of a street project in McAdoo, and a handicapped restroom in the Kline Township Municipal Building are among nine Community Development Block Grant projects approved by the Schuylkill County commissioners Wednesday morning.

The commissioners voted to approve separate $7,700 contracts with the Alfred Benesch and Co. engineering company for street improvement projects on Clay and Cedar streets in Tamaqua.

They also approved a $21,500 contract with the Benesch firm for the third phase of the McAdoo Borough Hancock Street drainage project.

Cheryl Fuss, the county’s grantwriter, said the McAdoo project includes a new water line.

The commissioners also approved a $9,500 contract with Benesch for a street improvement project on North Market Street in Shenandoah.

Bids will be advertised on PennBid for an Americans With Disabilities Act project in Kline Township. Bids will be accepted until 9 a.m. Feb. 28 at which time they will be opened. Fuss said the project will make a restroom at the municipal building handicapped accessible.

The commissioners approved two contracts with Arro Engineering for improvements at two parks. An $11,858 contract will be for an improvement project at the J.E. Morgan Park in West Penn Township, and a $16.698 contract will be for improvements at the Summit Station Playground in Wayne Township.

Another $16,000 contract with Benesch will be for ADA curb cut improvements in Port Carbon.

The ninth and final CDBG contract for $8,500 with M&L Associates for preparation of an environmental review record and technical support for a competitive project to install a water line and water tank in Porter and Tremont townships.

In connection with that project, the commissioners approved submitting a request for proposals from a list of three qualified engineering firms that responded to the commissioners’ request for qualifications for engineering services for the project. The RFP will be due March 6, with an award date of March 13.

In other actions, the commissioners:

• Approved advertising for bids for repairs to county bridge 123, Broad Street, over the river, in Port Clinton Borough. Bids will be received by the county controller online via the PennBid program until 9 a.m., March 6. Bid results will be available on PennBid following the commissioners’ meeting that day. A tentative award date is March 13,

• Approved a contract for the year 2024 with Dr. Wayne Ross for autopsy services for the coroner’s office at $2,800 per autopsy.

• Approved a two-year contract with Dr. Mary Pascucci for autopsy services and expert witness testimony for the coroner’s office. Each autopsy will cost $1,750 and expert witness testimony will be delivered at $400 per hour.

• Reappointed Mike McCord of St. Clair to the Schuylkill County Transportation Authority for a five-year term ending Dec. 31, 2028.

• Appointed Mike Devlin of Schuylkill Haven to the Schuylkill County Transportation Authority to fill the unexpired term of Ian Mahal through Dec. 31, 2026.