A $500,000 bailout for Rest Haven Home and Hospital to meet the current payroll deadline was approved by the Schuykill County Commissioners because of a cash shortage experienced by the home do to the late payment of the third period grant of $6,410,142 owed by the federal government in medicare and medicaid payments.

The commissioners are transferring the money from its general fund which still remains sound. According to the treasurer's report the balance of the county fund at the end of July was $24,660,246.Both Commissioners George Halcovage and Gary Hart questioned Paul Buber, county fiscal officer, about the terms of the loan. Buber said Rest Haven will repay the money as soon as it receives its third quarter allotment.Buber explained the county is mandated to operate the home. The county last year placed operation of the business office to SAM (Service Access and Management, Inc., , and transferred eight county employees who worked in the business office to the SAM payroll but the county pays the nurses and other employees at the home.The home has 141 beds but only 127 are currently occupied. SAM was hired to improve the operation of the home. SAM is a private, non-profit agency providing human servicesThe commissioners also approved a number of other budget adjustments recommended by Buber. They were:A transfer of $39,500 from the general fund to the probation department budget in preparation of a pre-release program being prepared by the Schuylkill County Prison Board to relieve the overcrowding at the county prison. The prison board met later but took no action on the issue as all details have not been worked out.There were no additional funds added the budget of other departments in which budget transfers were made from accounts within the budgets.Approval was given to Clerk of Courts Stephen Lukach to use $10,000 from his budget to pay two employees who are taking college courses under the career development program. The Schuylkill County Agriculture Extension Office was granted permission to use $882 to purchase a computer, the 9-1-1 Emergency Management Department was given permission to use $1,915 to pay for an outside audit report; Parks and Recreation Department to spend $700 to make refunds deposits made by parties who later cancelled use of its park facilities and the count approved payment of $2,500 to VISION for organizing and staging the youth conference this past summer.In other action the commissioners renewed a fee for service agreement with Alere Toxicology to continue to provide the adult probation department with drug testing supplies, laboratory testing, test confirmation and reports.Gary Perna, dispatcher with 9-1-1 was granted permission to take the mandatory the emergency medical dispatch training course in Elkton, Maryland in order to receive certification as a telecommunicator. The cost of the course is $320 plus three nights of lodging at $100 per night with the cost to come out of the tariff placed on telephones the county receives to operate the emergency center.Purchase of service agreements for the Children and Youth Services Agency were approved with providers as follows:Elhab Human Services, Tunkhannock, for group home at $165.97 per day; The Children's Choice, Bellmawr, New Jersey for foster care level I at $38.50 per day, foster care level 3 at $75.75 per day and adoptive placement at $4,000; Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown, for counseling at $65 per day; Children's Center for Treatment and Education, Bradford, for enhanced foster care at $83.68 per day, Bradley's at $280.61 per day and Stride Program at $885.37; George Junior Republic in Pennsylvania, Grove City, for regular residential at $136.65 per day, drug and alcohol residential, $159.57 per day and intensive supervision at $284.37 per day and Jewish Family Services, Harrsburg, for Level AA foster care, $66 per day; Level BBG foster care at $70 per day and Level CC foster care at $74 per day.Personnel mattersThe commissioners approved appointments, transfers and resignations in various departments.Children and Youth Services Agency, Stephanie Rice, Orwigsburg, hired as caseworker I at $16.7612 per hour and accepted the resignation of Amanda Aungst, Palo Alto, as caseworker I.Rest Haven Home, Brandi Michael, Port Carbon and Nicole Bernotas, Shenandoah, were transferred from part time to full time nurse's aides at $11.72 per hour.9-1-1 Emergency Management Department, James Hampford, Pottsville, retiring as shift supervisor and Cynthia Shpakovsky, Frackville, resigned as a telecommunicator.County Prison, James Bruce, Shamokin, resigned as lieutenant of correctional officers and David Whitman, Valley View Village, Hegins Township and Daniel Fritz, Minersville, promoted from rank of correctional officers to position of lieutenant and salaries set at $50,325 per year.Adult Probation Department, Robert Yutko, Frackville and Sara Dudley Cass Township, were promoted to probation officer 1 at salary of $22.09 per hour and Francis Lally, Ashland; Jevin DiCelle, Kaska Village, Blythe Township; Joseph Nagle, Pottsville and Rebecca Costa, Butler Township, hired as probation officer aides at $13.88 per hour.Court Administration Office, Nanette Ketrick, Orwigsburg, promoted to acting chief court reporter at $31.16 per hour.The Schuylkill County Salary Board met after the commissioners meeting and approved the salaries.