POTTSVILLE — Schuylkill County came to the aid Wednesday of its airport authority, as the commissioners voted to make a loan payment on its behalf.

The $44,264 payment to the authority will come from the general fund. In turn, the authority will use the money to make the loan payment, which it did not have the cash on hand to do, to Mid Penn Bank, County Administrator Gary R. Bender said.

Bender said the county had guaranteed the loan in 2019.

Commissioner Gary J. Hess said benefits of the airport far outweigh the loss of the money, especially in light of the facility’s proximity to Highridge Business Park and Interstate 81.

“This brings the opportunity for business. It’s hopefully keeping those 3,500 or more jobs up there,” he said.

Schuylkill County Joe Zerbey Airport is located just off Route 901 in Foster Township. It has no scheduled passenger service, but can accommodate private planes and is frequently used by executives of the corporations that have distribution centers at Highridge.

“I’ve seen the importance of what this airport can bring,” Hess said.

Hess said the authority has had money problems because it had lost a tenant, Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29, which no longer operates its truck-driving program at the airport. A trucking company has moved in, but that has not yet completely solved the authority’s money problems, he said.

Commissioners Chairman Barron R. “Boots” Hetherington also made a change in the meeting format, making the public comment period for matters relating directly to agenda items and instituting a second such time near the end of the meeting for all other public comments.

“It was my thought to get our county business done first,” Hetherington said.

He said there was no attempt to limit comments, and he took all such remarks in the latter period.

“It still will be part of the meeting,” he said. “We’ll give you an opportunity for general comments.”

Also, the commissioners approved an agreement with Associated Public Communications Officials, Alexandria, Virginia, to buy an intellicom system for $107,897.10.

Bender said the county will use the system to broadcast emergency instructions protocols for medical, police and fire personnel.

“This is for all emergency responders,” he said.

In budget matters, the commissioners approved the following adjustments for 2020.

• Administration, $44,264

• MIS, $60,526

• Prison, $1,735

• Public Works, $4,495

Director of Finance Paul E. Buber said the Administration, Prison and $59,194 of the MIS adjustments will be paid from the contingency fund.

Also, the commissioners approved two repository sales to the Borough of Shenandoah for adjacent properties.

The borough paid $1 each for 527 W. Arlington St. and 529 W. Arlington St. The assessed owners were Edin Cekic and Randall A. Tyson, respectively.

In other business, the commissioners:

• Approved a service agreement with Kova Corp., Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, for the 88-channel Audiolog Max Pro Recording System that was bought in 2008.

• Approved a fee-for-service agreement with the Schuylkill Transportation System. It sets fees at $46.25 for one-way medical assistance transportation, $3.15 to $5.70 for senior shared ride one-way trips depending on mileage and 55 cents to $76 for human service development fund one-way trips.

• On behalf of Children & Youth, approved purchase of service agreements with the Center for Arson Research, Lafayette Hill, for fire setting evaluations at a per unit rate of $250 and expert testimony at a per unit rate of $1,750; Dawn Turitto, Lehighton, for foster parent orientation at a per unit rate of $400; and Karen E. Rismiller, Pottsville, for a monthly retainer at a per unit rate of $2,682.12.

• On behalf of the Office of Senior Services, extended fee-for-service contracts with Scarlet Stout, of Berwick, for registered dietitian services at a rate of $35 per hour, with an allowance of supply purchases of up to $700 and a contract cap of $8,750; Advocacy Alliance, Scranton, for caregiver check processing at the rate of $5 per check and a contract cap of $7,200; and Martha Andras, of Hazleton, for interpretation and transliteration services at a rate of $45 per hour and a contract cap of $2,250.

• Approved a hunting license issuing agent agreement on behalf of the treasurer’s office with the Pennsylvania Game Commission to sell hunting and furtaker licenses and issue various permits and drawing application.

“We’ve always done that,” Bender said. “We get permission to move products.”

• Promoted Melissa Keifer, of Schuylkill Haven, to county caseworker 2 from county caseworker 1 with Children & Youth. The county Salary Board set her salary at $19.3429 per hour.

• Transferred Christa Behr, of Shenandoah, to administrative/contract assistant from interim administrative contract assistant with the Office of Public Works. The county Salary Board set her salary at $16.8644 per hour.

Contact the writer: [email protected]; 570-628-6014

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