Schuylkill County commissioners approve proclamations, contracts and budget adjustments

The Schuylkill County Board of Commissioners on May 6 unanimously approved a slate of routine business including three proclamations and multiple departmental contracts, purchase requests and budget adjustments.

The board proclaimed May 2026 as Foster Care Month and May 3–9 as National Drinking Water Week and Corrections Employees’ Week. Children & Youth Administrator Carl Rumbel and caseworker Amanda Wetzel were present to accept the foster-care proclamation; Porcupine Pat McKinney (Conservation) and Dan Galbraith of the Schuylkill County Municipal Authority were present for the drinking-water proclamation. Commissioner Barron Hetherington moved approval and Commissioner Gary Hess seconded; Commissioners Hetherington, Hess and Chair Larry Padora voted yes on the motions.

County departments presented a range of contracts and requests that were approved during the meeting. Chief Probation Officer C. J. Begansky sought and received approval for a contract with GovAl Software Solutions LLC for adult probation case management software at an annual cost of $14,056 to be paid from offender supervision fees. Controller Sharyn Yakenchick asked the board to purchase ADP Workforce Now for payroll during a three-year promotional period at $79,647.50 per year plus $8,300 in first-year implementation costs; the controller also presented a package of pension-administration and actuarial services with Foster & Foster totaling $73,656 for the first year.

Assistant Coordinator Cheryl Fuss requested advertising for the 2026 Community Development Block Grant hearings for multiple municipalities, approval of a $127,320 contract with M&J Excavation for a McAdoo stormwater project, reallocation of CDBG line items from Port Carbon to other projects, and change orders including immediate approval for repair work discovered during demolition at 211 Washington Street in Port Carbon. A separate change order for demolition at 0 Mill Alley in Pine Grove increased that contract after radioactive isotope levels were discovered during disposal operations.

County Administrator Gary Bender asked the board to ratify designee-approved contracts for April 2026 covering items such as MIS support, agricultural appraisal services, senior-center cleaning and conference vendors; the board approved the designee list. The meeting also included appointments and personnel actions across several offices and two repository sales pursuant to 72 P.S. § 5860.625.

All motions reported at the work session were moved by Commissioner Hetherington, seconded by Commissioner Hess and approved by unanimous roll call votes unless otherwise noted. The board adjourned after completing the agenda.

Votes at a glance

- Proclamation: Foster Care Month — approved (Hetherington move/Hess second; Padora, Hetherington, Hess: yes). - Proclamation: National Drinking Water Week — approved (unanimous). - Proclamation: Corrections Employees’ Week — approved (unanimous). - GovAl Software contract (Adult Probation) — approved; annual cost $14,056; funding: offender supervision fees. - ADP Workforce Now purchase (Controller) — approved; 3-year promotional annual cost $79,647.50; first-year total with implementation $87,947.50; projected post-promotional cost $143,613.50 per year. - Foster & Foster actuarial/pension administration services — approved; first-year costs $73,656. - McAdoo CDBG stormwater contract with M&J Excavation ($127,320) — approved. - Change orders for demolition projects (Port Carbon and Pine Grove) — approved; Pine Grove increase for radioactive-isotope disposal: $13,793.73. - Multiple personnel actions, appointments and supplemental budget appropriations — approved.

The work session did not include new business; the board adjourned after the posted agenda.