Commissioners approve autopsy contract, save county money

Nov. 28--Schuylkill County Coroner Dr. David Moylan added another option for the county to save money on autopsies.

The county commissioners approved a contract with Mary Pascucci, a doctor of osteopathic medicine in Sugarloaf, to perform autopsies.

Moylan said the county is maintaining its contract with Forensic Pathology Associates, Allentown, for autopsies, but Pascucci provides another savings opportunity for the county.

"Now we have our own morgue in the county, but before that we did not have an option other than sending our decedents to other areas for autopsies," Moylan said Wednesday. "(Pascucci) is willing to come do the postmortem examinations in Schuylkill County, so it is going to save the county in transport fees."

Pascucci is based at the Hazleton General Hospital. Rates will vary on an individual basis, Moylan said.

Lee Raring, county solid waste and recycling coordinator, presented awards for the 2013 phone book collection.

Kaytlyn Romig, a fifth-grade student at Tamaqua Elementary School, placed first with 232 books. She was awarded $150. Sisters Brooke and Katryna Williams, also students at Tamaqua, were tied for second with 222 books each. They each received $113.

The top three schools were chosen based on the ratio of books per student.

Llewellyn Elementary placed first with 3.73 books per student and was awarded $125. West Penn Elementary placed second with 2.86 books per student and received $100. Trinity Academy was third with 2.71 books per students and received $75.

Some of the schools donated their books to local farmers who used the paper as bedding for animals. The rest was recycled at Weiner Iron and Metal, Pottsville, Raring said.

While not as many people use phone books, Raring said it is important to make sure they are recycled.

"It keeps them out of landfills," Raring said.

In other business, the commissioners renewed a rate agreement with Met Life Insurance Co. for life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment and long-term disability coverage for county employees starting Jan. 1, 2014.

The rates are: life insurance, $1.59 per $1,000 of benefit; accidental death and dismemberment, $0.02 per $1,000 of benefit; and long-term disability, $0.25 per $100 of benefit.

A new agreement with PPL Energy Plus, Allentown, will reduce the cost to power the communications center on Centre Street and five tower sites throughout the county. The board approved a new agreement that will cost 6.734 cents per kilowatt hour from June 2014 to June 2015. The last contract was 6.941 cents per kilowatt hour and expires in May 2014.

Another contract was amended to include an additional $2,790 for the reroofing project at the Schuylkill County Communications Center. The money is for the antennae on the center.

The board approved moving $3,909,331 from the capital project fund to county communications for the narrowbanding project. Paul Buber, county finance director, said the fund consists of the $21 million bond issued in October 2012. The agreement with Motorola Solutions Inc. for the federally-mandated upgrades is $16,338,145.

Buber said the transfer of funds is for accounting purposes and allows the department to include the project payment in its budget for next year.

The prison will start an online training program for employees. The board approved a contract with Relis Learning LLC for the online training for $38,479.91. The agreement lasts 84 months.

In order to meet building code requirements, the county is installing two emergency lights and a handrail at Gaudenzia in Fountain Springs. The cost of $1,700 is coming from the Emergency Solutions Grant.

The board also approved additional work for the Americans With Disabilities Act compliance project in West Penn Township. Spotts Brothers Inc., Schuylkill Haven, will be doing additional paving for $1,650. The project is part of the 2012 community development block grant program.

The Schuylkill County Courthouse will be closed today and Friday for Thanksgiving.

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