Schuylkill County is looking to cut down on energy costs.
The county commissioners, at a public meeting Wednesday, approved plans to seek bids from energy service companies to upgrade lighting at the adult probation and communications departments.
"We continue to try and see where we can cut costs," Commissioner Gary Hess said.
The contract includes completing a detailed audit and guaranteed energy savings. Request for Quotations will be accepted until 11 a.m. Aug. 11 and will be awarded at the convenience of the county.
County Engineer Lisa Mahall said the upgrades are estimated to cost between $60,000 and $75,000.
The last energy upgrades were in 2009 when McClure Co., a PPL Electric subsidiary, installed new boilers in the courthouse and prison, as well as lighting fixtures in those buildings and Rest Haven, Schuylkill Haven. That project cost about $2.6 million.
This time around, the lighting fixtures will change from T12 florescent bulbs to the more energy efficient T8 bulbs.
"We are looking at estimated savings between $5,500 and $6,000 per year," Mahall said.
The Schuylkill Transportation System is seeking $1.9 million in grants this year for capital improvement projects. The commissioners authorized the filing of the consolidated capital application Wednesday. The main projects carried over from the request last year with slight changes in dollar amounts.
The projects include: five eight-to-14 passenger accessible small transit buses, $372,400; five narrowband-capable, two-way mobile radios, $7,500; a maintenance support vehicle, $35,050; and renovation to the Saint Clair building, $1,518,800.
The projects, which have no target completion date, total $1,933,750, with funding consisting of $1,541,000 in federal dollars, $328,606 in state dollars and a local match from the county of $64,144.
Melissa Seigfried, North Manheim Township, was promoted from part-time secretary to financial technician at the conservation district. Virginia Kunigonis, Branch Township, was terminated from the position earlier this month when state police began investigating the conversation district in June following a 2012 audit that revealed "irregularities" in accounting and internal controls.
The office of solid waste and recycling is also seeking bids for its electronic, waste tire and recycling collection program throughout the county from Sept. 15 to Sept. 27. Bids will be accepted in the controller's office until 3 p.m. Aug. 18 and will be opened at the commissioners' work session Aug. 20. A tentative bid award date is set for the commissioners' meeting Aug. 27.
The county commissioners reappointed the following members to the Luzerne/Schuylkill Workforce Investment Board for three year terms: Frank Koller, human resource manager at SAPA Industrial Extrusions; Diane Neiderriter, executive director of Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29; and David Schultz, human resource manager at Michael Foods/Papetti's Hygrade Eggs.
There will not be a commissioners' meeting Wednesday as it will be the fifth week of the month. The next meeting will be a work session at 10 a.m. Aug. 7 in the Hoffman room.