The Schuylkill County Prison is adding 10 part-time correctional officers and a sixth lieutenant.
The county salary board approved the creation of the positions after the commissioners' work session Wednesday.
The prison board first looked into hiring additional prison guards in November to help cut down on overtime expenditures. According to Human Resources Director Martina A. Chwastiak, there were 13,640 hours of overtime for correctional officers in 2011 that cost the county about $472,000.
The plan is to have two part-time officers for up to 28 hours a week with partial benefits and up to eight additional officers for up to 16 hours with no benefits.
Commissioner Gary J. Hess also said the new hires will make it easier to rehire full-time correctional officers when they retire or resign.
"It makes for a quicker process," Hess said Wednesday.
The part-time guards will have an hourly rate of $17, effective Feb. 13.
During the last prison board meeting Jan. 16, Warden Eugene Berdanier said 18 candidates have been interviewed for the 10 jobs.
The lieutenant position will also go into effect Feb. 13. A salary was not set Wednesday.
Lieutenants supervise correctional officers and make an average of $57,400 in Pennsylvania, according to www.CareerBuilder.com.
President Judge William E. Baldwin, prison board chairman, said during the last board meeting that an additional lieutenant was needed and one of the prison's five lieutenants has been on sick leave for about a month.
The next prison board meeting will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday in the commissioners' boardroom.
The commissioners also approved a commitment of $25,000 for the construction of elderly housing within the former FesslerUSA Building.
On Jan. 3, the Orwigsburg Zoning Hearing Board granted a special exception for Barefield Development Corp. to convert the vacant 40,000-square-foot building at 216 W. Independence St. into 20 apartments.
County Grant Writer Gary Bender said the county's commitment will come from the Community Block Development Grant fund. He said the commitment was needed for the company's application to the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development due Feb. 15 and will make a stronger case for a Housing Trust Fund grant in June.
The commissioners approved the 2012 annual real estate and per capita tax collections report from the county treasurer's office.
According to the report, total real estate taxes collected in 2012 was $27,338,090.18, up slightly from $27,224,513.49 in 2011. Total per capita tax collected in 2012 was $338,210, down slightly from $344,330.
Average real estate collected from the 67 municipalities in the county was 91 percent, which was the same as last year. Average exonerated was 2 percent and average delinquent was 7 percent, both the same as last year.
Average per capita collected from all municipalities was 67 percent, down from 68 percent in 2011. Average exonerated was 11 percent, up from 10 percent last year. Average delinquent was 22 percent, same as last year.
The board also authorized the advertisement of bids for fuel supplies at Schuylkill Transportation System. The contract period will be from April 10, 2013, to April 10, 2015. Bids must be submitted by 3 p.m. March 18 and will be opened at the commissioners' work session March 20. A tentative award date is scheduled for April 10.
There were 13 appointments at Rest Haven.
Sharon Thomas, Orwigsburg, was appointed to head nurse with an hourly rate of $20.69, effective Feb. 14. Kristine Lombel, Pine Grove, was appointed as part-time licensed practical nurse with an hourly rate of $15.99, effective Feb. 20.
The following were appointed to part-time nurse's aide positions at $11.72, effective Feb. 20: Patsy Dower, Gilberton; Megan Davis, Muir; Elizabeth Anthony, Schuylkill Haven; Nancy Leymeister, Pottsville; Michelle Haas, Pottsville; Anna Hornberger, Shenandoah; and Timothy Kerns, Orwigsburg.
Susan Hummel, Schuylkill Haven, was appointed to part-time housekeeper at an hourly rate of $9. Patricia Mullen, Reading, and Elaine Hozella, Pottsville, were appointed as a per diem licensed practical nurse at an hourly rate of $18. Giuseppi Conigliaro, Saint Clair, was appointed per diem nursing assistant at an hourly rate of $13. All appointments are effective Feb. 20.
The commissioners' retirement board meeting will be held Feb. 13 immediately following the commissioners' work session.