Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Coal Region Canary
Coal Region CanaryCoal Region Canary

Coronavirus in Schuylkill County

Schuylkill County Using CARES Act Money to Buy Touchless Water Fountains and Coolers

schuylkill county courthouse touch free water fountains

 

schuylkill county courthouse touch free water fountains

Last week, we got a lot of reaction to the news that Schuylkill County Commissioners were going to spend about $238,000 on automatic touchless toilets and sinks for bathrooms in the Courthouse and other county properties.

The no-bid contract for the project was awarded to Antz Energy Systems, Shenandoah.

And money for these convenient commodes and sinks is going to come out of the $12.7 million CARES Act fund the County was awarded earlier this year.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1658728627906147

READ: Schuylkill County to Spend $238K for a $5 Problem

Some people actually believed this was a good way to spend the CARES Act money that many other counties in Pennsylvania have used to create grant programs to help small businesses offset some of their losses caused by the government’s reaction to the COVID pandemic. While Schuylkill County did eventually create such a program, the details of it were kept mostly secret from the public and it has not informed any business to date if they’ve been awarded any money.

Well, those people who approved of the buying touch-free toilets will be happy to know that the touch-free technology bonanza continued on Wednesday. County Commissioners padded their deal with Antz by agreeing to spend another $21,750 on 15 Elkay Touch-Free water coolers and drinking fountains.

The money to pay for them will again come from the county’s CARES Act allocation.

The goal of these touch-free technologies is to reduce the spread of the coronavirus through commonly touched areas. And while toilets, sinks, and water fountains are commonly touched areas, they aren’t the only ones. And there isn’t enough CARES Act money to throw at each of them to completely eliminate the risk of spreading the virus.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1658728627906147

Apparently, asking county employees to bring in bottled water from home is just too much.

ALSO READ:

 

Subscribe to Coal Region Canary

Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!
Loading

News Tips?

Let us know of news happening in your area. Use our NEWS TIPS ENTRY FORM
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Local News

Several Schuylkill County residents say they recently found bizarre printed messages inside packages of items purchased at local grocery stores. The Canary spoke with...

Local Weather

How much are we really going to get? Some say it's still too soon to tell.

PA News

Flights arriving in the cover of night to NEPA.

Local Weather

Slightly more snow expected for Schuylkill County.

Coronavirus in Pennsylvania

Hamburg Area School District may be joining Tamaqua Area in defying the indoor mask mandate announced by the administration of Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf...

Local News

Back on March 10, a call came in to the Schuylkill County 9-1-1 dispatch center. Crews with Minersville’s Goodwill Fire Co. and EMS needed...