[Federal Register: November 4, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 213)]
[Rules and Regulations]               
[Page 60087-60088]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04no99-1]                         

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Rules and Regulations
                                                Federal Register
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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AI90

 
Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of the Dubuque, IA 
Appropriated Fund Wage Area

AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing an interim rule 
that will remove the requirement that a full-scale wage survey be 
conducted in the Dubuque, Iowa, Federal Wage System (FWS) wage area. It 
will also abolish the Dubuque, IA, FWS wage area and redefine the 
counties of Clinton, Dubuque, and Jackson, IA, and Carroll, Jo Daviess, 
and Whiteside, Illinois, to the area of application of the Davenport-
Rock Island-Moline, IA, FWS wage area. The interim rule is necessary 
because of the pending closure of the Dubuque wage area's host 
installation, the Savannah Army Depot, which is no longer capable of 
hosting annual wage surveys.

DATES: Effective date: This interim rule is effective on October 31, 
1999. Applicability date: Employees in the Dubuque wage area will be 
transferred to the Davenport wage area on the first day of the first 
applicable pay period beginning on or after December 19, 1999. Comments 
must be received by December 6, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Assistant 
Director for Compensation Administration, Workforce Compensation and 
Performance Service, Office of Personnel Management, Room 7H31, 1900 E 
Street NW., Washington, DC 20415-8200, or FAX: (202) 606-4264.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Hopkins by phone at (202) 
606-2848, by FAX at (202) 606-0824, or by email at jdhopkin@opm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Because of the pending closure of the 
Savannah Army Depot, the Department of Defense (DOD) has requested that 
the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) abolish the requirement to 
conduct a full-scale wage survey in the Dubuque wage area. DOD has also 
requested that OPM abolish the Dubuque wage area and redefine its 
counties to the Davenport, IA, FWS wage area. The Dubuque wage area is 
presently composed of six survey counties: Clinton, Dubuque, and 
Jackson, IA, and Carroll, Jo Daviess, and Whiteside, IL.
    The Dubuque wage area's host installation, the Savannah Army Depot, 
is preparing to close in March 2000. This closure will leave the lead 
agency, DOD, without an installation in the survey area capable of 
hosting annual local wage surveys. A full-scale wage survey is 
scheduled to begin in the Dubuque wage area in October 1999. Since the 
host installation is preparing to close and is downsizing its 
operations, it no longer has the capacity to host the annual local 
full-scale wage survey.
    Under section 5343 of title 5, United States Code, OPM is 
responsible for defining wage areas and follows regulatory criteria 
under section 532.211 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations. Under 
the regulatory criteria, OPM considers the following factors when 
defining wage areas:
    (i) Distance, transportation facilities, and geographical features;
    (ii) Commuting patterns; and
    (iii) Similarities in overall population, employment, and the kinds 
and sizes of private industrial establishments.
    Based on an analysis of these regulatory criteria, OPM is defining 
the Dubuque wage area to the area of application of the Davenport wage 
area. The closest major Federal installation to the Savannah Army Depot 
is the Rock Island Arsenal in the Davenport survey area, which is 
approximately 113 km (70 miles) away. Transportation facilities, 
geographic features, and commuting patterns do not favor one wage area 
more than another. A review of overall population, employment, and 
kinds and sizes of private industrial establishment shows that the 
Dubuque wage area has a population and workforce that most closely 
resemble the population and workforce of the Davenport survey area. The 
Dubuque survey area is similar to the Davenport survey area in terms of 
the distribution of employment in surveyable industries, with a high 
proportion of employment in the manufacturing sector.
    The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee, the national labor-
management committee responsible for advising OPM on matters concerning 
the pay of FWS employees, reviewed these recommendations and by 
consensus recommended approval of these changes.

Waiver of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    Pursuant to section 553(b)(3)(B) of title 5, United States Code, I 
find good cause exists for waiving the general notice of proposed 
rulemaking. Also, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(d)(3) I find that good cause 
exists for making this rule effective in less than 30 days. The notice 
is being waived and the regulation is being made effective in less than 
30 days because the Dubuque wage survey would otherwise be ordered in 
October 1999 and preparations for the wage survey must begin 
immediately.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    I certify that these regulations will not have a significant 
economic impact on a substantial number of small entities because they 
will affect only Federal agencies and employees.

List of Subjects in 5 CFR Part 532

    Administrative practice and procedure, Freedom of information, 
Government employees, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements, Wages.

U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance
Director.

    Accordingly, the Office of Personnel Management is amending 5 CFR 
part 532 as follows:

PART 532--PREVAILING RATE SYSTEMS

    1. The authority citation for part 532 continues to read as 
follows:

    Authority: 5 U.S.C. 5343, 5346; Sec. 532.707 also issued under 5 
U.S.C. 552.

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Appendix A to Subpart B--[Amended]

    2. Appendix A to subpart B of part 532 is amended for the State of 
Iowa by removing the entry for Dubuque.
    3. Appendix C to subpart B is amended by removing the wage area 
listing for Dubuque, Iowa, and revising the Davenport-Rock Island-
Moline, IA, listing to read as follows:

Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532--Appropriated Fund Wage and 
Survey Areas

* * * * *

Iowa

* * * * *

Davenport-Rock Island-Moline

Survey Area

Iowa:
    Scott
Illinois:
    Henry
    Rock Island

Area of Application. Survey Area Plus

Iowa:
    Clinton
    Des Moines
    Dubuque
    Jackson
    Lee
    Louisa
    Muscatine
Illinois:
    Adams
    Brown
    Bureau
    Carroll
    Cass
    Fulton
    Hancock
    Henderson
    Jo Daviess
    Knox
    McDonough
    Marshall
    Mason
    Mercer
    Peoria
    Putnam
    Schuyler
    Stark
    Tazewell
    Warren
    Whiteside
    Woodford

[FR Doc. 99-28875 Filed 11-3-99; 8:45 am]
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