16852 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 56 / Thursday, March 22, 2012 / Notices 

staff to these large metropolitan areas. 

Thus, any impact on the local 

economies in terms of housing, schools, 

public services, taxes, employment, and 

traffic congestion will be insignificant. 

E. Effect of the Reclassifications on the 

Availability, Accessibility, and Quality 

of Services Provided for Recipients of 

Those Services 

The plan was designed to improve the 

quality and level of service provided to 

stakeholders and affected clients 

nationwide. The new region will receive 

greater management emphasis than 

prior to the reclassification. 

Management in the new region— 

because it will be less dispersed and 

remote—will be enabled to interact with 

HUD management and clients, the 

Office of the United States Attorney, 

and other law enforcement partners 

more frequently and in greater scope 

than is now possible. More interaction 

and attention translates into more 

availability and accessibility of higher 

quality services. Similarly, the footprint 

of HUD/OIG’s Region 7 will shrink, and 

the incumbent SAC will be empowered 

to redirect attention that he currently 

devotes to the new Region 8 to the city 

within Region 7 as redefined. Again, 

more attention translates into more 

availability and accessibility of higher 

quality services. 

Dated: March 13, 2012. 

David A. Montoya, 

Inspector General. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6964 Filed 3–21–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND 

URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

[Docket No. FR–5627–N–01] 

Notice of Reclassification of Five 

Regional Offices to Investigative Field 

Offices: Seattle, WA; New Orleans, LA; 

Baltimore, MD; Tampa, FL; and Detroit, 

MI; Closure of Two Investigative Field 

Offices: Louisville, KY and 

Jacksonville, FL; and Closure of Two 

Sub-Field Offices: Long Island, NY; 

and Central Islip, NY 

AGENCY: Office of Inspector General, 

United States Department of Housing 

and Urban Development (HUD/OIG). 

ACTION: Notice of reorganization: the 

reclassification of the Seattle, 

Washington; New Orleans, Louisiana; 

Baltimore, Maryland; Tampa, Florida; 

and Detroit, Michigan regional offices as 

field offices of investigation and the 

closing of the Louisville, Kentucky and 

Jacksonville, Florida, offices of 

investigations, the Long Island, New 

York, sub-field office of investigations 

and the Central Islip, New York, subfield office of investigations. 

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public 

that the HUD/OIG Office of 

Investigation plans to reclassify its 

Seattle, Washington; New Orleans, 

Louisiana; Baltimore, Maryland; Tampa, 

Florida; and Detroit, Michigan regional 

offices as field offices of investigation. 

Additionally, the following field offices 

will be closed: Louisville, Kentucky and 

Jacksonville, Florida; Long Island, New 

York (sub-field office); and Central Islip, 

New York (sub-field office). The 

planned reorganization is intended to: 

1. Improve the alignment of limited 

investigative resources, to promote more 

efficient responses to HUD or 

Congressional requests involving critical 

program issues; 

2. Improve management control and 

effectiveness while improving the 

overall management structure; 

3. Redeploy resources to prevent and 

detect fraud in new program delivery of 

CPD, FHA and other HUD programs; 

4. Return to a more traditional 

regional alignment of HUD OIG regional 

offices and HUD regional offices. 

The HUD/OIG Office of Audit, to the 

extent that it maintains offices in these 

locations, has determined that, based 

upon the different nature of its 

responsibilities, it does not need to 

reorganize. This notice also includes a 

cost-benefit analysis supporting the 

reclassification of the four regional 

offices. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John 

McCarty, Assistant Inspector General for 

Investigations, Department of Housing 

and Urban Development, 451 Seventh 

Street SW., Room 8274, Washington, DC 

20410–4500, telephone 202–708–0390 

(this is not a toll free number). A 

telecommunication device for hearing 

and speech-impaired persons (TTY) is 

available at 800–877–8339 (Federal 

Relay Services). (This is a toll free 

number). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 

7(p) of the Department of Housing and 

Urban Development Act (42 U.S.C. 

3535(p)) provides that: 

A plan for reorganization, of any regional, 

area, insuring, or other field office of the 

Department of Housing and Urban 

Development may take effect only upon the 

expiration of 90 days after the publication in 

the Federal Register of a cost-benefit analysis 

of the effect of the plan on the office 

involved. 

The required cost-benefit analysis must 

include: (1) An estimate of cost savings 

anticipated; (2) an estimate of the 

additional cost which will result from 

the reorganization; (3) a discussion of 

the impact on the local economy; and 

(4) an estimate of the effect of the 

reorganization on the availability, 

accessibility, and quality of services 

provided for recipients of those services. 

Legislative history pertaining to 

section 7(p) indicates that not all 

reorganizations are subject to the 

requirements of section 7(p). Congress 

stated that ‘‘[t]his amendment is not 

intended to [apply] to or restrict the 

internal operations or organization of 

the Department (such as the 

establishment of new or combination of 

existing organization units within a 

field office, the duty stationing of 

employees in various locations to 

provide on-site service, or the 

establishment or closing, based on 

workload, of small, informal offices 

such as valuation stations).’’ (See House 

Conference Report No. 95–1792, 

October 14, 1978 at 58.) Although HUD/ 

OIG believes that the legislative history 

of section 7(p) strongly suggests that the 

legislation is inapplicable to a 

reclassification of four field offices that 

will in no way reduce the level of 

services provided to areas served by 

such offices, HUD/OIG nonetheless 

voluntarily publishes the following costbenefit analysis of its plan. 

Cost-Benefit Analysis 

A. Background 

Since 2002, HUD/OIG staffing has 

declined from an average high of 730 

full time equivalents (FTEs) to a current 

level of 650 FTEs. HUD/OIG has a target 

FTE level of 620 for the beginning of FY 

2013. Simultaneous with this 

constriction of staff resources, HUD/OIG 

is contending with the onslaught of 

mortgage fraud issues and foreclosure 

issues associated with the collapse of 

the mortgage industry and the subprime market, the crippled economy 

and the impact that the economy has 

had on the foreclosure of HUD FHA 

insured loans. The staff reductions and 

unforeseen additional responsibilities 

have conspired to cause HUD/OIG 

Office of Investigation to struggle to 

continue to address baseline fraud, 

waste and abuse in HUD programs. To 

more efficiently and effectively address 

HUD/OIG’s core mission and at the 

same time become better prepared to 

respond to inevitable but unpredictable 

events, HUD/OIG plans to reclassify five 

regional offices to field offices and close 

three field offices, 90 days following the 

publication of this notice. 

B. Description of Proposed Changes 

90 days following the publication of 

this notice, the HUD/OIG Office of 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 56 / Thursday, March 22, 2012 / Notices 16853 

Investigation will reclassify its Seattle, 

Washington; New Orleans, Louisiana; 

Baltimore, Maryland; Tampa, Florida; 

and Detroit, Michigan regional offices as 

field offices. The Seattle, Washington, 

field office will be aligned under the 

newly reformed Denver, Colorado, 

regional office (Region 8). The New 

Orleans, Louisiana, field office and its 

former field offices will be aligned 

under the Fort Worth, Texas, regional 

office (Region 6) or the Atlanta, Georgia 

regional office (Region 4). The 

Baltimore, Maryland, field office and its 

former field offices will be aligned 

under the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

regional office (Region 3). The Tampa, 

Florida, field office and its former field 

offices will be aligned under the 

Atlanta, Georgia, regional office (Region 

4). Additionally, as part of this 

reorganization the New York, New York, 

Regional Office (Region 2) will 

redistribute workload and personnel to 

address concerns in Long Island, New 

York and Central Islip, New York and 

will close two sub-field offices in New 

York. Region 4 will redistribute 

workload to address concerns in 

Jacksonville, Florida and Louisville, 

Kentucky where the offices are being 

closed. All other existing regional and 

field office jurisdictional boundaries 

will be unchanged, and the HUD/OIG 

Office of Audit will not participate in 

this reorganization. Additionally, the 

Office of Investigation’s headquarters 

organization will not be affected by this 

realignment. 

Like all HUD/OIG Office of 

Investigation regional offices, each of 

the five identified regional offices is 

currently managed by a GS–15 1811 

Special Agent-in-Charge (SAC). These 

SACs will be assigned as Deputy SACs 

(with no reduction in grade) to the 

appropriate regional office. Of note, 

there will be some attrition in this 

realignment and some positions will 

therefore be eliminated. The 

realignment ultimately will result in a 

net reduction of 6 FTEs. 

C. Costs Versus Benefits 

1. One-Time Costs 

(a) Personnel relocation cost ($0). It is 

not anticipated that there will be any 

personnel relocation costs associated 

with this reorganization. 

(b) Severance or unemployment 

compensation costs ($0). No severance 

costs are associated with this initiative 

as it does not contemplate the 

termination of any staff. 

(c) Purchase/movement of furniture 

and equipment ($0). Each of the field 

offices that are being evaluated for 

reclassification to regional office status 

already exist and are fully equipped. 

Additionally, the proposal does not 

contemplate the creation of new field 

offices or an increase in overall FTEs. 

Thus, no purchase or movement of 

furniture or equipment is involved. 

(d) Space alteration costs (de 

minimus). Some offices may require 

space alterations and telephone changes 

to accommodate any future changes of 

assigned staff. However, HUD/OIG 

estimates that any space alteration costs 

that result will be minimal because 

HUD/OIG has implemented and 

encourages teleworking. Further, 

hoteling is an option available to HUD/ 

OIG. 

No additional or supplemental 

funding is expected to the current 

appropriated budget. All costs will be 

maintained within the current budget. 

2. Permanent Increases in Operating 

Costs 

The realignment will not result in any 

increase in operating costs. 

No additional or supplemental 

funding is expected. 

3. Dollar Savings Resulting From 

Realignment of Offices 

Personnel Cost Savings. The 

realignment will ultimately result in a 

net reduction of 6 FTEs resulting in 

significant savings of well over 

$600,000.00 for personnel costs. 

Operating Costs Savings. The closure 

of the Louisville, Kentucky office will 

obviate the need to build out space for 

two agents. The agents are presently in 

loaned space from another agency. The 

planned lease of office space and tenant 

finish and equipping that space is being 

avoided by closing the office in 

Louisville. Approximate savings will be 

$125,000.00–150,000.00 the first year 

and $12,000.00 per year thereafter. 

D. Impact on Local Economies 

The planned reclassification of five 

regional offices is not expected to have 

any impact on the local economies of 

Seattle, Washington; New Orleans, 

Louisiana; Baltimore, Maryland; Tampa, 

Florida; or Detroit, Michigan, nor will 

there be any significant impact on Long 

Island, New York, Central Islip, New 

York or Jacksonville, Florida. For the 

realignment from regional to field 

offices, the plan does not involve 

terminating existing real estate leases 

prior to their expiration date, nor does 

it involve leasing addition real estate. 

Moreover, the plan does not 

contemplate appreciable relocation of 

staff to these large metropolitan areas. 

With regard to the offices that will be 

closed, these offices have been 

downsizing to allow management 

greater flexibility in positioning 

resources. The plan does involve 

terminating some existing real estate 

leases prior to their expiration date, 

with minimal costs associated with 

exercising early termination clauses 

which will be more than offset by future 

savings. Thus, any impact on the local 

economies in terms of housing, schools, 

public services, taxes, employment, and 

traffic congestion will be non-existent or 

insignificant at most. 

E. Effect of the Reclassifications on the 

Availability, Accessibility, and Quality 

of Services Provided for Recipients of 

Those Services 

The plan was designed to improve the 

quality and level of service provided to 

stakeholders and affected clients 

nationwide. The regions will receive 

greater management emphasis than 

prior to the reclassification. 

Management will be enabled to interact 

with HUD management and clients and 

law enforcement partners more 

frequently and in greater scope than is 

now possible. More interaction and 

attention translates into more 

availability and accessibility of higher 

quality services. 

Dated: March 13, 2012. 

David A. Montoya, 

Inspector General. 

[FR Doc. 2012–6970 Filed 3–21–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4210–67–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R4–ES–2012–N013; 

FXES11130400000EA–123–FF04EF1000] 

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife 

and Plants; Receipt of Application for 

Incidental Take Permit; Availability of 

Proposed Low-Effect Habitat 

Conservation Plan; Reed Motors, Inc., 

Lake County, FL 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comment/information. 

SUMMARY: We, the Fish and Wildlife 

Service (Service), have received an 

application from Reed Motors, Inc. 

(applicant), for an incidental take permit 

(ITP) #TE65123A–0. The applicant 

requests a 5-year ITP under the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended (Act). We request public 

comment on the permit application and 

accompanying proposed habitat 

conservation plan (HCP), as well as on 

our preliminary determination that the 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES