Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 213 / Friday, November 4, 2005 / Notices 67213 

1This filing is a resubmission of a petition for 

exemption previously filed on June 6, 2005, 

wherein SPROC sought authorization to abandon 

the above lines. See San Pedro Railroad Operating 

Company, LLC—Abandonment Exemption—in 

Cochise County, AZ, STB Docket No. AB–441 (SubNo. 4X). Notice of the filing was served and 

published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2005 

Continued 

ability to obtain realistic comparisons of 

the procurement methods employed. 

• Because procurements of buses and 

other rolling stock often extend to five 

years of requirements, many interested 

transit agencies may be obligated under 

the terms of existing multi-year 

contracts. A transit agency obligated 

under a current contract may wish to be 

involved in a pilot project’s out-years. 

For example, a transit agency obligated 

to buy buses under a current contract for 

two more years may wish to join the 

project for purchases effective in year 

three (assuming a five-year contract 

duration under a project). If a transit 

agency holds an existing option or other 

right to purchase buses in the future, 

participation in the CPPP might provide 

better pricing that would warrant a 

decision not to exercise the option. A 

proposal including participants facing 

this situation should explain how it will 

address this issue, e.g., forego or assign 

the option to other nonparticipants. 

• Similarly, current practice allows 

transit agencies to assign rights to 

purchase buses to other transit agencies 

not parties to the original contract, a 

practice known in the industry as 

‘‘piggybacking.’’ This practice may be 

inconsistent with the concept of joint 

procurement, a potential threat to the 

market, or otherwise inappropriate in 

this program. Proposals should address 

this issue in terms of the intent to allow 

or not allow assignments. 

• One joint procurement model 

involves designating a lead transit 

agency to act as the ‘‘contracting officer’’

for all project participants, with other 

participants limited to the role of 

‘‘authorized purchaser’’ without 

authority to change, curtail, or extend 

the single contract. Another model 

could have all participants in a project 

cooperate in issuing specifications but 

independently contract with the 

supplier(s) selected according to each 

transit agency’s independent analysis of 

the suppliers’ proposals. CPPP 

proposals should explain how this, or 

other methods they propose to use, 

would serve the program’s goals and the 

intent of the individual project. 

• Bonding and payment terms, as 

well as overall risk management and 

mitigation, are concerns for both transit 

agencies and suppliers. This program 

offers an opportunity to foster 

innovative approaches to these issues 

that fairly and economically allocate 

risks. 

• The voluntary industry bus 

specification (the Standard Bus 

Procurement Guidelines) funded by 

FTA and issued by the American Public 

Transportation Association may serve as 

a baseline for one or more project 

specifications. 

Submission of Proposals 

FTA solicits proposals for two pilot 

CPPP projects. Proposals should present 

an overview of the proposed project, a 

preliminary list of the participants, the 

objectives of the procurement, 

technological aspects of the proposed 

project, anticipated costs (not including 

the purchase price of the equipment to 

be procured), and a description of how 

the project meets the selection criteria 

below and approaches the issues 

described above. Not all project 

participants need be identified at the 

time of the proposal; they may be added 

to the project once the selection is 

made. 

Selection Criteria 

In selecting the pilot CPPP projects, 

FTA will give preference to proposals 

aimed primarily at procurements of 

rolling stock, but will consider 

cooperative procurement proposals of 

other major capital equipment as well. 

FTA’s selection will be based on a 

determination of how to best test 

different methods of joint procurement, 

so that FTA can compare and contrast 

those methods and report the results to 

Congress and the industry as a guide for 

future procurement actions. FTA will 

select the two pilot projects after 

consideration of: 

• Sound business planning. Proposals 

should demonstrate a clear, concise 

procurement plan, ordering procedures, 

financial and contractual aspects of 

their approach, and contract 

administration techniques. 

• Identification, mitigation, 

management, and sharing of risk. This 

includes approaches to bonding, 

payment terms, warranties, and other 

elements of risk that affect pricing. 

• Amount and likelihood of economic 

benefits. Proposals should present, to 

the extent possible, projected costs 

savings to be garnered through 

administrative efficiencies, as well as 

potential savings predicated on volume 

buying. 

• Administrative efficiency. This 

includes streamlining efforts that assist 

buyers and sellers alike. 

• Innovative techniques. This 

includes the use of technology to 

promote efficiency and/or reduce costs 

for buyers and sellers, novel approaches 

to financing, maintenance, parts 

supplies, or other aspects of total costs 

of ownership. 

• Approach to the initial issues. 

Proposals should explain how they will 

approach FTA’s systemic concerns 

explained above. 

• Technical capacity. This refers to 

the capacity of the proposers to 

undertake and manage a joint 

procurement of this nature. 

Evaluation Process 

FTA staff will evaluate all proposals 

based on the selection criteria listed 

above. We may engage in discussions 

with individual proposers to further 

define the pilot projects, but reserve the 

right to select one or more pilot projects 

based on the original submissions and 

without discussions. 

Program Evaluation and Reporting 

Following the award of the 

procurement contract(s) in each pilot 

project, FTA will evaluate the 

procurement process used and the 

results achieved in each project, and 

report the findings to Congress. FTA’s 

evaluation will be based on the cost 

savings compared to a standard 

procurement; the improvement in the 

efficiency of the procurement process; 

the ease of implementing the 

procurement methods; the decrease in 

managerial burden on the organizations 

involved; and the use of Internet-based 

software technology in developing 

specifications, aggregating equipment 

requirements with other transit 

agencies, and generating cooperative 

requests for proposal packages. FTA 

will use the results of this evaluation to 

formulate guidance for grantees on the 

use of cooperative procurement 

methods. Participating entities will be 

required to cooperate in the information 

gathering, reporting, and outreach 

processes. 

Issued on: November 1, 2005. 

Jennifer L. Dorn, 

Administrator. 

[FR Doc. 05–22058 Filed 11–3–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–57–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Surface Transportation Board 

[STB Docket No. AB–1081X] 1

San Pedro Railroad Operating 

Company, LLC—Abandonment 

Exemption—in Cochise County, AZ 

On October 17, 2005, San Pedro 

Railroad Operating Company, LLC 

67214 Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 213 / Friday, November 4, 2005 / Notices 

(70 FR 36696–97). By decision served on September 

15, 2005, the Board denied the petition without 

prejudice to SPROC’s filing an application or a 

properly supported petition for exemption under a 

new docket number. 2SPROC concurrently filed a motion for a 

protective order. The motion was granted by 

decision served on October 26, 2005. 

3SPROC has requested that this proceeding be 

handled expeditiously. 

(SPROC), a wholly owned subsidiary of 

Arizona Rail Group, filed with the 

Surface Transportation Board a 

petition 2 under 49 U.S.C. 10502 for 

exemption from the provisions of 49 

U.S.C. 10903 to abandon approximately 

76.2 miles of railroad in Cochise 

County, AZ, as follows: (1) The Bisbee 

Branch, between milepost 1085.0 at 

Bisbee Junction and milepost 1090.6 at 

Bisbee, a distance of 5.6 miles; and (2) 

the Douglas Branch (a) between 

milepost 1097.3 near Paul Spur and 

milepost 1106.5 near Douglas, a 

distance of 9.2 miles, (b) between 

milepost 1055.8 near Charleston and 

milepost 1097.3 near Paul Spur, a 

distance of 41.5 miles, and (c) between 

milepost 1040.15 near Curtiss and 

milepost 1055.8 near Charleston, a 

distance of 19.9 miles. The lines 

traverse U.S. Postal Service Zip Codes 

85602, 85603, 85607, and 85615 and 

include no stations. 

The lines do not contain federally 

granted rights-of-way. Any 

documentation in SPROC’s possession 

will be made available promptly to 

those requesting it. 

The interest of railroad employees 

will be protected by the conditions set 

forth in Oregon Short Line R. Co.—

Abandonment—Goshen, 360 I.C.C. 91 

(1979). 

By issuance of this notice, the Board 

is instituting an exemption proceeding 

pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502(b). A final 

decision will be issued by February 3, 

2006.3

Any offer of financial assistance 

(OFA) under 49 CFR 1152.27(b)(2) will 

be due no later than 10 days after 

service of a decision granting the 

petition for exemption. Each offer must 

be accompanied by a $1,200 filing fee. 

See 49 CFR 1002.2(f)(25). 

All interested persons should be 

aware that, following abandonment of 

rail service and salvage of the line, the 

line may be suitable for other public 

use, including interim trail use. Any 

request for a public use condition under 

49 CFR 1152.28 or for trail use/rail 

banking under 49 CFR 1152.29 will be 

due no later than November 25, 2005. 

Each trail use request must be 

accompanied by a $200 filing fee. See 49 

CFR 1002.2(f)(27). 

All filings in response to this notice 

must refer to STB Docket No. AB–

1081X, and must be sent to: (1) Surface 

Transportation Board, 1925 K Street, 

NW., Washington, DC 20423–0001, and 

(2) John D. Heffner, 1920 N Street, NW., 

Suite 800, Washington, DC 20036. 

Replies to SPROC’s petition are due on 

or before November 25, 2005. 

Persons seeking further information 

concerning abandonment procedures 

may contact the Board’s Office of Public 

Services at (202) 565–1592 or refer to 

the full abandonment or discontinuance 

regulations at 49 CFR part 1152. 

Questions concerning environmental 

issues may be directed to the Board’s 

Section of Environmental Analysis 

(SEA) at (202) 565–1539. [Assistance for 

the hearing impaired is available 

through the Federal Information Relay 

Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339.] 

An environmental assessment (EA) (or 

environmental impact statement (EIS), if 

necessary) prepared by SEA will be 

served upon all parties of record and 

upon any agencies or other persons who 

commented during its preparation. 

Other interested persons may contact 

SEA to obtain a copy of the EA (or EIS). 

EAs in these abandonment proceedings 

normally will be made available within 

60 days of the filing of the petition. The 

deadline for submission of comments on 

the EA will generally be within 30 days 

of its service. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our Web site at http:// 

www.stb.dot.gov. 

Decided: October 28, 2005. 

By the Board, Joseph H. Dettmar, Acting 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Vernon A. Williams, 

Secretary. 

[FR Doc. 05–22053 Filed 11–3–05; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY 

Internal Revenue Service 

Proposed Collection; Comment 

Request for Form 8895 

AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), 

Treasury. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of the 

Treasury, as part of its continuing effort 

to reduce paperwork and respondent 

burden, invites the general public and 

other Federal agencies to take this 

opportunity to comment on proposed 

and/or continuing information 

collections, as required by the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 

Public Law 104–13 (44 U.S.C. 

3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is 

soliciting comments concerning Form 

8895, One-Time Dividends Received 

Deduction for Certain Cash Dividends 

from Controlled Foreign Corporations. 

DATES: Written comments should be 

received on or before January 3, 2006 to 

be assured of consideration. 

ADDRESSES: Direct all written comments 

to Glenn P. Kirkland, Internal Revenue 

Service, room 6516, 1111 Constitution 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20224. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Requests for additional information or 

copies of the form and instructions 

should be directed to R. Joseph Durbala, 

(202) 622–3634, at Internal Revenue 

Service, room 6516, 1111 Constitution 

Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20224, 

or through the Internet at 

RJoseph.Durbala@irs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: OneTime Dividends Received Deduction for 

Certain Cash Dividends from Controlled 

Foreign Corporations. 

OMB Number: 1545–1948. 

Form Number: 8895. 

Abstract: Form 8895 is used by a U.S. 

corporation to elect the 85% dividends 

received deduction provided under 

section 965 and to compute the DRD. 

Current Actions: There is no change 

in the paperwork burden previously 

approved by OMB. This form is being 

submitted for renewal purposes only. 

Type of Review: Extension of a 

currently approved collection. 

Affected Public: Businesses and other 

for-profit organizations. 

Estimated Number of Respondents: 

2,000. 

Estimated Time Per Respondent: 25 

hours, 1 minute. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 50,020. 

The following paragraph applies to all 

of the collections of information covered 

by this notice: 

An agency may not conduct or 

sponsor, and a person is not required to 

respond to, a collection of information 

unless the collection of information 

displays a valid OMB control number. 

Books or records relating to a collection 

of information must be retained as long 

as their contents may become material 

in the administration of any internal 

revenue law. Generally, tax returns and 

tax return information are confidential, 

as required by 26 U.S.C. 6103. 

Request for Comments 

Comments submitted in response to 

this notice will be summarized and/or 

included in the request for OMB 

approval. All comments will become a 

matter of public record. Comments are 

invited on: (a) Whether the collection of 

information is necessary for the proper