[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 26 (Monday, February 9, 1998)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 6471-6472]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-2904]
========================================================================
Rules and Regulations
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains regulatory documents
having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed
to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations, which is published
under 50 titles pursuant to 44 U.S.C. 1510.
The Code of Federal Regulations is sold by the Superintendent of Documents.
Prices of new books are listed in the first FEDERAL REGISTER issue of each
week.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 26 / Monday, February 9, 1998 / Rules
and Regulations
[[Page 6471]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
5 CFR Part 532
RIN 3206-A113
Prevailing Rate Systems; Redefinition of the Orlando, FL,
Appropriated Fund Wage Area
AGENCY: Office of Personnel Management.
ACTION: Interim rule with request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is issuing an interim
rule to redefine Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia Counties, FL,
from the Orlando, FL, Federal Wage System (FWS) appropriated fund wage
area to the Jacksonville, FL, FWS wage area. March 11, 1998.
DATES: This interim rule is effective March 11, 1998. Employees in the
Orlando wage area will be transferred to the Jacksonville wage schedule
on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or
after March 11, 1998. Comments must be received on or before March 11,
1998.
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, or FAX: (202) 606-0824.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark A. Allen at (202) 606-2848, or
send an email message to maallen@opm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Office of Personnel Management is
issuing the second of two interim rules to abolish and redefine the
Orlando, FL, appropriated fund wage area. The Orlando wage area is
currently composed of Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia Counties
in Florida. Because of the pending closure of the Orlando Naval
Training Station, the Department of Defense (DOD), the lead agency for
the Orlando wage area, was unable to conduct the wage survey that was
scheduled to begin in the Orlando wage area in September 1997. An
earlier interim rule removed the requirement that local wage surveys be
conducted in the Orlando wage area (62 FR 51759). This interim rule
redefines the four counties of the Orlando wage area to the
Jacksonville, FL, wage area's area of application.
Section 532.211 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, lists the
following criteria for consideration when OPM defines FWS wage area
boundaries:
(i) Distance, transportation facilities, and geographic features;
(ii) Commuting patterns; and
(iii) Similarities in overall population, employment, and the kinds
and sizes of private industrial establishments.
An examination of the above criteria found that the distance
criterion favored defining Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia
Counties to the Cocoa Beach-Melbourne, FL, wage area. However, the
similarities in overall population and employment criteria favored
defining the four counties to the Jacksonville wage area more than to
the Cocoa Beach-Melbourne wage area. The other regulatory criteria were
indeterminate. An additional factor taken into consideration in the
review of Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia Counties was the fact
that wage schedules for FWS employees who are stationed in the Cocoa
Beach-Melbourne wage area are constructed predominantly from wage data
obtained from private industrial establishments working on Federal
contracts for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that
have little similarity to the private industrial establishments found
in the Orlando wage area. Wage schedules for FWS employees who are
stationed in the Jacksonville wage area are constructed from wage data
obtained from a broader range of private industrial establishments that
appear to be more similar to the private industrial establishments
generally found in the Orlando wage area. On balance, the regulatory
criteria for defining FWS wage areas show that the four counties of the
Orlando wage area are a better fit with the Jacksonville wage area than
with the Cocoa Beach-Melbourne wage area. For this reason, OPM is
moving Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia Counties to the
Jacksonville wage area.
The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee reviewed this
recommendation and by consensus recommended approval.
Waiver of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Delayed Effective date
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), I find that good cause exists
for waiving the general notice of proposed rulemaking. The notice is
being waived because FWS employees who are stationed in the Orlando
wage area would have received wage adjustments in November 1997 had DOD
been able to continue conducting local wage surveys in the Orlando wage
area. This interim rule will allow those employees to receive wage
adjustments as soon as is practicable with an appropriate period of
time for agencies to implement the change.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
I certify that these regulations will not have significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small entities because they 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.
Office of Personnel Management.
Janice R. Lachance,
Director.
Accordingly, OPM 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.
Appendix C to Subpart B of Part 532 [Amended]
2. Appendix C to subpart B is amended under the State of Florida by
removing the wage area listing for the Orlando wage area and by
revising the Jacksonville wage area listing to read as follows:
[[Page 6472]]
Appendix C to Subpart B of part 532--Appropriated Fund Wage and
Survey Areas
* * * * *
Florida
* * * * *
Jacksonville
Survey Area
Florida:
Alachua
Baker
Clay
Duval
Nassau
St. Johns
Area of Application. Survey Area Plus
Florida:
Bradford
Citrus
Columbia
Dixie
Flagler
Gilchrist
Hamilton
Lafayette
Lake
Levy
Madison
Marion
Orange
Osceola
Putnam
Seminole
Sumter
Suwanee
Taylor
Union
Volusia
Georgia:
Brantley
Camden
Charlton
Glynn
Pierce
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 98-2904 Filed 2-8-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6325-01-M
