[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]



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 Rules and Regulations
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  Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 26 / Monday, February 9, 1998 / Rules 
and Regulations  

[[Page 6471]]


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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.

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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 [email protected].

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]
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