[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 219 (Monday, November 15, 1999)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 61769-61770]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-29686]



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Rules and Regulations
                                                Federal Register
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Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 219 / Monday, November 15, 1999 / 
Rules and Regulations

[[Page 61769]]


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OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT

5 CFR Part 532

RIN 3206-AI86


Prevailing Rate Systems; Definition of Napa County, CA, to a 
Nonappropriated 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 define Napa County, California, as an area of application to 
the Solano, CA, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System (FWS) 
wage area. This change is necessary because there will be NAF FWS 
employees stationed in Napa County, and the county is not currently 
defined to an NAF wage area.

DATES: This interim rule is effective on December 15, 1999. Comments 
must be received by December 15, 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, (202) 606-2848, FAX: 
(202) 606-0824, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is redefining the Solano, 
California, Federal Wage System (FWS) nonappropriated fund (NAF) wage 
area to add Napa County, CA, as an area of application. The Army and 
Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) recently acquired the Yountville 
Retail Facility located in Napa County and plans to staff the new 
activity with approximately eight employees, two of whom will be paid 
under the FWS. Under section 532.219 of title 5, Code of Federal 
Regulations, each NAF wage area ``shall consist of one or more survey 
areas, along with nonsurvey areas, having nonappropriated fund 
employees.'' Currently, the Solano wage area consists of one survey 
county, Solano County, and two areas of application counties, Marin and 
Sonoma Counties, CA.
    Section 532.219 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, lists the 
regulatory criteria that OPM considers when defining FWS wage area 
boundaries:
    (i) Proximity of largest activity in each county;
    (ii) Transportation facilities and commuting patterns; and
    (iii) Similarities of the counties in:
    (A) Overall population;
    (B) Private employment in major industry categories; and
    (C) Kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments.
    Based on an analysis of the regulatory criteria for defining NAF 
wage areas, OPM is defining Napa County, CA, as an area of application 
to the Solano, CA, NAF FWS wage area. The Federal Prevailing Rate 
Advisory Committee, the national labor-management committee responsible 
for advising OPM on matters concerning the pay of FWS employees, 
reviewed and concurred by consensus with this change.
    Napa County does not meet the regulatory criteria under 5 CFR 
532.219 to be established as a separate NAF wage area; however, 
nonsurvey counties may be combined with a survey area to form a wage 
area. Therefore, Napa County will be defined as an area of application 
to an existing NAF wage area. The closest major Federal installation to 
Yountville is Travis Air Force Base (AFB) in the Solano survey area. 
Travis AFB has approximately 444 NAF FWS employees. Yountville is 
approximately 43 km (27 miles) from Travis AFB. Commuting patterns, 
which indicate that 11 percent of the Napa County resident workforce 
commutes to work in the Solano survey area, favor the Solano wage area. 
Transportation facilities consist of major interstates and highways and 
do not favor one wage area more than another.
    A review of employment and kinds and sizes of industrial 
establishments shows that the Solano survey area is composed of a 
moderately sized population and workforce that most closely resembles 
Napa County. The Solano survey area also has a similar distribution of 
employment in surveyable industries to Napa County, with a high 
proportion of employment in the services sector.

Waiver of Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

    Pursuant to section 553(b)(3)(B) of title 5, United States Code, I 
find that good cause exists for waiving the general notice of proposed 
rulemaking. The notice is being waived because it is necessary to 
define Napa County, CA, to an NAF wage area as soon as possible to set 
pay for new FWS employees.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    I certify that this regulation will not have a significant economic 
impact on a substantial number of small entities because it 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.

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.

    2. Appendix D to subpart B is amended by revising the wage area 
listing for the Solano, California, wage area to read as follows:

Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 532--Nonappropriated Fund Wage and 
Survey Areas

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CALIFORNIA

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[[Page 61770]]

SOLANO

Survey Area

California:
    Solano

Area of Application. Survey area plus:

California:
    Marin
    Napa
    Sonoma
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[FR Doc. 99-29686 Filed 11-12-99; 8:45 am]
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