[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 52 (Monday, March 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12040-12041]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-6334]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
[Docket No. FR-4743-N-01]
Notice of Planned Closing of Oakland, CA Post-of-Duty Station
AGENCY: Office of Inspector General, HUD.
ACTION: Notice of Planned Closing of Oakland, California Post-of-Duty
Station.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the HUD Office of
Inspector General is closing its Oakland, California post-of-duty
station, and also provides a cost-benefit analysis of the impact of the
closure.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bryan Saddler, Counsel to the
Inspector General, Room 8260, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, 451 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20410, (202) 708-
1613. (This is not a toll free number.) A telecommunications device for
hearing- and speech-impaired persons (TTY) is available at 1-800-877-
8339 (Federal Information Relay Services). (This is a toll-free
number.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
In 1996, HUD's Office of Inspector General (HUD/OIG) established a
two person post-of-duty station in Oakland, California, to give direct
support to the Oakland, California office's Operation Safe Home (OSH)
initiative to combat violent and drug-related crime in public and
assisted housing in the city and nearby communities. Although the
Oakland post-of-duty station is only about 10 miles from HUD/OIG's San
Francisco Regional Office, nationwide experience since the initiation
of OSH in 1994 had proven that the best results/impact could be
obtained when HUD/OIG Special Agents were physically located in the
target city. However, in accordance with the requirements of the Fiscal
Year 2002 HUD Appropriations Act (Pub.L. 107-73, approved November 26,
2001), HUD/OIG is terminating OSH and re-deploying staff to focus on
investigations involving single-family fraud and property flipping.
This change eliminates the need to maintain a separate post-of-duty
station in Oakland, California, and gives HUD/OIG the opportunity to
generate cost savings associated with discontinuing an additional
office.
Section 7(p) of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Act
(42 U.S.C. 3535(p)) provides that a plan for field reorganization,
which may involve the closing of any field or regional office, of the
Department of Housing and Urban Development may not take effect until
90 days after a cost-benefit analysis of the effect of the plan on the
office in question is published in the Federal Register. The required
cost-benefit analysis should 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
[[Page 12041]]
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 105-106.)
The two-person duty-station in Oakland, California, is a single
purpose duty station, and the duty station is being closed based on
workload rather than a reorganization of OIG field offices. Although
notice of the closing of a duty station is not subject to the
requirement of section 7(p), as supported by legislative history, OIG
nevertheless prepared a cost-benefit analysis for its own use in
determining whether to proceed with the closing. Through this notice,
OIG advises the public of the closing of the Oakland, California duty
station and provides the cost-benefit analysis of the impact of the
closure.
Impact of the Closure of the Oakland, California Post-of-Duty
Station
HUD/OIG considered the costs and benefits of closing the Oakland,
California post-of-duty, and is publishing its cost-benefit analysis
with this notice. In summary, HUD/OIG has determined that the closure
will result in a cost savings, and, as a result of the size and limited
function of the office, will cause no appreciable impact on the
provision of authorized investigative services/activities in the area
(i.e., OSH activities, of course, will be impacted, but HUD/OIG has
been directed to terminate these activities).
Cost-Benefit Analysis
A. Cost Savings
The Oakland, California post-of-duty currently costs $35,617 per
year in lease expenses. Thus, closing the post-of-duty will result in
an annual savings of at least $35,617. In addition, by closing the
office HUD/OIG will not be required to incur additional costs
associated with current plans to install high-speed computer access
lines to and on the premises, nor will HUD/OIG incur costs associated
with the lease or purchase of duplicative office equipment.
B. Additional Costs
There are no offsetting expenses anticipated. The Special Agents
assigned to the Oakland, California post-of-duty will be reassigned to
the San Francisco Regional Office, without need for relocation
reimbursement. Further, there is adequate existing office space to
accommodate the Special Agents within the San Francisco Regional
Office.
C. Impact on Local Economy
The Oakland, California post-of-duty office space is located in
government office space: The Federal Court House. Further, the post-of-
duty comprises a mere 1290 square feet of space, which can easily be
re-leased to other tenants. Moreover, the closure coincides with the
normal expiration of HUD/OIG's lease. Thus, no appreciable impact on
the local economy is anticipated.
D. Effect on Availability, Accessibility and Quality of Services
Provided to Recipients of Those Services
The establishment of the Oakland, California post-of-duty was based
entirely on the needs of the HUD/OIG to have Special Agents in closer
proximity to OSH activities conducted in the Oakland area. These
activities are being terminated. Further, as was the case prior to
1996, fraud investigations in the Oakland area can be cost-effectively
addressed by agents assigned to the San Francisco Regional Office which
is about 10 miles away.
For the reasons stated in this notice, HUD/OIG intends to proceed
to close its Oakland, California post-of-duty station at the expiration
of the 90-day period from the date of publication of this notice.
Dated: March 8, 2002.
David C. Williams,
Acting Inspector General.
[FR Doc. 02-6334 Filed 3-15-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-78-P