[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 203 (Friday, October 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64394-64396]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25711]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

[Docket No. FR-5550-D-03]


Redelegation of Authority for Office of Field Policy and 
Management

AGENCY: Office of Field Policy and Management, HUD.

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ACTION: Notice of Redelegation of Authority.

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SUMMARY: Through this notice, the Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field 
Policy and Management redelegates certain operational management 
authority to the HUD Regional Administrators located in Region I 
(Boston, MA); Region II (New York, NY); Region III (Philadelphia, PA); 
Region IV (Atlanta, GA); Region V (Chicago, IL), Region VI (Fort Worth, 
TX), Region VII (Kansas City, KS); Region VIII (Denver, CO); Region IX 
(San Francisco, CA); and Region X (Seattle, WA).

DATES: Effective Date: October 9, 2012.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lawrence D. Reynolds, Assistant 
General Counsel, Administrative Law Division, Department of Housing and 
Urban Development, Room 9262, 451 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20410-
0500, telephone number, 202-402-3502 (this is not a toll-free number). 
This number may be accessed through TTY by calling the toll-free 
Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By separate notice published in today's 
Federal Register, the Secretary of HUD delegates to the Assistant 
Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management authority for the 
management and oversight of the Department's field operations, and 
further authorizes the Assistant Deputy Secretary to redelegate such 
authority. Through this notice, the Assistant Deputy Secretary for 
Field Policy and Management redelegates certain operational management 
authority to the HUD Regional Administrators. On March 26, 2002 (67 FR 
13791), and April 5, 2007 (72 FR 16809), HUD published Delegations of 
Authority from the Secretary to the Regional Directors/Administrators 
of Field Policy and Management. This notice supersedes these and all 
prior redelegations to the HUD Regional Administrators.

Section I: Authority Redelegated

    A. Cross-Program Coordination. Each Regional Administrator is 
redelegated the following duties:
    1. Develop and implement place-based Management Plans in 
consultation with field program directors;
    2. Coordinate cross-program projects and Field Office Quality 
Management Reviews;
    3. Prepare briefing papers and hot issue documents;
    4. Lead disaster relief efforts;
    5. Lead problem-solving teams to address significant issues 
involving internal and external stakeholders and program areas;
    6. Convene on-site program teams (i.e., CPD, OGC, FHEO), as 
necessary and in consultation with field program directors to review 
proposed, major projects or initiatives for place-based impact;
    7. Assist state and local housing officials in assessing the impact 
of housing foreclosures;
    8. Convene place-based teams, as necessary and in consultation with 
field program directors, to review Consolidated Plans during the 45-day 
review period;
    9. Provide comments to Public Indian Housing (PIH) Field Directors 
on public housing disposal and/or demolition applications;
    10. Review with other program leaders the status of the HUD-VASH 
program to maximize utilization; and
    11. Consult with program directors regarding implementation of 
departmental management goals, secretarial and Presidential 
initiatives, and Annual Performance Plan commitments.
    Regional Administrators can request review by Headquarters of 
decisions made by program directors. Where the Regional Administrator 
and relevant program director disagree on a major program decision, the 
Regional Administrator may report the disagreement to the Assistant 
Deputy Secretary, Field Policy and Management, who may then raise the 
matter with the relevant Assistant Secretary or equivalent. The 
relevant Assistant Secretary or equivalent makes the final 
determination, subject to review by the Deputy Secretary, as necessary.
    B. Administrative Management. Each Regional Administrator is 
delegated the following administrative duties:
    1. Determine official office hours and opening, closing, and 
emergency procedures;
    2. Authorize excused absence by administrative directive for up to 
three days for office closure or group dismissal for severe 
environmental disturbance or other managerial reasons (e.g., loss of 
heating or air conditioning) in field office location; and
    3. Regional Administrators may request a waiver of specific 
directives and handbook provisions pertaining to programs in the 
Offices of Housing, Public and Indian Housing, Community Planning and 
Development, and Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Waiver is not 
authorized for the HUD Litigation Handbook and regulations, or those 
departmental directives and handbook provisions mandated by or directly 
predicated on a statute, executive order, or regulation. Waiver 
requests by the Regional Administrator will be forwarded to the 
Assistant Deputy Secretary, the Office of Field Policy and Management, 
who will forward the requests to the respective program Assistant 
Secretary for final decision. All waivers requests must be in writing 
and specify the grounds for requesting the waiver. Regional 
Administrators will be notified in writing of the program Assistant 
Secretary's decision, through the Office of Field Policy and Management 
leadership. Only the program Assistant Secretary may grant waivers or 
make a specific delegation of waiver authority.
    C. Representation. Each Regional Administrator is redelegated the 
following duties:
    1. Serve as the lead point of contact for nontribal local elected 
or appointed officials;
    2. Serve as one of the principal points of contact with industry 
groups with the support of and in consultation with field program 
directors;
    3. Manage and conduct labor/management relations;
    4. Manage all inquiries and correspondence, including Freedom of 
Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended) requests and Congressional 
and intergovernmental communications, in consultation with field 
program directors;
    5. Respond to all media inquiries in conjunction with Headquarters. 
Office of Public Affairs and field program directors;
    6. Administer the local office's Web page and Internet sources;
    7. Monitor and evaluate customer service; and
    8. Enter into cosponsorship agreements, with the concurrence of the 
General Counsel and the relevant program Assistant Secretary or 
equivalent.

Section II: Authority To Redelegate

    Except for those authorities specifically excluded in Section III 
of this notice, this authority may be redelegated, as appropriate, from 
Regional Administrators to Field Office Directors within the respective 
jurisdictions.

Section III: Authority Non-Redelegable

    The following authorities may not be redelegated from the Regional 
Administrators to the Field Office Directors or to any other employee:
    1. The authority to enter into cosponsorship agreements;
    2. The authority to request waivers as provided by section I.B.3. 
above; and

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    3. The authority to sign local, area-wide, or center-wide 
negotiated impact and implementation (I&I) or memorandum of 
understanding (MOA) agreements with unions representing smaller units 
consisting of either Headquarters and/or Field employees on issues 
confined to a single program area and within the Regional 
Administrators' own budget authority, including the resolution of 
unfair labor practice charges and bargaining impasses.

Section IV: Delegations Superseded

    This notice supersedes all prior delegations of authority to the 
Regional Directors/Administrators from the Secretary of HUD or the 
Assistant Deputy Secretary, Field Policy and Management.

    Authority: Section 7(d)(q) of the Department of HUD Act, 42 
U.S.C. 3535(d).

    Dated: October 9, 2012.
Patricia A. Hoban-Moore,
Assistant Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-25711 Filed 10-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4210-67-P