# Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of Cook, IL, Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area > Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more. URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-28856 ## Record - **Collection:** Federal Register - **Document type:** Uncategorized Document - **Published:** November 23, 1994 ## Text SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing interim regulations to abolish the Cook, IL, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage System wage area and add Cook County, IL, as an area of application to the Lake, IL, NAF wage area for pay-setting purposes. No employee's wage rate will be reduced as a result of this change. DATES: This interim rule becomes effective on November 23, 1994. Comments must be received by December 23, 1994. Employees paid rates from the Cook, IL, NAF wage schedule will continue to be paid from that schedule until their conversion to the Lake, IL, NAF wage schedule effective on December 5, 1994. ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Acting Assistant Director for Compensation Policy, Personnel Systems and Oversight Group, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Room 6H31, 1900 E Street NW., Washington, DC 20415. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Shields, (202) 606-2848. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Defense recommended to the Office of Personnel Management that the Cook, IL, NAF wage area be abolished and that Cook County be assigned to another wage area. With the scheduled 1995 closing of the host installation, Naval Air Station, Glenview, IL, there will no longer be a local activity with the capability to do the survey. There will, however, still be about 44 NAF employees in Cook County. The provisions of 5 CFR 532.219 list the following criteria for consideration when two or more counties are to be combined to constitute a single wage area: (1) Proximity of largest activity in each county; (2) Transportation facilities and commuting patterns; and (3) Similarities of the counties in: (i) Overall population; (ii) Private employment in major industry categories; and (iii) Kinds and sizes of private industrial establishments. These criteria are discussed in turn below. Lake County, IL, is much closer to Cook County than any other NAF wage area. Distances from Naval Air Station, Glenview, IL, to the host activities of the surrounding wage areas are as follows: Great Lakes Naval Training Center, Lake County, 35 km (22 miles); Rock Island Arsenal, Rock Island County, 285 km (177 miles); Fort Benjamin Harrison, Marion County, IN, 325 km (202 miles); and Scott Air Force Base, St. Clair County, 509 km (316 miles). Transportation facilities and commuting patterns show Cook County to be much more closely associated with Lake County than the other NAF wage areas. Transportation facilities consist of interstate highways providing access from Glenview to each of the surrounding wage areas. An analysis of 1990 commuting patterns data indicates that 2,356,264 workers live in Cook County. Of these, 2,148,226 (91 percent) also work in Cook County. Of the counties under consideration, more Cook residents (39,585) commute to work in Lake County than any of the others. Only 211 Cook County residents commute to Marion County, IN, and none commute to Rock Island or St. Clair Counties. The overall populations of Marion County (797,159) and Lake County (516,418) are much smaller than Cook County (5,105,067) but are more similar to Cook County than either Rock Island County (148,723) or St. Clair County (262,852). In terms of private industry employment in major industry categories and kinds and sizes of private industry establishments, Cook County more closely resembles Marion County, followed by Lake County, and least resembles Rock Island and St. Clair Counties. In summary, proximity, transportation facilities, and commuting patterns strongly favor assigning Cook County to the Lake, IL, NAF wage area. In terms of population, employment, and industry, none of the candidate areas is very similar to Cook County. However, Marion County, with the largest population and employment of the areas reviewed, is the most similar, and Lake County is the next most similar. On balance, evaluation under the criteria favor the definition of Cook County to the Lake, IL, NAF wage area. The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee reviewed this recommendation and by consensus recommended approval. Employees paid rates from the Cook, IL, NAF wage schedule will be converted to the Lake, IL, NAF wage schedule on December 5, 1994, the date the current Cook, IL, NAF wage schedule would have been superseded were the Cook wage area not abolished. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(3)(B), I find that good cause exists for waiving the general notice of proposed rulemaking. Also, pursuant to section 553(d)(3) of title 5, United States Code, I find that good cause exists for making this rule effective in less than 30 days. The notice is being waived and the regulation is being made effective in less than 30 days because preparations for the October 1994 Cook survey must otherwise begin immediately. Regulatory Flexibility Act I certify that these regulations will not have a 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. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. James B. King, 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 D to Subpart B of Part 532 [Amended] 2. In Appendix B to the subpart B, the listing for the State of Illinois is amended by removing the entry for Cook. 3. Appendix D to subpart B is amended by removing the wage area list for Cook, Illinois, and by revising the list for Lake, Illinois, to read as follows: Appendix D to Subpart B of Part 532--Nonappropriated Fund Wage and Survey Areas * * * * * Illinois Lake Survey area Illinois: Lake Area of application. Survey area plus: Illinois: Cook\1\ Wisconsin: Dane Milwaukee \1\Effective date December 5, 1994. * * * * * [FR Doc. 94-28856 Filed 11-22-94; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6325-01-M --- Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/fr%3A94-28856. Public record. Not legal advice.