Prevailing Rate Systems; Abolishment of Franklin, OH, Nonappropriated Fund Wage Area

SUMMARY: The Office of Personnel Management is issuing an interim rule

to abolish the Franklin, OH, nonappropriated fund (NAF) Federal Wage

System (FWS) wage area and redefine the five counties having continuing

FWS employment as areas of application to the Greene-Montgomery, OH,

NAF wage area for pay-setting purposes. Those five counties include

three Ohio counties (Franklin, Licking, and Ross) and two West Virginia

counties (Raleigh and Wayne).

DATES: This interim rule becomes effective on January 31, 1996.

Comments must be received by March 1, 1996. Employees currently paid

rates from the Franklin, OH, NAF wage schedule will continue to be paid

from that schedule until their conversion to the Greene-Montgomery, OH,

NAF wage schedule 1 day prior to the effective date of the next Greene-

Montgomery, OH, wage schedule.

ADDRESSES: Send or deliver comments to Donald J. Winstead, Assistant

Director for Compensation Policy, Human Resources Systems Service, U.S.

Office of Personnel Management, Room 6H31, 1900 E Street NW.,

Washington, DC 20415, or FAX: (202) 606-0824.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Shields, (202) 606-2848.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Defense (DOD) recommended

to the Office of Personnel Management that the Franklin, OH, FWS NAF

wage area be abolished and that the five counties having continuing FWS

employment be added as areas of application to the Greene-Montgomery,

OH, NAF wage area. Those five counties include three Ohio counties

(Franklin, Licking, and Ross) and two West Virginia counties (Raleigh

and Wayne). The remaining Franklin wage area county (Cabell County, WV)

is being deleted because it has no FWS employment. This change is

necessary because the pending closure of the wage area host activity,

Newark Air Force Base, leaves the Franklin wage area without an

activity having the capability to conduct a wage survey.

As required in regulation, 5 CFR 532.219, the following criteria

were considered in redefining these wage areas:

(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.

For Franklin County, proximity and transportation facilities and

commuting patterns strongly favor Greene-Montgomery. The third

criterion, similarities of the counties, is not definitive. For each of

the three factors in this criterion, Franklin falls between the more

populous Allegheny, PA, and the two less populous areas, Greene-

Montgomery and Hardin-Jefferson, KY.

For Ross County, all three criteria favor Greene-Montgomery.

For Licking County, proximity and similarities of the counties

strongly favor Greene-Montgomery. Transportation facilities and

commuting patterns slightly favor Allegheny (23 commuters to Allegheny

versus 20 commuters to Greene-Montgomery).

Raleigh County is a little closer to Allegheny, 372 kilometers (231

miles), than it is to Greene-Montgomery, 433 kilometers (269 miles).

With no commuters to the survey areas under consideration, the second

criterion does not distinguish between them. The third criterion,

similarities of the counties, strongly favors Greene-Montgomery.

For Wayne County, both proximity and similarities of the counties

favor Greene-Montgomery. The transportation facilities and commuting

patterns criterion does not distinguish among the options because there

are no commuters to the counties in question.

The Federal Prevailing Rate Advisory Committee reviewed this

recommendation and by consensus recommended approval.

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 1996 Franklin, OH, NAF

wage area 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.

Office of Personnel Management

Lorraine A. Green,

Deputy 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 B to Subpart B of Part 532--[Amended]

2. In Appendix B to subpart B, the listing for the State of Ohio is

amended by removing the entry for Franklin.

3. Appendix D to subpart B is amended by removing the wage area

list for Franklin, Ohio, and by revising the list for Greene-

Montgomery, Ohio, to read as follows:

[[Page 3176]]

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

Survey Areas

* * * * *

Ohio

* * * * *

Greene-Montgomery

Survey Area

Ohio:

Greene

Montgomery

Area of application. Survey area plus:

Ohio:

Clinton

Franklin (Effective date March 8, 1996)

Hamilton

Licking (Effective date March 8, 1996)

Ross (Effective date March 8, 1996)

West Virginia:

Raleigh (Effective date March 8, 1996)

Wayne (Effective date March 8, 1996)

* * * * *

[FR Doc. 96-1836 Filed 1-30-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6325-01-M