I am writing to request your approval to obligate and transfer funding for the payment of water and sewer services. The Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2000 (Public Law 106-57) provided funds for the payment of water and sewer services in two appropriations. The Capitol Power Plant appropriation includes base funding of $1,800,000 and an increase of $3 million. The Library Buildings and Grounds appropriation has an additional increase of $3 million. However, the accompanying Conference Report precludes the use of the increase funding until released by the Committees on Appropriations. In the case of both of the increase amounts, the Conference Report provided the funding for both water and sewer services and improvements to the Culpeper audiovisual facility. As required by law, the District of Columbia through the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provides each federal agency in its service area an estimate of water and sewer services costs that the agencies are to include in preparation of their budget requests. These figures include an estimate for water and sewer services in the budget year as well as adjustments of past years, variances compared to actual consumption costs. In April 1997 the District imposed a 42% rate increase for water and sewer services which was not included in fiscal year 1997, 1998 and 1999 estimates. The District's budget figures for the fiscal year 2000 included the 42% rate increase as well as adjustments for under estimating service costs in prior years. The amount the Architect of the Capitol is required to pay in fiscal year 2000 is $6,200,000. In order to meet our legal obligation for water and sewer services, the AOC will use the base amount of $1,800,000, and I am requesting your approval to use the $3 million increase provided in the Capitol Power Plant and authority to transfer and obligate $1,400,000 from the Library Buildings The Honorable Charles H. Taylor October 5, 1999 A similar letter has been sent to the Honorable Robert F. Bennett, Chairman, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations, Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate, for his approval. I shall, of course, be pleased to provide you with any additional information on this matter you may deem desirable. Subcommittee on Legislative Branch Appropriations Committee on Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to request a reprogramming in an amount not to exceed $78,000 from funds appropriated to the "Architect of the Capitol, Capitol Buildings and Grounds, Capitol Buildings" in the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2000, Public Law 106-113 for correction of OSHA deficiencies centered around inadequate fan guards on power transmission devices in various areas of the Capitol Building. The Compliance Board has been conducting an ongoing safety inspection survey of all office, shop and public space in the Capitol Building, as well as the other buildings in the Capitol complex. During a recent survey several minor safety deficiencies were discovered that required correction in the Capitol Building. It is essential to correct the deficiencies in a timely manner for safety reasons and to comply with the mandates of the Congressional Accountability Act. Many deficiencies of a similar nature were corrected previously and during normal maintenance. A recent field survey by Architect personnel documented all additional devices requiring correction. These deficiencies will require specialized sheet metal fabrication to correct the safety concerns. This work is estimated to cost $78,000. I am proposing to reprogram the amount from savings in personnel compensation. As we approach the end of the second quarter in the fiscal year, it does not appear that we will be able to fill all of the vacant positions that we had planned to, thus resulting in savings in The WRP Expansion Design is currently 65% complete. Funding for the extension and first two 6,000 ton chillers will be included in the FY 2003 budget request and is currently estimated at $69.2 million. Additional chillers including the start of replacing the West plant chillers, all of which will be housed in the extension, are planned for fiscal years 2006 and 2016. FIRE SAFETY REPORT Question. Please briefly update the committee on the progress of Fire and Life Safety initiatives. Response. Safety is the Architect of the Capitol's highest priority. To reflect this priority, in FY 2001, the AOC reorganized the Executive Office for Facilities Management (EOFM), and appointed Susan P. Adams as director of this division. This move will allow increased attention and focus on fire safety, life safety and occupational health and safety programs. FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY PROGRESS The AOC fire and life safety goals are to comply with NFPA and BOCA Codes, provide fully sprinklered buildings, provide full coverage fire alarm systems, perform required maintenance & testing, and perform inspections to ensure compliance and identify and self correct deficiencies. Fire protection responsibilities within the AOC have been divided into two Divisions: the Fire Marshal Division (under the EOFM) to focus on fire safety, life safety, and emergency preparedness program policy, coordination, inspection, and oversight; and the Fire Protection Engineering Division (under the Director of Engineering, Scott Birkhead) to focus on fire protection system design, fire alarm system configuration, and fire protection project management. These two organizational structures separate policy, oversight, and inspection from design and implementation. This division provides a necessary check and balance system and allows concentration on project design and execution. Mr. Ken Lauziere, an internally recognized fire protection expert with more than 20 years of AOC experience, was selected as the permanent Fire Marshal Director. Interviews have been conducted for two fire protection engineers (selection pending) and a certificate of eligible candidates has just been received for one fire inspector within the Fire Marshal Division. Two positions remain to be filled. They are the positions of Administrative Assistant and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. The position of Director, Fire Protection Engineering Division is currently being re-advertised after the first two selectees declined the position. A candidate for the position of Fire Protection technician has been selected, and the fire protection engineers positions are being recruited for the Fire Protection Engineering Division as well as within the larger jurisdictions. The AOC established an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with four Fire Protection Engineering Consulting firms-Gage-Babcock & Associates, Schirmer Engineering Corporation, Hughes Associates, Inc., and Rolf Jensen & Associates, Inc. for design and code analysis consultation services. schemati Across the In March 2001, a report entitled Fire Safety Improvements Time Line for the House Office Buildings was completed and submitted to the Committee on House Administration. The report delineates the completed and planned multi-year effort to bring the buildings in the Capitol complex into full compliance with modern safety codes. Summarizing the contents: .. In the Capitol, the existing fire alarm systems are certified, installation in unalarmed areas will continue until FY 2007 (note: schedule may be accelerated based on space accessibility). A task order for sprinkler system design has been issued with completion scheduled for Oct 2002 with construction to begin in FY 2005. Egress schematic designs are to be completed in FY 2002 as part of the US Čapitol Master Plan. ... In the Cannon, Longworth, and Ford House Office Buildings, fire ... In the Rayburn Building, the fire alarm system is complete. Sprin- year: A safety p Personal Superinte The Arch for safety. Working were appro Three mor proval in E tion. Four process: Le Policies cupational Safety C to discuss The Arc for the ne A high to meet th root to pr De schematic designs will be completed in FY 2001 with design completion expected in FY 2002 and construction to begin in FY 2004. .In the O'Neill Building, the fire alarm and sprinkler system installations are complete. Egress evaluations and interim designs are completed, construction will be completed in July 2001. Across the Capitol Complex: ADA fire alarm system upgrades designs have been completed except in the Capitol building. Lighted exit signs have been installed in public areas of all buildings. Fire pull stations and alarm speakers are operational. A complex-wide Central Fire Protection Monitoring System is in design. Regularly, the District of Columbia Fire & Emergency Management Services Department conducts pre-planning tours of the Capitol complex facilities to help them prepare in case of emergency. The FY 2000 Emergency Fire Supplemental authorized 58 specific projects in the total amount of $17,480,000. The AOC obligation plan ($ have been rounded) is: FY01: $8.5M; FY02: $5.2M; FY03: $1.2M; FY04: $0.8M; FY05: $1.5M; & beyond. As of June 22, 2001 the AOC has obligated 55% of the FY 2001 plan funding and expects to obligate the entire amount by the end of the FY 2005. The table below shows the status of obligations of funds against the FY 2000 Emergency Fire Supplemental by appropriation. The Congressional Accountability Act of 1996 requires the AOC to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations. There is much work to do to comply with OSHA and reduce our unacceptably high injury/illness rate. In the past year: A safety policy statement was approved and distributed to employees. The Architect issued memos outlining supervisory and employee responsibilities for safety. Working with the Public Health Service, the first 3 of 41 safety program policies were approved and distributed: Hazard Communication, Confined Space, and PPE. Three more program policies are under development and scheduled for final approval in FY 2001: Bloodborne Pathogens, Fall Protection, and Respiratory Protection. Four programs scheduled for FY 2002 are drafted and are in the initial review process: Lead, Asbestos, Electrical Safety, and Lock out/Tag out. Policies for the Safety, Health, and Environmental Council and Jurisdictional Occupational Safety & Health Committees were approved. Safety Committees were established in all jurisdictions and are meeting monthly to discuss safety matters and review injury/illness reports. The Architect established a goal to reduce total injury/illness rate by 10% per year for the next 5 years from the FY 2000 baseline of 17.9 per 100 employees. A high level 5 year Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Plan was developed to meet the injury reduction goal and established as priorities: Hiring required staff (central and jurisdictional-underway), Development of job hazards analysis process and policy (underway) and performance of job hazards analysis for all work (to be completed FY 2002), so that hazards can be identified, eliminated or controlled, Improvement of the injury/illness investigation process (underway) to include root cause analysis and implementation of corrective actions across the Agency to prevent recurrence, Development and inspection and audit process such that we critically evalu |