For ready reference, two items "Mandatory Items" and "New Positions" are summarized in more detail Mandatory Items Personnel Compensation Wage Board rate increases, effective 10/23/77 covering 1,476 Personnel Benefits 8,200 Payment to Employees' Life Insurance Fund, authorized by 5 U.S.C. 8708.. $ Contribution to Retirement Fund, authorized by 5 U.S.C. 8334. 85,100 4 12 - House Office Buildings.... 22 Library Buildings and Grounds, Structural and ..... Total Increase New Positions.... 78,550 135,700 $307,550 Estimate 1979 #3 General Statement GENERAL PURPOSE OF APPROPRIATIONS REQUESTED The annual appropriation items under the Architect of the Capitol are primarily for maintenance and improvement of buildings occupied by the Congress and for heat, light, power, and airconditioning, and for general housekeeping services for the Congress and are confined to items deemed necessary to render proper service to the Congress and to maintain properly the buildings and equipment of the Legislative Establishment. COMPENSATION OF EMPLOYEES UNDER ARCHITECT At the present time, 1,526 employees under the Architect of the Capitol, including 50 at the Botanic Garden, paid from appropriations provided in the Legislative Branch Appropriation Act, are compensated under the Wage-Board system, 185 employees are compensated under the "GS" schedule of the Classification Act; 169 employees are compensated at administrative rates and 16 employees are compensated at statutory rates -- a grand total of 1,896 employees authorized Of our annual maintenance appropriations, the cost of personnel compensation and benefits normally constitutes approximately 80 percent of the total of these on a year-round basis. appropriations. 1.3 The employees for 1979 covered by this pay system are those engaged in recognized trades and crafts and in skilled and unskilled manual-labor occupations, required for the maintenance and operation of the Capitol Building, 3 House Office Buildings, 2 House Annex Buildings (Congressional Hotel and the former FBI Building) and House Underground Garages, 2 Senate Office Buildings, 5 annex buildings, and leased space at 400 North Capitol Street now occupied by the Senate, the Senate Garage, Capitol Grounds, Capitol Power Plant and its steam and chilled water distribution systems, the 3 Library Buildings and Grounds, and the Botanic Garden. Employees compensated under the WageBoard system constitute approximately 80 percent of our total permanent staff. Employees under the Architect, engaged in such work have been compensated under the Wage-Board System since 1955. Their compensation is presently governed by Sections 5341-5349 and 55445549 of Title 5 of the United States Code, which contains a requirement that "rates of pay of prevailing rate employees shall be fixed and adjusted from time to time as nearly as is consistent with the public interest in accordance with prevailing rates. Each year, wage surveys of private industry throughout the Washington Metropolitan area are conducted by such major government agencies as the Defense Department and other Executive agencies employing large numbers of Wage-Board employees, designated by the Civil Service Commission to so act. Based on such surveys, analyses, and findings, appropriate wage schedules and rates for prevailing rate employees are then established and heads of agencies having prevailing rate employees in a wage area surveyed are required to apply to the prevailing rate employees of their agency in that area the wage schedules and rates established by the lead agency for prevailing rate employees in such area. Under the provisions of Public Law 92-392, it is mandatory that such rates be placed in effect 1.4 The present Wage-Board System, under which the Architect of the Capitol operates, is authorized and governed by Public Law 92-392. That Act vests the Architect of the Capitol with authority to utilize the Wage-Board System established by that law for Wage-Board employees under the Architect, to such extent as the Architect deems feasible. In the interest of equity and sound administration the Architect of the Capitol has continued to follow, generally, the uniform Federal Wage System, as established by that law. A detailed history of the Wage-Board System, as it has applied to the Architect of the Capitol from 1955-1975 and currently applies, is contained in the 1975 Hearings and so is not repeated in these Hearings. REPORT ON CURRENT PROJECTS A report on four current projects of major interest follows: LIBRARY OF CONGRESS JAMES MADISON MEMORIAL BUILDING This project was authorized by Public Law 89-260, approved October 19, 1965, at a limit of cost of $75,000,000. The limit of cost was increased to $90,000,000 by Public Law 91-214, approved March 16, 1970, and to $123,000,000 by Public Law 94-219, approved February 27, 1976. The total amount authorized to date has been appropriated. Present Status of Work under Project Work under this project is being performed in four construction phases, under construction contracts totaling to date, $106,816,019. Phase I "Excavations and foundations" has been completed at a cost of $7,301,224, having been performed under contract awarded April 23, 1971. Phase II "Quarrying, fabrication, and delivery of the exterior marble and granite and other exterior stonework required for the superstructure' has been completed at a cost of $5,353,417, having been performed under contract awarded December 16, 1971. ין 1.5 Phase III "Construction of the Superstructure" (excluding interior work, finished interiors, The final phase, Phase IV, "Interior and related work" is now in progress under a contract in the current amount of $67,843,327, awarded March 9, 1976. Based on competitive bids for this Phase, received and opened July 23, 1975, this contract could not be awarded until enactment of the above-cited Public Law 94-219, February 27, 1976, increasing the limit of cost of the project by $33,000,000 and the subsequent appropriating of such additional amount in Public Law 94-226, approved March 9, 1976. Work under this contract, awarded March 9, 1976, is now about 50 percent complete. The present established completion date, based on time extensions granted to date, is May 31, 1979. Pending supplements and other changes may extend the completion date into the fiscal year 1980. The total obligated for the entire project, from its commencement to September 30, 1977, is $117,369,606. In addition to the four construction contracts enumerated above, totaling $106,186,019, obligations totaling $11,183,587, have been incurred, of which $6,080,000 has been for architectural and engineering services, $70,000 for exhibit consultant fees, $100,000 for modeling and carving of a statue of James Madison for the Memorial Hall, $86,590 for other design services, $268,862 for relocating water and sewer lines and street and curb work, and $4,578,135 for supervision, inspection, and other administrative and miscellaneous expenses. The unobligated balance of the appropriation of $123,000,000, as of September 30, 1977, was In this connection, it is to be noted that an anticipated supplemental appropriation in the neighborhood of $5,000,000 is likely to be required for fiscal year 1978 in order to carry this project to final completion and settlement. The present limit of cost of $123,000,000 may not be exceeded except through legislative amendment modifying the cost limitation now specifically fixed by law for this project. It is proposed to seek such legislation through the House Public Works and Senate Rules Committees and enactment of the necessary legislation after hearings before those two Committees. Following such enactment, the additional funds are proposed to be requested of the Appropriations Committees in a fiscal year 1978 Supplement. 1.6 |