In response to a telephone inquiry from Terry Sauvain, I have attached a page from the Project Manual for Phase IV of the Hart Building, which describes the work the contractor is required to perform in connection with the sample panel located near the site. The sample panel is included as a part of the lump-sum contract for the Hart Building and is being constructed on Square 724, across the street from the Hart Building.

The requirement for such a panel is a standard provision in most major construction contracts for new buildings and facilities both public and private. The purpose is to provide those responsible for enforcing conformance with specifications with an opportunity to observe a sample of the exterior wall and thus to make certain that critical items such as the stone setting, waterproofing, drains, flashing, gaskets, and joints are in accordance with the design criteria and to discover and correct any deficiencies in the design, if that be necessary. This is done in advance of the setting of the stone on the exterior wall of the building. After the sample panel has been approved, it then becomes the standard by which the exterior wall of the building is to be constructed and by which the contractor's work is inspected by my staff.

A similar sample panel, erected in connection with construction of the
House Underground Garages, is still standing at the intersection of
C Street, S. W. and Delaware Avenue, S.W.

The cost of construction of such panels is considered negligible in comparison with the total building cost and, in fact, is generally offset by several multiples by the savings to the government from being able to correct any design deficiencies or substandard workmanship by the contractor prior to the beginning of the massive job of setting the stone for the exterior wall. In a sense, it is thus in the nature of insurance for the prevention of future costly difficulties and is deemed to have a very beneficial cost-benefit ratio.

.6 Back-up masonry for building and for sample panel: Section 04200, Unit Masonry. .7 Precast blocks for stone anchorage: Section 03400, Precast Concrete.

.8 Footings for sample panel: Section 03302, Cast-in-Place Concrete.

.4 Work Not Included Under the Contract: The following work is the responsibility of the Phase III Exterior Stone Procurement Contractor:

.1 Furnishing of stone to the storage yard, including stone for the sample pand. storage of stone and the protection of stone at the storage yard during the storage period. 2 Furnishing a delivery schedule showing the order in which stone will be delivered to the storage yard and the date of each delivery.

.3 Shop and setting drawings, showing jointing and bonding, connections with other work, typical and special conditions of anchorage, cutting and penetrations required to accommodate other work, profiles, dimensions, and the "letter-number" setting desig nation for each stone, using a letter for each horizontal course and a number for each stone within each horizontal course.

.4 Marking of each stone with its assigned "letter-number" designation.

.5 Furnishing a key plan showing the location of stone in the storage yard.

.6 Cutting and drilling required to accommodate angles, anchors, cramps, dowels, gaskets and other devices required for the shaping, setting, supporting and anchoring of all stone.

.7 Cutting and drilling required to accommodate mechanical and electrical items and all other work which penetrates or connects to the stone, except where indicated to be cut or drilled in the field.

.8 Cutting of date and lettering on cornerstone.

3 Sample Panel

.1 The Contractor shall erect near the site at a location designated by the Architect & sample wall of materials, dimensions and details shown or specified. The stone shall be picked up at the storage yard and transported to the sample panel location under this contract. The sample wail shall be complete in every detail, including pointing, sealing and gasketing of joints, and flashing.

.2 The sample wall shall be changed or altered as necessary until the method of obtaining the desired results and appearance is approved. Thereafter the panel shall serve as the standard for the execution of the work and it shall not be removed until stone work has been completed and its removal is authorized by the Architect, at which time it shall be removed by the Contractor.

.02 MATERIALS AND EXECUTION

.1 Stone Storage, Transportation and Handling

.1 The word "stone" as used herein shall apply to granite, marble and limestone for the project.

.2 Stone has been purchased from a separate Exterior Stone Procurement (Phase III) Contractor. The Phase III Contractor will deliver and place the stone above the ground on wood pallets in the local storage yard. The stone will be protected by the Phase III Contractor until picked up at the storage yard under this contract for transportation to the construction site.

.3 The designated storage site provided by the Government is adjacent to the Botanic Garden Nursery and located approximately two and one-half miles from the building site. Access to this storage site is through the property of the Botanic Garden Nursery. The Contractor shall cooperate with the Botanic Garden and comply with such instructions as the Botanic Garden may issue for the transit of vehicular traffic through its property during this contract, shall bear responsibliity for damage to that property caused by his activities, and shall satisfactorily repair such damage.

SECTION 04400
STONE

This is in response to your request for information concerning certain administrative matters relative to the Fiscal Year 1980 budget request of the Capitol Police.

The policy of the Capitol Police Board regarding vacancies created by the retirement of Metropolitan Police officers detailed to the Capitol Police is to fill such vacancies with qualified Capitol Police personnel and to continue with presently assigned Metropolitan Police officers until such time as they retire, resign or transfer, and to not seek replacements from the Metropolitan Police. In 1975, this detail numbered 50 officers and since that time has been consistently reduced through attrition to the present 29 officers, a reduction of approximately 42%. Chief Powell has requested authorization to fill certain positions vacated by members of the Metropolitan detail with qualified Capitol Police officers, which has been approved by the Board.

The budgeted reimbursement to the District of Columbia for Fiscal Year 1980 is $1,263,000. This figure was arrived at by combining salaries, an estimation of 10 days of overtime and holiday pay, longevities and a 61.4% surcharge. The formula for determining the amount of the reimbursement was originally established in 1964. The 1964 formula provided a retirement contribution equal to 29.1% of the salary costs for officers detailed to the Capitol. This fraction was based upon payments to retired officers in that year as a percentage of the total police payroll at that time. In June of 1976, the public accounting firm of Arthur Andersen and Company issued a report to the Senate Committee on the District of Columbia which raised a number of issues concerning the City's retirement cost accounting. The report recommended that the District of Columbia follow conventional pension accounting methods. Specifically, that pension costs should be reported on an accrual basis to recognize the cost of retirement benefits as they are being earned by current employees rather than when they are being paid out to retired employees. Underlying this accrual concept is the need to account for benefits being earned annually based upon an actuarial calculation termed "normal cost." Such a calculation was made by the United States Department of Treasury, Office of Government Financing and the new entrant normal cost for the District of Columbia retirement system was calculated to be 68.379%, which included the 7% employee contribution, and was thus equivalent to a net normal cost of 61.379%. This figure is by definition the level percentage of salary which must be contributed annually over the entire working lifetime of a typical employee in order to pay for his benefits. If the full normal cost contributions are not made in any year, an unfunded

liability is created which must eventually be financed if the benefits promised by the system are to be realized.

Incidentally, Mr. Edwin Hustead, Chief Actuary, Compensation Group, Office of Personnel Management, advises that the level percentage normal cost for retirement benefits accrued by employees under the civil service system is approximately 45% to 50%. He further advises that the figure of 68% is in all probability correct for the Metropolitan Police, taking into consideration their 20 year retirement program.

In conformance with the provisions of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 1975, Public Law 93-371, whenever any member of the Capitol Police is ordered by the Chief of Police, with the approval of the Capitol Police Board, to work any time in addition to his regular tour of duty, he shall be entitled to one hour of compensatory time off for each such hour worked; however, a member may elect to receive time and a half monetary compensation for each such hour worked as provided by law. Members of the Metropolitan Police, assigned to the Capitol Police, must abide by the same policy as do members of the Capitol Police while so assigned. I might add, Mr. Chairman, that the Board will continue to closely monitor the use of overtime by the Capitol Police and make every effort to conserve funds as is consistent with our statutory responsibility of preserving the peace and securing the Capitol from defacement.

Following is a breakdown of the reimbursement to the District of Columbia, including persons, titles, salaries, overtime and surcharge:

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for permitting me to respond in this matter. If I can be of any further assistance in this or any other matter, please do not hesitate to contact

me.

Sincerely,

F. Nordy Hoffmann
Sergeant at Arms

JOINT LETTER

SENATORS MAGNUSON, SASSER, YOUNG AND SCHWEIKER

December 4, 1978

Robert L. Stern, Director

Business/Government Relations

The Conference Board

1755 Massachusetts Avenue, N. W. Washington, D. C. 20036

Dear Mr. Stern:

Members of our staff have informed us of the productive discussions they have had with you and Mr. James G. Anderson of Rockwell International. We understand that he will be available to serve, at no cost to the government, as a Conference Board Congressional Assistant during the First Session of the 96th Congress.

-

Mr. Anderson's background and experience in computer sciences and their application to computer-based management information systems could be most usefully employed in the legislative and oversight activities of our Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, with emphasis on reviews of the efficiency, effectiveness, and budget allocations of computer-based services and operating centers in the Legislative Branch for example, those of the Senate, the Library of Congress, the GAO and the Congressional Budget Office. If the dimensions of these tasks permit, we would also be pleased to see Mr. Anderson's expertise applied to the corresponding responsibilities of our Subcommittee dealing with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Independent Agencies.

We have heard of the excellent performance of previous Congressional Assistants who served with various Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, under the general guidance of an advisory committee chaired by the Comptroller General. We are also aware of the recommendation from the Secretary of the Senate and the Sergeant-at-Arms that we consider the opportunity presented by your program, and understand that both the Rules and Administration Committee and the Ethics Committee are familiar with its operating guidelines.

Therefore, as is intended by your program, we would like to offer Mr. Anderson the opportunity to serve, in every way, as a regular member of the Committee's professional staff during the coming year. He would work under the general guidance of Mr. Terrence E. Sauvain, Subcommittee Clerk.