• Includes Capitol Visitors Center - $100M, Dirksen Renov. - $8.5M, Power Plant Chillers - $5M, & Longworth Roof - $3.2M. bl CYCLICAL MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENT $18,870,000 16% (5) REINVESTMENT ($102,607,000 - 86% 123 Projects Including Capitol Dome ($28M), Dirksen ($18M) & Cannon Garage ($9M)) In closing this introductory section Mr. Chairman, I believe that we are creating a foundation of communication and commitment to efficient quality service that has already begun to show positive results. I look forward to working with you and this Subcommittee in the coming year. ROLE OF THE OFFICE OF THE ARCHITECT OF THE CAPITOL Mr. Chairman, I would like to take a brief moment to describe broadly the role of the agency before I describe our fiscal year 2000 budget request and the changes that I see on the horizon. By law, the Office of the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is the agency responsible for the structural and mechanical care, maintenance, cleaning, and operation of the buildings and facilities supporting the Congress, including the Capitol Power Plant. This responsibility extends to the Botanic Garden, the structural and mechanical care and maintenance of the Library of Congress Buildings and Grounds, as well as the Supreme Court Building and grounds which is funded in a different appropriation bill. The office also undertakes the design and construction of new facilities and the alteration of existing facilities. This Agency has focused significant energy on its first strategic planning process. The initial steps of this process involved seeking and considering guidance from this Committee as well as our other oversight bodies, and have led to the development of a vision of how we should proceed to structure our organization to deliver quality services to the Congress. The next steps in this process include developing specific action plans to achieve our stated goals. A guiding philosophy in this strategic planning process includes the need to be responsive to our oversight bodies. In performing our role, the AOC utilizes staff and private consultant expertise to provide the Congress with professional, timely and cost effective recommendations. The AOC also manages trade and service personnel who are charged with ensuring that the building systems operate efficiently and reliably in support of Congressional activities. The AOC also administers a wide variety of contracts for facility maintenance, professional design, technical and other services. Critical to achieving this role is the institutional knowledge that has accrued in the agency. The value of the long term role of the Architect as a neutral and professional advocate for the physical environment of the Capitol Complex has been historically recognized by the Congress, most recently when it established a ten year renewable term for the Architect. Such an advocacy role is no less appropriate for the core professional and trades staff. The merit of maintaining a long-term view for preserving and protecting the historical environment is self-evident. To the credit of the agency, Congressional activities have never been interrupted by failure of any major building system. I might add parenthetically at this time that since taking office I have come to appreciate the value of the institutional knowledge that permeates this agency. Considering the responsibilities of our Agency, those who provide the services are our greatest asset in carrying out our mission to the Congress. All re-engineering efforts we undertake recognize the devotion and service of our employees to the agency and to the Congress over many years and that they are to be treated, in a considered, caring and humane manner. The attached graph "Full-Time Equivalent Employment Budget" reflects the actual and projected reductions in the Architect of the Capitol's employment. It goes without saying that many of the Congressional buildings are national treasures and require intimate knowledge and significant planning for their preservation. The U.S. Capitol, which is "the people's building," for example, is a unique combination of National Capitol, museum, office building, meeting center, ceremonial site, and tourist attraction. The building's systems are required to support all of these activities while maintaining a secure and safe environment, and its architectural design, decorative arts and historical significance must all be carefully considered before undertaking any work or implementing any changes to the building. Another benefit of the neutral, bicameral role of the AOC is the ability to provide technical and professional coordination of "joint” activities. Over the years, the role of the office has broadened as a result. There are now functions and activities, such as the shuttle service and telecommunications, as well as Inaugural and Rotunda ceremonies, conducted or supported by the AOC, that are often not recognized as being within the scope of the office's professional, architectural and engineering roles, yet the Congress has acknowledged the merit of the AOC's neutral, bicameral coordination capacity. For over 200 years, an officer discharging the role of the Architect of the Capitol has provided to the Congress credible, professional expertise on these matters. During this time, the institution of the Congress has been served by an agency that has responded to changing Congressional needs, and will continue to do so. FISCAL YEAR 2000 OPERATING BUDGET The past two years' appropriations requests were based on a comprehensive agency-wide planning and coordination process including all cyclical maintenance projects and building system enhancements. The thorough, systematic and programmed analysis led to a proposed five-year capital budget based on that planning. The current request is prioritized into the categories of Life Safety, Security, Cyclical Maintenance, Technology and Management Systems, etc. I will now discuss our fiscal year 2000 budget request in detail. There are two major components to this budget request: an Operating Budget and a Capital Budget, as described below. The total budget that I bring to this Committee today amounts to $287,273,000, comprised of $168,366,000 for operating costs and $118,907,000 for capital costs. That amount, adjusted to reduce the House items, totals $233,884,000, of which $136,759,000 is for operating costs and $97,125,000 is for capital costs. Increases in the costs that comprise the operating budget totaling $168,366,000— that is, those costs that support operations and maintenance, including salaries, have risen by 10.7 percent. Most of this increase is attributed to increases in per 54-224 99-2 sonal services, $6,162,000, utilities, $5,418,000, (which is mainly due to the 40 per cent increase in water and sewer rates) and $2,765,000 for information resource management. Increases for the maintenance of fire and life safety systems and other workload and price level changes have also been requested. There are opportunities for future savings within our operations budget, some o which will require modest investments to achieve, and others which we are proceed ing with at this time. Under the overall category of "utilities," we are confident tha investing in modern automated control systems at the Power Plant will lead to more efficient use of fuels, and reduce the need for staff that presently manually monito the heating and cooling equipment. We are presently evaluating two dozen propos als from firms to design these systems. Additionally, we recently completed the in stallation of energy efficient lighting fixtures across the campus. These lighting fix tures are already saving electrical energy. But the true savings will not be realized until after the contractor is reimbursed for the installation cost over an eight year period. As required by the Fiscal Year 1999 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act fiscal year 2000 funds have been requested to perform an energy survey of all Con gressional buildings to identify energy conservation measures to achieve a 20 per cent energy reduction by 2005. Further, although funds are not requested in this budget, we are proposing to our authorizing committees that a public/private partnership be created to build a co-generation plant to assure an inexpensive and constant electrical source for the future. The following table indicates these increases by appropriation. |