1/22/90
OPR: Admin/Facilities and Management Services
1. Purpose. This Chapter establishes the policies, responsibilities, and procedures for the management of USGS real property, including the acquisition, utilization, maintenance, and disposition thereof. This regulation applies to all available excess and surplus real property under the jurisdiction of the USGS.
2. Authority. Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949, as amended (40 U.S.C. 471, et seq.), the Federal Property Management Regulations (FPMR) of the General Services Administration (GSA), the Interior Property Management Regulations (IPMR), and the Departmental Quarters Handbook (400 DM).
3. Objective. The objective of this Chapter is to develop a real property management program which will ensure:
A. The acquisition and maintenance of lands, buildings, and facilities essential to the effective performance of the employee's job and accomplishment of the USGS mission.
B. An adequate and uniform criteria for the support of employees assigned USGS housing and facilities.
C. A methodology for recurring evaluation to identify excess and/or economically underutilized properties for expeditious disposal under provisions of IPMR 114-47.8.
4. Policy.
A. The Government furnishes quarters to civilian employees only where Government quarters are necessary for adequate performance of the employee's job (fire protection, security, etc.), or where adequate housing is not otherwise available in the area.
B. Construction of Government-owned housing for USGS employees may be undertaken only when authorized by the Director or his authorized designee.
C. Leased quarters will usually be provided USGS employees on a short-term basis when suitable housing is not available on the private market.
D. Rental rates or charges for quarters and utilities will be based upon an impartial study of comparable private rental housing. Administrative adjustments to the Base Rental Rate will be made as authorized by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular No. A-45, as revised.
E. Rental rates are adjusted annually using the Consumer Price Index adjustment system in an effort to maintain Government quarters rental rates in approximate balance with the changes which occur in private market rental rates.
F. Utilities, furnishings, and related services shall be provided and billed directly by the supplier to the occupant when feasible. In certain circumstances, especially involving remote locations or seasonal quarters, it may not be feasible to require that the occupant of Government quarters deal directly with the supplier. However, remoteness of location or seasonal operations are not sufficient reasons by themselves for the Government to involve itself in providing a service.
G. When Government quarters are rented to non-Federal, private parties, for revenue purposes, pending future official use, a fair market rental value will be obtained (IPMR 114-52.7).
H. USGS real property will be inventoried at least once a year as a basis for fulfilling annual reporting requirements of OMB, GSA, and DOI.
I. Regional Management Officers (RMOs) will identify excess or underutilized real property in their custody through a systematic and periodic review in order to dispose promptly of such property as prescribed by IPMR 114-47.8, Identification of Unneeded Federal Real Property.
5. Responsibilities.
A. The Assistant Director for Administration (ADA) is responsible for the direction of the USGS real property program.
B. The RMOs, under supervision of the ADA, are responsible for matters of review, acquisition, assignment, maintenance, and disposal of real property within their respective areas of jurisdiction.
C. The Chief, Office of Facilities and Management Services (OFMS), is responsible for the overall development of policy, guidance, and coordination of the USGS real property program. The Chief has specific responsibility for real property and related services within the National Center Complex and Metropolitan Area of Washington, DC, and provides guidance to RMOs on all real property matters. The Office conducts studies and develops recommendations for the ADA regarding housing and rental rate matters.
D. The Chief, Bureau of Reclamation, Division of Payroll Operations, is responsible for the necessary payroll deductions in accordance with the current established rental rates for housing.
E. The Division Chiefs are responsible for developing and furnishing their requirements for real property to the Chief, OFMS, reviewing such property annually, and identifying all property or portions of property meeting disposal criteria. Field Offices will report their requirements directly to the RMO of the region in which they are located.
6. Definitions. The terms used in this Chapter are defined in IPMR 114-52.105, IPMR 114-47.103, and IPMR 114-19.602.
7. Provision and Assignment of Quarters. The Governmentwide policy governing the provision of quarters to employees is set out in OMB Circular No. 18, Revised. In general, this policy provides that employee housing shall not be provided by the Government except where it is determined that the employees must live on site to render necessary service or protection, or that adequate housing is not available in the area. Details are provided in 400 DM.
8. Rental Rates. Applying the policies and objectives indicated in previous paragraphs, the ADA establishes and manages Government-furnished quarters (GFQ) rental rates as follows:
A. Establishment of Rates. The only two methods which may be used to determine the base rental rate are appraisals and regional surveys. There are slight differences in the methods utilized in estimating the base rental rate depending on whether an appraisal or regional survey is utilized. See 400 DM addition to IPMR for details.
B. Review and Revision of Rates.
(1) OFMS is the office of record within USGS for the review, evaluation, and administration of rental rates. Reviews are accomplished annually and appropriate annual adjustments, including Consumer Price Index (CPI) adjustments, in quarters rental rates are effected as required in February of each year.
(2) The implementation of revised rates, governed by fluctuations in the CPI, is accomplished by dissemination of rental rate adjustments through the appropriate RMO. In formation concerning the approved schedules is furnished to the Office of Financial Management, and the applicable tenants are given 30-days advance notice of the new rates prior to any payroll deductions.
9. Short-Term Leases. Subject to the limitations stated in FPMR 101-18.105, the Chief, OFMS, and RMOs are authorized to perform all functions with respect to acquisition of space by lease in buildings and land incidental thereto when the conditions in FPMR 101-18.104 are met. The requesting activity will coordinate space needs through Division channels to the appropriate RMO or the Chief, OFMS.
10. Easements, Rights-of-Way, Leases, and Permits. The authority for granting easements, rights-of-way, leases, and permits authorizing other Interior bureaus or other Federal agencies to use real property in the custody of USGS, will vary with the nature of the legal relationship to the property occupied. For property owned by the USGS, requests will be forwarded through channels to the ADA for coordination and approval. For property owned by Federal agencies other than USGS (GSA, public domain property, etc.), re quests will be forwarded through channels to the ADA for coordination and guidance as to appropriate referral action to gain approval of the request. Citations and additional instructions follow:
A. Withdrawn Public Domain Lands 43 CFR 2920.
B. USGS-Owned Real Property. Basic policy and criteria for the granting of permits, i.e., licenses, easements, rights-of-way, etc. IPMR 11-47.5101 through IPMR 114-47.5105.
C. Property Owned or Leased by GSA. When a request is received for a lease, right-of-way, license, or permit on property which is owned or leased by GSA, the USGS office receiving the request should refer the requester to the appropriate regional office of GSA.
D. Property Leased from Parties Other than GSA. When a USGS office receives a request for a license, lease, easement, right-of-way, or permit on property the USGS has leased from a party other than GSA, the requester will be referred to the person or organization from whom the USGS has leased the property. USGS interest should have been secured in the lease between USGS and the owner of the property.
11. Identification of Unneeded Real Property. Each Division having jurisdiction over real property, the RMOs and OFMS will review annually all such property to identify that which is unneeded, is under-utilized, or is not being put to its optimum use. All properties and portions of property so identified shall be listed whether or not disposal or other action is going to be taken. The Divisions will submit listings through the appropriate RMOs to OFMS by October 15 each year.
OFMS in coordination with GSA, will ensure that appropriate action is taken for final disposition of excess properties.
12. Sales to Employees. Where the DOI acts as disposal agency, surplus real property shall not be disposed of by sale, lease, or otherwise to Federal employees or their spouses except where the conditions set forth in IPMR 47.304-50 are met.
13. Uniform Relocation Assistance. The Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970 (Section 214, P.L. 91-646) provides specific assistance to persons and/or activities subject to relocation due to requirements for the acquisition of real property. The USGS implementing instructions for this program, based upon provisions of IPMR 114-50, will be disseminated on a case-by-case basis as the requirements arise for such assistance.
14. Inventory of Non-GSA Space.
A. RMOs in coordination with the Administrative Officers of the Divisions will, on an annual basis, report all space which is not included in the GSA rent system. These reports will include all facilities occupied or regularly used by Survey personnel, which are acquired under contract or purchase order authority; leasing authority; Federal, state, city, or interagency agreements; or agreements with universities or other private concerns. These reports will include all facilities even if provided at no cost.
B. GSA Form 1166, Report of Real Property Owned by or Leased to the United States, should be completed for each location and sent to OFMS, Reston, Virginia, by October 20 of each year.
15. Reports. The reports listed below, with due dates indicated, are required by GSA and/or USGS. They will be prepared by OFMS in accordance with applicable sections of the FPMRs, IPMRs, and the Departmental Manual.
Title of Report - Report of Real Property Owned by or Leased to the United States. Date Due DOI - November 1. Form Number - GSA Form 1166. Authority and Instructions - IPMR 114-3.206.
Title of Report - Annual Real Property Utilization. Date Due DOI -November 22. Form Number - Appendix I, II & III of IPMR 114-47.802-54.
Title of Report - Status Report for Federally Funded or Leased Buildings Accommodation of Physically Handicapped. Date Due DOI - September 10. Form Number - GSA Form 2974. Authority and Instructions - FPMR 101-19.607.
Title of report - Annual report of Assets. Due to OFM - September 30 - (Report Control Symbol ADM-OFMS-88-016).