Thursday, November 14, 2002

Employees should call Building Operations at (202)482-1340 for heat, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing; carpentry; electrical, and welding services. The Contract Management Division at (202)482-3555 manages elevators, cafeteria, landscaping, janitorial services, the snack bars, pest control, recycling, waste disposal, snow removal, and labor and moving services. For more information, please contact Judith Wilson on (202)482-3265 or by e-mail at Judith_Wilson@ita.doc.gov.

Use of Government Telephones

Government telephone resources are intended for official business only. Employees may make calls for other than official business if the call must be made during the business day, does not adversely affect the performance of official duties, and is of reasonable duration, or if the call addresses an emergency situation. Examples include calls for: medical care, repairs to a residence or automobile, schooling or day care, or calls to a residence or family member. In addition, while on official government travel, employees may make one call to residence or immediate family not to exceed 10 minutes per call per day. Personal calls other than those discussed above should be charged to a personal calling card or prepaid debit card, home telephone number or can be made to a toll free number. Personal calls that do not fit the categories described above may not be charged to the Government. For further information, contact Jean Leslie, ITA Telephone Coordinator, at (202)482-3266 or email Jean_Leslie@ita.doc.gov.

How to Get Phone Problems Fixed

1) Voicemail. Please call x0711.

2) Phone defects. Call x6900, DoC’s VoIP Help Desk, for any phone defects (faulty red lights, incorrect ring locations, etc.).

3) Configuration Changes (access to different phone #s, additional equipment, etc.) Please email your program’s Voice over IP coordinator (VoIP Coordinators: Stanley Simpson - IA, Cherie Rusnak - MAC, Latonya Hill - TD, Yvette Johnson-Jones - USFCS, Fred Thornberry - CIO, Hamilton Humes - OUS and CFO.) They will fill out a configuration sheet.

4) Ordering New Phones and adding new users. Contact your unit's VoIP coordinator.

If you have questions contact Hamilton Humes at (202)482-6123.

SMART Forms

E-forms such as CD-29, "Travel Order", CD435 " Procurement Request", ITA2051 , " ITA Training Registration", SF1164 "Claim for Reimbursement" and SF182 "Training Request" that require serial numbers or other programming are now referred to as SMART Forms (formerly ITA Applications). These SMART forms are located on OurPlace under the e-form menu option. Please be certain that you select the correct icon for the appropriate fiscal year. If you have questions about how to access the SMART forms on OurPlace, contact the Help Desk at (202)482-4641. If you have questions regarding the use of these SMART forms, contact Glenitta Chase at (202)482-3757 or Robin Carpenter at (202)482-4989.

FY 2003 Budget

We continue to operate under the rules of the Continuing Resolution (CR) which runs through November 23, 2002. ITA has requested an exception to the funding rule (under the CR) to allow for a more reasonable level of spending than currently exists. This request is being considered by OMB and we expect a decision within the next few days. For more information, contact Alan Zegas at (202)482-5739.

FY 2004 Budget

The FY 2004 Budget request is still being examined by OMB, but we now anticipate the "OMB Passback" (OMB's decision on what should be included in ITA's budget request sent to Congress as part of the President's Budget) to occur during the first week of December. At that time, OFM will work with the program offices to prepare the President's Budget submission materials. For more information, contact Alan Zegas at (202)482-5739.

Credit for Unused Sick Leave Under the Civil Service Retirement System

As an employee under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS), if you (1) retire on an immediate annuity or (2) die leaving a widow, widower, or a former spouse entitled to a survivor annuity, your service will be increased by the days of unused sick leave to your credit under a formal leave system. The days of unused sick leave added are used only in counting your number of years and months of service for annuity computation purposes. The sick leave cannot be used in computing your "high-3" average salary or for meeting the minimum length of service for retirement eligibility. In general, days are converted to months and years based on a 2087-hour work year. To compute the additional credit for sick leave at retirement, add the months and days of sick leave to the months and days of all periods of actual service. Only years and full months of service are used in the annuity computation. If you have any questions or need additional information, contact Vanessa Lewis at (202)482-8327, or Dottie Bowling at (202)482-3504.

Traveler's Corner

Question: Can a traveler use a foreign air carrier if the cost of the ticket is less than traveling by a U.S. flag air carrier?

Answer: No. Foreign air carrier service may not be used solely based on the cost of a ticket. If you have questions, please call your travel contact or Sharon Russell at (202)482-3267.

Where Do I Find....

 

For information regarding correspondence procedures and formats, refer to the ITA Secretariat's Website at www.ita.doc.gov/ita_sec. If you have any questions, contact the ITA Secretariat at (202)482-5101.

ITA Comings and Goings 09/22/02 - 11/04/02

Arrivals - WELCOME!

US - Mandell E. Bray; ADMIN - Nicole M. Sottung, Lavetta Ward; IA - Susan E. Lehman, Sochieta Moth, Keith Nickerson, Timothy S. Truman; MAC - Tsedal Assefa, Latricia T. Bridges, Tanya Cheguer; TD - Tijen C. Aybar, Zoran I. Franicevich; US&FCS - Alice R. Chan, Shakir Y. Farsakh, Delia Valdivia.

Departures

ADMIN - Adrianne Brady, Peggy Hawkins, Brenda Jennings; MAC - Nicole S. Jalloh; TD - J. Hayden Boyd, Raymond H. Cho; Josephine A. Ludolph, Eugene F. Shaw; USFCS - Patricia L. Darrow, Megan N. Galas; Susan C. Gates, Laron L. Jensen, Karen I. Keitt, Alan R. Turley.