Metrocheks

Metrocheks will be distributed to participating employees in Room B841B from October 4-6, 2005. October 4 has been designated for ITA employees to pick-up their Metrocheks from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. If you are unable to pickup your Metrocheks that day, you can pick them up October 5 or 6. Those employees who are unable to pick-up their Metrocheks during the designated times can go to the Department of Transportation (DOT) headquarters, located at 400 7^th Street, SW. Take the Metrorail to L'Enfant Plaza, exiting at 7^th and D. The Metrocheks pick-up window is located on the Plaza Level, Southwest corner of DOT in Room 206. The office hours are Monday thru Friday, 8:30 am until 4:00 pm with full coverage during lunch hours. If you have questions, call Sharon Russell at (202)482-3267.

New ITA Liaison for GAO and OIG

Linda Bell is now ITA's liaison with GAO and OIG.  Linda will be notifying offices of upcoming GAO entrance and exit conferences, and coordinating necessary meeting schedules.  All responses to OIG and GAO reports should continue to go through the Office of Organization and Management Support.  Any questions on OIG reports or GAO conferences contact via email Linda_Bell@ita.doc.gov , or you can call her at (202)482-3032.

Procurement Requirements

Effective, October 1, 2005 the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, Office of Acquisition Management and Financial Assistance is requiring all points of contact listed on submitted procurements requests (CD435), which exceed the microthreshold of $2, 500 have a minimum of 24 hours of Simplified Acquisition training.  If you have questions regarding procurement please contact Robin Carpenter at (202) 482-4989 or via email at Robin.Carpenter@mail.doc.gov.

Prepare Your Office for Emergencies

With your help, we can make ITA a safer place to work by preparing your office for emergencies. 

·   Plan your office's emergency evacuation route and arrange a place to meet afterwards.

·   Label exit doors as "Exit", and locked doors as "Not an Exit". 

·  Post copies of the HCHB Emergency Evacuation Route map next to office exits, and highlight the planned escape route.  (You can find the map on your computer desktop; double click the "HCHB Emergency Occupant Plan" icon and go to the second map in Appendix 1 (page 12). 

·   Make sure that all new employees attend monthly escape hood training sessions and conduct refresher exercises.  

If you have questions, contact your ITA Safety Council representative, or the ITA Safety Officer, Jeff Scherr, at (202)482-3266.

Hurricane Katrina - New Project Code

ITA must capture costs related to Hurricane Katrina in a timely and accurate manner. We have established a unique project code, HURK, for this purpose. Resource managers should immediately recode to the HURK project code any hurricane activities currently being charged to a different project code. Costs should be a result of specific efforts relating to Hurricane Katrina. Management costs incurred for discussing hurricane issues should not be included. If you need additional information, please contact Amy Duncan at (202)482-5739.

Thrift Savings Plan

The National Finance Center (NFC) has recovered its computer operations at alternate work and recovery operations sites.  Due to Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the NFC Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), which has moved its TSP record keeping operations from New Orleans, LA, has asked Federal agencies to have employees contact TSP by using the TSP website at www.tsp.gov instead of employees contacting TSP by telephone.  Employees are encouraged to use the TSP website to get information regarding TSP accounts, loans, Personal Identification Numbers and any other related TSP matters. Beneficiary Forms, Court-Ordered documents, and most of the TSP forms can be faxed toll-free to 866-817-5023. TSP loans are being distributed daily and were not impacted by Hurricane Katrina.  The use of the TSP web site is the most efficient and fastest method for participants to access their TSP account.  For additional info, please contact Vanessa Lewis at (202)482-8327 or via email at Vanessa_Lewis@ita.doc.gov or Dottie Bowling at  (202)482-3504 or via email at Dottie_Bowling@ita.doc.gov.

Earnings and Leave Statements

The NFC has suspended the mailing of Earnings and Leave Statements (ELS) and will notify agencies when normal distribution resumes. However, employees can receive ELS from the Employee Personal Page (EPP) at www.nfc.usda.gov or by contacting the Office of Human Resources Management, Pay and Benefits Group at (202)482-3301. If you have specific questions about this, please contact Lorese Green (202)482-5232 or via email at Lorese_Green@ita.doc.gov or Annjuana Rogers at (202)482-3806 or via email at Annjuana_Rogers@ita.doc.gov.

Traveler Corner's

Question:  What is the new mileage rate for federal employees who use privately owned vehicles while on official travel?

Answer:  Effective September 1, 2005, the new privately owned vehicle reimbursement rate is 48.5 cents per mile. If you have questions, please call your travel contact or Sharon Russell at (202)482-3267.

Where Do I Find....Information on ITA Outreach Events? 

The Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM) has implemented a Calendar of Outreach Events which lists, by month, relevant job fairs and career day activities throughout the United States.  The calendar lists the events, dates, locations, registration costs and the occupational fields of the event participants.  To view the Calendar of Outreach Events, go to ITA's Internet site at http://www.ita.doc.gov/jobs/students/calendar.htm.  If you have any questions about the calendar or outreach activities, please call Tina James on (202)482-0653 or via email at Tina_James@ita.doc.gov.