Message from the Chief Date: Thu, 28 Dec 1995 22:00:52 GMT To: "A - Division Chief and Staff", "B - Branch Chiefs and Offices", "DC - All District Chiefs", "Bruce K Gilbert, DACH/Operations, Reston, VA" , "Robert R Mason Jr., Hydrologist(Engr), Reston, VA" , "Ernest F Hubbard, Assistant Chief, OSW, Reston, VA" , "Gail E Kalen, Computer Specialist, Reston, VA" , "Anna M Lenox, Chief, Intl Water Resource, Reston, VA" , "Thomas C Pierson, Geologist, Vancouver, WA" , "S. Ernest Dreyer Jr., Hydrologist, Reston, VA" , "Kenneth J Lanfear, Network Info Products Coord., Reston, VA" , "Kathleen R Wilke, Supervisory Hydrologist, Denver, CO" , "Rodger F Ferreira, Associate District Chief (Bio), Albuquerque, NM" , "John P Borland, Supervisory Hydrologist (Eng.), Albuquerque, NM" , "Joel R Schuetz, Supervisory Hydrologist (Chem), Cheyenne, WY" , "Theodore C Bartke, Physical Scientist, Cheyenne, WY" , "William J Kratz, Admin Off, Carson City, NV" , "George S Outlaw, Hydraulic Engineer, Nashville, TN" , "Mary J Schlotfeld, Admin Off, Lincoln, NE" , "Glenn B Engel, Supv Hydrologist, Lincoln, NE" , "Harry C Rollins, Assistant District Chief, Louisville, KY" , "Dennis A Wentz, Willamette NAWQA Chief, Portland, OR" , "Richard A Hollway, Computer Scientist, Portland, OR" , "Marjorie S Davenport, Supv. Hydrologist, Columbia, SC" , "Paul M Buszka, Supv Hyd (GeoChem), Indianapolis, IN" , "Charles G Crawford, Supv Hyd (EnvSci), Indianapolis, IN" , "Stephen W Lipscomb, Supvy Hyd, Boise, ID" , "John J Vaccaro, Supervisory Hydrologist, Tacoma, WA" , "Gary L Turney, Hydrologist, Tacoma, WA" , "Alex K. (Sandy) Williamson, Central Columbia NAWQA Ch., Tacoma, WA" , "Merle F Wyant Jr., Administrative Officer, Tampa, FL" , "Walter F Holmes, Supv. Hydrologist (Engr), Salt Lake City, UT" , "Geoffrey Freethey, Supv. Hydrologist (Engr Geol), Salt Lake City, UT" , "Kidd M Waddell, SUPERVISORY HYDROLOGIST, Salt Lake City, UT" , "James R Kolva, Supervisory Hydrologist (Engr), Salt Lake City, UT" , "Kenneth W Toppin, Supv Hydrologist, Bow, NH" , "George A Irwin, Hydrologist (QW Spec), Tallahassee, FL" , "Clifton F Bell, Hyd(Geol), Richmond, VA" , "Hugh W Lowham, Supervisory Hydrologist(Engr), Cheyenne, WY" , "Kimball E Goddard, District Chief, Utah, Tucson, AZ" , "Robert E Davis, Supv Hyd (Geol), Helena, MT" , "Claude O Geiger, Supv Hyd (Engr), Lawrence, KS" , "Russell A Gadoury, Supv Hydrol(CivEng), Marlborough, MA" , "Louis C Murray Jr., Supv Hyd(Engr), Altamonte Sprg, FL" , "Brian J Granneman, , Sioux Falls, SD" , "George E Harlow Jr., Hyd(Geol), Richmond, VA" , "Allen R Brockman, Hyd(Geol), Richmond, VA" , "William D Mcfarland, Assistant District Chief, Portland, OR" , "Rafael W Rodriguez, HYDROLOGIST, San Juan, PR" From: "Robert M Hirsch, Chief Hydrologist, Reston, VA" (Robert M. Hirsch) Subject: Other news Hello from Reston. In addition to the new policy on data program activities that I sent out a few minutes ago I have a couple of other issues to mention to you. You should all have gotten an e-mail earlier today from Assistant Secretary Bonnie Cohen (forwarded to you by Tod Huffman). I would bring your attention to the item about the Federal Credit Union. Although this only applies to Washington D.C. area employees we would urge you to seek inroads to any Federal Employees Credit Union that may serve some of your staff (perhaps someone in your office is on the board) to see if similar provisions can be made at your credit unions. In terms of getting the information contained in the Bonnie Cohen memorandum and the previous one from Kathy Rutledge, I would encourage you to use a phone message (stating the time it was last updated) to inform your staff on these issues. A number of you have communicated with us in HQ about concerns over employee morale and also future relationships with our customers. We are very concerned about these issues. We are planning to communicate rapidly to both as soon as the furlough ends - employees through e-mail, and cooperators (State, local, and OFA) via an e-mail to you which you can use as you see fit. Neither of these messages is an easy one to compose - any suggestions you may have on how we cope with these issues is more than welcome. We have been working very hard on the issue of doing reimbursable work based on funding from funded OFA's or State and local agencies. A draft policy has been written and I think we will see final approval tomorrow. I wanted you to know that we are close to a solution that makes the best of a bad situation. I will be in the office tomorrow and will try to have something out on reimbursables. I'm also trying to track an issue related to pay for the ECO-associates. They are being told that they may not be paid even for the 40 hours prior to the shut-down. I don't have any real facts yet but I wanted you to know we will try to get to the bottom of it and try to get it fixed tomorrow. To try to end on an up-note: It is a beautiful blue and pink sky outside my window right now and I can see the Blue Ridge in the distance. Hope you have a pretty sunset tonight too. Thanks for your hard work under difficult conditions. Bob ********************************************************** * Robert M. Hirsch Phone: 703/648-5215 * * Chief Hydrologist Fax: 703/648-5002 * * 409 National Center Internet: rhirsch@usgs.gov * * U.S. Geological Survey * * Reston, VA 22092 * **********************************************************