B-156719, MAY 25, 1965
Highlights
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS TO REPORT FOR DUTY AT SAN JUAN ON SEPTEMBER 3. AUGUST 28 THE EMPLOYEE WAS IN AN ANNUAL LEAVE STATUS. THE COST OF WHICH IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE CHEAPER THAN TRAVELING FROM JACKSONVILLE. WHICH IS RETURNED HEREWITH. KELLER WAS NOT REQUIRED TO COMMENCE TRAVEL FROM OAK RIDGE UNTIL MONDAY. WE ASSUME THIS WAS INADVERTENT SINCE THE EMPLOYEE ARRIVED AT HIS DUTY STATION ON SEPTEMBER 2. YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED ACCORDINGLY.
B-156719, MAY 25, 1965
TO MR. D. H. SHELTON, UNITED STATES ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION:
YOUR LETTER OF MAY 4, 1965, REFERENCE AFS: DHS, REQUESTS OUR DECISION CONCERNING THE PROPRIETY FOR CERTIFYING FOR PAYMENT A TRAVEL VOUCHER IN FAVOR OF MR. R. DAVIDSON KELLER, JR., COVERING EXPENSES OF HIS TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION OF HIS DEPENDENTS FROM OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE, TO SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, INCIDENT TO A TRANSFER OF OFFICIAL STATION BETWEEN OAK RIDGE AND SAN JUAN.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE EMPLOYEE WAS TO REPORT FOR DUTY AT SAN JUAN ON SEPTEMBER 3, 1964, AND THAT FROM MONDAY, AUGUST 24 THROUGH FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 THE EMPLOYEE WAS IN AN ANNUAL LEAVE STATUS. MR. KELLER AND HIS FAMILY (WIFE AND TWO CHILDREN) TRAVELED BY PRIVATELY-OWNED AUTOMOBILE FROM OAK RIDGE TO NEW YORK, LEAVING OAK RIDGE AFTER WORKING HOURS ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 21 AND ARRIVING IN NEW YORK CITY ON AUGUST 26 (A DISTANCE OF 720 MILES). MR. KELLER SHIPPED HIS AUTOMOBILE FROM NEW YORK TO SAN JUAN AND PAID THE EXCESS COST OVER THE CONSTRUCTIVE COST OF SUCH SHIPMENT VIA JACKSONVILLE-- - THE NEAREST PORT FROM OAK RIDGE--- IN THE AMOUNT OF $16.50. MR. KELLER'S FAMILY TRAVELED FROM NEW YORK CITY TO SAN JUAN VIA COMMERCIAL AIR LINE, THE COST OF WHICH IS UNDERSTOOD TO BE CHEAPER THAN TRAVELING FROM JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, TO SAN JUAN.
AT 6 P.M. ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, MR. KELLER DEPARTED NEW YORK TO RETURN TO POWELL AIRPORT (18 MILES FROM OAK RIDGE) FOR THE PURPOSE OF PICKING UP HIS PRIVATELY-OWNED AIRPLANE. ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, MR. KELLER DEPARTED FROM POWELL AIRPORT FLYING TO CLEARWATER, FLORIDA, EN ROUTE TO SAN JUAN. HOWEVER, DUE TO NECESSITY OF REPAIRING THE RADIO IN HIS AIRCRAFT HE DID NOT LEAVE CLEARWATER UNTIL TUESDAY MORNING, SEPTEMBER 1. HE SPENT THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 1 ON GREAT EXUMA ISLAND AND DID NOT ARRIVE IN SAN JUAN UNTIL THE EVENING OF SEPTEMBER 2, 1964. YOU ASK THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:
"1. SINCE MR. KELLER USED HIS PRIVATE AUTOMOBILE TO TRANSPORT HIMSELF AND HIS DEPENDENTS TO A VACATION POINT, THEN SHIPPED HIS AUTOMOBILE FROM THAT POINT, CAN MILEAGE BE ALLOWED BETWEEN OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE, AND NEW YORK, NEW YORK, EQUIVALENT TO THE MILEAGE FROM OAK RIDGE TO JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, AT STRAIGHT 12 CENTS PER MILE FOR DEPENDENTS' TRAVEL?
"2. SHOULD MR. KELLER BE HELD TO COMMON CARRIER FOR DIRECT TRAVEL FROM NEW YORK TO SAN JUAN ON SATURDAY, AUGUST 29, 1964; OR SHOULD HE BE ALLOWED DIRECT TRAVEL BY COMMON CARRIER FROM KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE, THE NEAREST COMMERCIAL AIRPORT TO OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE, AND BE CHARGED ANNUAL LEAVE FOR THE EXCESS TRAVEL TIME ON MONDAY AUGUST 31, 1964, AND THE 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD OF SEPTEMBER, SINCE HIS ACTUAL TRAVEL BEGAN ON THE WEEKEND BY PRIVATE PLANE?
"3. SINCE MR. KELLER CHOSE TO START HIS TRAVEL ON WEEKENDS, MUST WE CHARGE ANNUAL LEAVE FOR ALL EXCESS TRAVEL TIME USED ON WORKDAYS?
ON THE BASIS OF MR. KELLER'S BEING IN AN ANNUAL LEAVE STATUS MONDAY, AUGUST 24 THROUGH FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, AND IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS OR PROVISIONS IN HIS ORDERS REQUIRING THAT HE COMMENCE TRAVEL TO SAN JUAN ON A NONWORKDAY (SATURDAY, AUGUST 29 OR SUNDAY, AUGUST 30), THE CONSTRUCTIVE TRAVEL ALLOWANCE SET FORTH ON PAGES 2 AND 3 OF THE ADMINISTRATIVELY APPROVED VOUCHER--- 2 1/2 DAYS PER DIEM AT $16 AND 1/4 DAY PER DIEM AT $6 RATE BASED ON CONSTRUCTIVE TRAVEL TIME BY PRIVATELY-OWNED AUTOMOBILE FROM OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE, TO JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, AND BY COMMERCIAL AIR FROM JACKSONVILLE TO SAN JUAN, PLUS CONSTRUCTIVE MILEAGE FROM OAK RIDGE TO JACKSONVILLE, PLUS ONE ADULT AIR FARE FROM JACKSONVILLE TO SAN JUAN--- APPEARS TO BE A PROPER BASIS FOR REIMBURSEMENT TO MR. KELLER INCIDENT TO HIS TRANSFER OF STATION FROM OAK RIDGE TO SAN JUAN. ACCORDINGLY, THE VOUCHER, WHICH IS RETURNED HEREWITH, IF OTHERWISE CORRECT, MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT UPON SUCH BASIS.
ON THE BASIS THAT MR. KELLER WAS NOT REQUIRED TO COMMENCE TRAVEL FROM OAK RIDGE UNTIL MONDAY, AUGUST 31, THE FIRST WORKDAY FOLLOWING THE PERIOD OF HIS ANNUAL LEAVE--- AUGUST 24 THROUGH AUGUST 28--- NO LEAVE NEED BE CHARGED MR. KELLER FOR MONDAY, AUGUST 31, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, OR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1964. WHILE YOU ALSO REFER TO SEPTEMBER 3 IN YOUR SECOND QUESTION, WE ASSUME THIS WAS INADVERTENT SINCE THE EMPLOYEE ARRIVED AT HIS DUTY STATION ON SEPTEMBER 2. YOUR QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED ACCORDINGLY.