B-156719, OCT. 31, 1967
Highlights
WAS PROPERLY PAID MILEAGE ON BASIS OF DIRECT AIR MILEAGE FROM SAN JUAN TO OAK RIDGE AND PER DIEM ON BASIS OF DISTANCE AT CRUISING SPEED OF PRIVATE AIRPLANE ASSUMING 6 HOURS FLYING TIME PER DAY. WITH RESPECT TO RETURN OF EMPLOYEE'S AUTOMOBILE WHICH WAS SHIPPED TO EDGEWATER. NEW JERSEY THERE IS NO AUTHORITY FOR PAYMENT OF CONSTRUCTIVE AUTOMOBILE MILEAGE FROM JACKSONVILLE TO OAK RIDGE. WILLIAMS: FURTHER REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 3. THE USE OF A PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPLANE AT 12 CENTS PER MILE FOR THE EMPLOYEE AND HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY WAS DETERMINED TO BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE GOVERNMENT IN THE APPLICABLE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION. KELLER'S AUTOMOBILE WHICH WAS SHIPPED TO EDGEWATER. BY WATER TRANSPORTATION WAS NOT USED FOR ANY PART OF THE TRAVEL TO OAK RIDGE.
B-156719, OCT. 31, 1967
TRAVEL EXPENSES - PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPLANE DECISION TO CERTIFYING OFFICER OF A.E.C. CONCERNING METHOD OF COMPUTING MILEAGE AND PER DIEM FOR EMPLOYEE TRAVELING BY PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPLANE OVER INDIRECT ROUTE. EMPLOYEE WHO WITH FAMILY TRAVELED BY PRIVATELY-OWNED AIRPLANE OVER INDIRECT ROUTE ON RETURN FROM TOUR OF DUTY IN PUERTO RICO TO OAK RIDGE TENN., WAS PROPERLY PAID MILEAGE ON BASIS OF DIRECT AIR MILEAGE FROM SAN JUAN TO OAK RIDGE AND PER DIEM ON BASIS OF DISTANCE AT CRUISING SPEED OF PRIVATE AIRPLANE ASSUMING 6 HOURS FLYING TIME PER DAY. WITH RESPECT TO RETURN OF EMPLOYEE'S AUTOMOBILE WHICH WAS SHIPPED TO EDGEWATER, NEW JERSEY THERE IS NO AUTHORITY FOR PAYMENT OF CONSTRUCTIVE AUTOMOBILE MILEAGE FROM JACKSONVILLE TO OAK RIDGE.
TO MR. P. W. WILLIAMS:
FURTHER REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 3, 1967, AND YOUR SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF AUGUST 16, 1967, REFERENCE AFI:PWW, BY WHICH YOU REQUEST OUR ADVANCE DECISION WHETHER YOU MAY ALLOW ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS TO MR. R. DAVIDSON KELLER, JR., A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION, COVERING HIS RETURN TRAVEL TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES AFTER AN AGREED PERIOD OF SERVICE IN SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO.
MR. KELLER AND HIS FAMILY TRAVELED BY PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPLANE VIA AN INDIRECT ROUTE FROM SAN JUAN TO OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE, BETWEEN JULY 16 AND AUGUST 15, 1966, THE EXCESS TIME INVOLVED BEING CHARGED TO LEAVE. THE USE OF A PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPLANE AT 12 CENTS PER MILE FOR THE EMPLOYEE AND HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY WAS DETERMINED TO BE ADVANTAGEOUS TO THE GOVERNMENT IN THE APPLICABLE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION.
IN COMPUTING THE MAXIMUM MILEAGE ALLOWABLE TO MR. KELLER FOR HIS INDIRECT TRAVEL, YOU USED THE DIRECT AIR MILEAGE FROM SAN JUAN TO OAK RIDGE AND IN COMPUTING THE MAXIMUM PER DIEM YOU USED THE TIME REQUIRED TO COVER THE DISTANCE INVOLVED AT THE CRUISING SPEED OF HIS PRIVATELY OWNED AIRPLANE ASSUMING 6 HOURS FLYING TIME PER DAY.
THE METHODS USED IN COMPUTING THE MILEAGE AND PER DIEM IN LIEU OF SUBSISTENCE APPEAR REASONABLE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES RELATED. WE DO NOT REGARD OUR DECISIONS, B-156719 OF MAY 25, 1965, AND SEPTEMBER 22, 1965, COVERING MR. KELLER'S TRAVEL TO PUERTO RICO IN 1964 AS BEING PERTINENT TO THE TRAVEL HERE INVOLVED. HERE, MR. KELLER'S AUTOMOBILE WHICH WAS SHIPPED TO EDGEWATER, NEW JERSEY (VICINITY OF NEW YORK CITY), BY WATER TRANSPORTATION WAS NOT USED FOR ANY PART OF THE TRAVEL TO OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE. THEREFORE, HE MAY NOT BE ALLOWED ANY CONSTRUCTIVE AUTOMOBILE MILEAGE FROM JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, TO OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE.
FURTHERMORE, WE AGREE WITH THE MANNER IN WHICH MR. KELLER WAS REIMBURSED FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF HIS AUTOMOBILE FROM SAN JUAN TO THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES.
THE COPIES OF VOUCHERS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS ENCLOSED WITH YOUR LETTERS ARE BEING RETAINED IN OUR FILES.