NOAA MAIL
MANAGEMENT
BULLETIN
2nd Quarter
(April - June)
Calendar Year 2003
The Document Management Branch
(DMB), Logistics
Staff, Office of Finance and Administration, is issuing the
second
quarterly “Mail Management Bulletin” for NOAA offices using mail meters
and is involved with various types of mailing services. The
Bulletins
will include information that our team feels is useful to all NOAA
offices
that use meter equipment or mail services provided by either our Branch
or by the US Postal Service (USPS). Please share this
information
with others in your office that may be involved with mail related
issues.
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Mail Security - With
the
possible threat of Anthrax or other biological threat looming over our
heads once again, be sure to take special precautions in handling and
processing
all mail. Below are some web sites that offer information on
proper
mail handling and identification of suspicious packages:
Protecting Your Health: for
People Who
Process, Sort and Deliver Mail - VIDEO
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/documentsapp/Anthrax/01042002/ProtectingYourHealth.asp
U.S. Department of Health
& Human
Services, Center for Disease Control
CDC Interim Recommendations
for Protecting
Workers from Exposure to Bacillus
anthracis in Work Sites Where
Mail Is
Handled or Processed
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/DocumentsApp/Anthrax/10312001/han51.asp
U.S. Department of Health
& Human
Services, Center for Disease Control
Emergency Information for
Employees
NOAA Homeland Security
http://www.emergency.noaa.gov
Mail Center Security Guide
United States Postal Service
http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/pubs/pub166/welcome.htm
Anthrax and Other
BioTerrorism Issues
Office of Personnel Management
http://www.opm.gov/ehs
Mailroom Procedures and
Worker Safety
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/DocumentsApp/Anthrax/10312001/han51.asp
Handling Suspicious
Envelopes and Packages
http://www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/nypd/html/nypd_mail_advisory.html
http://www.usps.com/news/images/poster_large.jpg
SCANNA (manufacturers &
suppliers of
letterbomb, contraband, and explosive detection items) http://www.scanna-msc.com
Protective Suits
http://www.protectivesuits.com
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USPS Monthly Data Costs
- At
the beginning of FY 03, the USPS began submitting cost data to the Mail
Management staff on a monthly basis rather than quarterly. The
staff
can now compare your monthly meter reports with the monthly data
received
from the USPS. The old USPS quarterly reports sometimes did not
include
meter resets during the last half of the last month of the
quarter.
The missing data would only appear during the following quarter’s
data.
The USPS says that each of the monthly reports will include all of the
resets for that month. In addition, beginning with your
April
report, please provide our office with the dollar amount left in your
meter
each month. This will allow us to reconcile the USPS bill
on
a monthly basis and should also assist you with the process of zeroing
out your meter by September 30, 2003. It is important that you
submit
your monthly report by the tenth of the following month, so that we can
compare the data to the USPS report. Monthly reports are due no
later
than the 10th of each month. |
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Zeroing Out Your Meter
Machine - You
should make every attempt to zero out your meters by the end of
September
of each year. Funding designated to cover postage costs within a
given year should be used up during that year. You should
average
out your annual monthly costs for the subsequent year and meter resets
should be scaled down during the month of September to reach a zero
balance
going into the next fiscal year. It may be necessary to reset
your
meter several times during September to achieve a “0” balance by
September
30. To carry over large sums of money into the next fiscal year
becomes
problematic for the Mail Manager whose responsibility it is to notify
NOAA
Finance and the Line Offices of their actual annual postage
costs.
Please contact Jim or Rita if further clarification is required.
Your cooperation is greatly appreciated. |
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Proposed Commercial
Metering System
- The General Services Administration (GSA) has notified agencies
that
they should go to a commercial meter system in the future.
Currently,
the system that most Government agencies use is the Official Mail
Accounting
System (OMAS). If agencies do transfer to the commercial system,
it will mean that a fund will have to be established, probably at the
Department
of Treasury, so that meter users can reset their meters. When you
reset your meter, the USPS will transfer the amount of the reset out of
the Department of Treasury to its account. Under the OMAS
system
each agency provides a set amount of money to the USPS each
month.
At the beginning of each fiscal year, each agency estimates its postage
costs and provides that estimate to the USPS. The USPS then bills
each agency for one-twelfth of the estimate each month. Under the
new system, the USPS would only receive money for postage actually
placed
into the meters. Although GSA wants agencies to begin the
commercial
system in October, 2003, most agencies will have to delay the
transition
beyond that date. NOAA has over 200 meters throughout the United
States and several American territories. To date GSA has not
established
a Department of Treasury account into which the agencies may
place
their mail funding. We will provide any updates in the next issue.
| If any vendors
contact you about changing
meters because of the proposed commercial metering system, please do
not
take any action and refer all such inquiries to the NOAA Mail
Manager.
Our office will notify you when the change will be necessary. |
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Postage Machines - If
you have
a problem with your meter machine, need supplies, or no longer need
your
meter (meter head only), below are some contact points:
| Pitney Bowes: Service |
1-800-537-7799 |
| Pitney Bowes:
Supplies |
(203)922-4972 |
| Ascom Hasler: Service |
(203) 925-2422 |
| Ascom Hasler:
Supplies |
(203) 925-2422 |
| National Mailing
Systems |
(703) 848-9494 |
Be sure to have your model
number and serial
number handy when placing a call with the above vendors.
Chatillon Scales
- If you are having a problem with your Chatillon scale and need a
replacement,
contact David Smith at the NWS Central Region Headquarters on
816-891-7734
Ext. 502 . Mr. Smith has two Chatillon Scales from offices that
were
closed several years ago. If Mr. Smith is out of scales, you may
call the Scale People located in Columbia, Maryland on 410-309-5880 to
request a new five pound Chatillon Scale.
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James Champion
(301) 713-2220 x152
Rita E. Argueta
(301) 713-2220 x 128
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