A Guide to the Virginia Office of the Secretary of Administration, Records, 1997-2006 (bulk 2002-2006) Administration, Secretary of, Records of the, 1997-2006 (bulk 2002-2006) 42402

A Guide to the Virginia Office of the Secretary of Administration, Records, 1997-2006 (bulk 2002-2006)

A Collection in
the Library of Virginia
Accession Number 42402


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Library of Virginia

The Library of Virginia
800 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219-8000
USA
Phone: (804) 692-3888 (Archives Reference)
Fax: (804) 692-3556 (Archives Reference)
Email: archdesk@lva.virginia.gov(Archives)
URL: http://www.lva.virginia.gov/

© 2006 By The Library of Virginia. All Rights Reserved.

Processed by: Jessie Robinson

Repository
The Library of Virginia
Accession Number
42402
Title
Virginia Office of the Secretary of Administration 1997-2006 (bulk 2002-2006)
Extent
30 cu. ft. (86 boxes)
Language
English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

Privacy protected information is considered closed for 100 years after date of record creation. Types of records restricted include, but are not limited to: medical information, social security numbers, employee performance reviews, employee grievance materials, and attorney-client privileged documents. Restricted material has been sealed but has not been removed from the collection.

Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Records of the Virginia Office of the Secretary of Administration, 1997-2006. Accession 42402, State records collection, The Library of Virginia, Richmond, Va. 23219.

Acquisition Information

Transferred by Faye K. Straub, Office of the Secretary of Administration, 1111 East Broad Street, Room 307-B, Richmond, Virginia, 23219, 16 January 2006.

Biographical/Historical Information

The Office of Administration was established in 1966 as part of the Office of the Governor to assist the Chief Executive in carrying out his duties. Several agencies including the divisions of the Budget, Personnel, Engineering and Building and Planning reported to the Commissioner of Administration. In 1970, the Governor's Management Commission Study recommended the creation of six "Deputy Governors" to assist the Chief Executive in his managerial duties. Compatible functions of government were grouped under these administrative heads, who would serve as the Governor's top management team or "secretariats," as they are now called. Governor Linwood Holton's top priority for the 1972 session of the General Assembly was a proposal for a Governor's Cabinet, reorganizing state agencies into six major departments, each headed by a secretary appointed by the Governor. The office of the Secretary of Administration was created on April 8, 1972, by an act passed by the General Assembly. Governor Holton appointed T. Edward Temple, the Commissioner of Administration since 1970, as the first Secretary of Administration. When Temple took office on July 1, 1972, he was responsible for the divisions of the Budget, Personnel, Engineering and Buildings, Automated Data Processing, Justice and Crime Prevention, State Planning and Community Affairs, Council on the Environment, State Board of Elections and the Office of Special Programs. The Office has undergone a series of administrative reorganizations since 1972. On April 12, 1976, the Legislature combined the secretariats for administration and finance, effective July 1, 1976. On July 1, 1984, the offices were separated.

The Secretary of Administration is a member of the Governor's Cabinet, is appointed by the governor, and is subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. At the start of Governor Mark R. Warner's term in 2002, the Secretary of Administration was responsible for the direction of, or had jurisdiction over, 12 state agencies and boards. Three entities were removed from the Secretary of Administration's supervision during Governor Warner's term, and two agencies received changes in title. The original list of agencies and boards under the heading of the Secretary of Administration is as follows: Charitable Gaming Commission (name changed to the Department of Charitable Gaming in 2003), Commonwealth Competition Council (transferred to the Department of Budget and Planning in June 2004), Compensation Board, State Board of Elections, Department of Employment Dispute Resolution, Department of General Services, Department of Human Resource Management, Council on Human Rights, Commission on Local Government (merged with the Department of Housing and Community Development in 2003), Public Broadcasting Board, Department of Rights for Virginians with Disabilities (became an independent agency called the Virginia Office for Protection and Advocacy in 2002), and the Department of Veterans' Affairs, (name changed to the Department of Veterans Services in 2003).

On January 3, 2002 Governor-elect Warner named Sandra Bowen as his Secretary of Administration. Prior to taking this position, Secretary Bowen served as Special Assistant to Governor Charles S. Robb, and as Secretary of the Commonwealth during the administration of Governor Gerald L. Baliles. She was also the Director of Gubernatorial Transition between the Robb and Baliles administrations. Sheryl D. Bailey, formerly of the Hampton city manager's office, and James T. Roberts, formerly the Director of Planning and Resources at the Science Museum of Virginia were selected as Deputy Secretaries of Administration. Roberts later became Director of the Department of General Services, and Richard Zorn was selected to fill his position as Deputy Secretary. Information about this office is available in the archived website files of the Office of the Secretary of Administration, (2005-2006). They can be found by searching the Library of Virginia's catalog using "Secretary of Administration" as the subject.

Scope and Content

Correspondence, reports, reviews, memorandums and other working papers created and collected by the Office of the Secretary of Administration during the gubernatorial term of Virginia Governor Mark R. Warner, 2002-2006. This collection consists of 17 records series which document the activities of the Office of the Secretary of Administration, as well as the agencies and boards which fall under its heading.

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

Series I. Agency Employees on Temporary Assignment Reports, 2002-2005 Series II. Appointment Calendars, 2002-2005 Series III. Assessments of Mandates on Local Government, 2002-2005 Series IV. Capital Outlay Files, 2002-2005 Series V. Constituent Correspondence, 2002-2005 Series VI. Correspondence and Supporting Documentation: Assigned State Agencies, 2001-2005 Series VII. Correspondence and Supporting Documentation: Office of the Secretary, 2001-2005 Series VIII. Environmental Impact Studies, 2002-2005 Series IX. Freedom of Information Act Requests, 2002-2005 Series X. Intellectual Property Rights, 2002-2005 Series XI. Legislative Files, 2002-2006 Series XII. Public Broadcasting Board, 1997-2006 Series XIII. Real Property Files, 2002-2005 Series XIV. Special Projects File: Electronic Procurement (eVA), 2002-2005 Series XV. Special Projects File: Virginia Partners in Procurement, 2003-2004 Series XVI. Veterans' Affairs Records, 2002-2005 Series XVII. Weekly Report Files, 2002-2005

Separated Material

One folder of oversize material from the series titled "Correspondence and Supporting Documentation: Office of the Secretary," and its folder labeled "Public Safety, Dept. of--Corrections, Dept. of: Staunton Correctional Center," can be found in map case 24, drawer 1. (See separation notice in folder).


Adjunct Descriptive Data

Contents List

Series I. Agency Employees on Temporary Assignment Reports, 2002-2005.
Box 1
Extent: 4 folders.

Consists of documentation tracking the activities of state employees temporarily assigned to the Governor's cabinet.

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Series II. Appointment Calendars, 2002-2005.
Box 1
Extent: 1 folder.

Contains the monthly appointment calendars of Sandra Bowen, Secretary of Administration.

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Series III. Assessments of Mandates on Local Government, 2002-2005.
Boxes 1-2
Extent: 20 folders.

Documents the work of the Commission on Local Government. This agency cataloged all state and federal mandates on local governments. The Commission compiled reports on these mandates, which were reviewed and signed by the Governor. Included in the documentation are completed assessments, background on the Mandates Cataloging and Assessment Program, reassessments, scheduling material, service awards, commission appointments, the Report on the Comparative Revenue Capacity, Revenue Effort, and Fiscal Stress of Virginia's Counties and Cities, 2000-2001, and information on the 2003 merger of the Commission with the Department of Housing and Community Development.

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Series IV. Capital Outlay Files, 2002-2005.
Boxes 2-4
Extent: 18 folders.

Contains subject files that document the funding, maintenance and operation of certain state buildings. Most of the files contain a Memorandum of Understanding for Delegation of Certain Real Estate Approvals and Capital Outlay Responsibilities as they pertain to Virginia's public universities. These memos document the pilot program for delegated authority for non-general fund capital projects and expense leases.

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Series V. Constituent Correspondence, 2002-2005.
Boxes 5-17
Extent: 132 folders.

Contains constituent correspondence pertaining to all agencies overseen by the Office of the Secretary of Administration. Most of the letters were originally addressed to Governor Warner, but were assigned to the Secretary of Administration for response. The files cover topics including the 2002 state budget crisis, veterans' issues, the use of electronic voting machines in Virginia, changes to the state's healthcare plan and other employment-related issues, and problems surrounding the eVA procurement system. The files are arranged alphabetically by year. At the end of each year there are usually a few subject files. The F.Y.I. Files contain correspondence that was sent to Secretary Bowen's office from other Secretariats for her review. In the 2004 correspondence, there are several folders devoted to correspondence surrounding the proposed demolition of the Eighth and Ninth Street buildings, as well as a pay increase for state employees.

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Series VI. Correspondence and Supporting Documentation: Assigned State Agencies, 2001-2005.
Boxes 18-26
Extent: 70 folders.

Contains files composed of correspondence (constituent and internal), along with supporting material such as reports, proposals, and other working papers. Several state agencies operated under the Office of the Secretary of Administration. These agencies were referred to as "assigned" agencies. The assigned agencies of the Office of the Secretary of Administration documented here are the Department of Charitable Gaming, the Compensation Board, the Commonwealth Competition Council, the State Board of Elections, the Department of Employment Dispute Resolution, the Department of General Services, the Department of Human Resource Management, the Council on Human Rights, the Department of Rights of Virginians with Disabilities, the Governor's Office of Support Services, and the Virginia War Memorial Foundation. The files are arranged alphabetically by agency. Many of the agencies have several folders, some containing information from a specific timeframe. Others contain material describing a particular topic, and some document the activities of a division within a certain agency. At the end of this series there is a folder containing correspondence from the Office of the Secretary of Administration to the agency heads, as well as another folder containing correspondence to all state employees, agency heads, and the other Secretaries.

Notable files include those related to the State Board of Elections and the implementation of the new Virginia Election and Registration Information System (VERIS). Also of note are files pertaining to the Virginia Administrative Dispute Resolution Act (VADRA), found in the Department of Employment Dispute Resolution material, which document pilot programs put in place to help agencies resolve internal disputes. Within the Department of General Services material there is a significant amount of information on the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA), which allows for expedited construction and renovation projects. Also under the Department of General Services heading are several folders of material that document issues arising from the Small, Women-owned and Minority Businesses (SWAM) procurement initiative, designed to ensure that historically underutilized businesses gain access to state contracting opportunities.

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Series VII. Correspondence and Supporting Documentation: Office of the Secretary, 2001-2005.
Boxes 27-30
Extent: 45 folders.

Composed of correspondence and memos, as well as additional supporting documentation such as reports, proposals, brochures, and presentation material. The folders are arranged alphabetically according to the Secretariat under which the agency falls. Each Secretariat's office usually has its own folder, and sometimes several additional folders devoted to agencies under its heading. Notable files include those under the heading of the Secretary of the Commonwealth, which contain notifications of appointments to various boards and agency positions. Also found in these files are descriptive profiles of individual boards that answer to the Secretary of the Commonwealth, such as the Human Rights Council, the Design-Build-Construction Management Review Board, the Virginia Public Buildings Review Board, the Purchases and Supply Procurement Appeals Board, and the Capitol Square Preservation Council. Several files found under the heading of the Secretary of Education, Library of Virginia, document problems encountered by the library in terms of climate control and the protection of its collections. Another notable file can be found under the heading of the Secretary of Public Safety, Department of Corrections, Staunton Correctional Center. It contains information on the future adaptive re-use of the center, once known as Western State Hospital.

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Series VIII. Environmental Impact Studies, 2002-2005.
Boxes 30-38
Extent: 66 folders.

Contains environmental impact reports and statements created by state agencies before beginning construction projects. Section 10.1-1188 of the Code of Virginia requires that state agencies, institutions or branches of government proposing to undertake a "major state project" must prepare an environmental impact report. A "major state project" is defined as the construction of a facility costing $100,000 or more, or the acquisition of land for which construction is contemplated. The Governor's approval of the report is required before any funds are expended. The approval process was delegated to the Secretary of Administration by Executive Order 31 (94).

The report packets include the memorandum of approval, approval with stipulations, or disapproval, several pages of comments made by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), and other various memos and correspondence from specific departments that discuss the project and any possible ill affects it could have on the environment. The comments made by the DEQ take into account natural heritage and wildlife resources, air quality, waste management, historic and archeological resources, recreation, pollution, transportation and traffic, use of pesticides and herbicides, and energy conservation. Other topics addressed by the DEQ include erosion and sediment control, asbestos and lead paint problems, and any affect the project might have on the public water supply. Other agencies such as local governments, the Department of Historic Resources, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Department of Transportation, and regional planning district commissions were also consulted and asked to comment on any potential problems. The reports range from small renovations and additions, to large-scale construction efforts. Many of the projects took place on college campuses, at correctional facilities, and in marine areas. Several of the reports document the projects undertaken at the Jamestown Settlement in preparation for the 400th anniversary celebration in 2007. The environmental impact reports are filed by the date of the final approval or disapproval memo. Within each folder individual reports are filed in reverse chronological order.

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Series IX. Freedom of Information Act Requests, 2002-2005.
Box 38
Extent: 4 folders.

Consists of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and supporting documentation. Legislation regarding FOIA can be found in section 2.2-3700 of the Code of Virginia. It ensures citizens ready access to public records created and/or maintained by a public body. The first folder of this series contains information requests, several of which were denied because Virginia FOIA explicitly states that the Commonwealth is not required to furnish government documents to those who reside outside of the state. Other requests were denied on the grounds that the documentation in question did not exist. The remaining three folders contain correspondence, gaming permit applications, and lease information related to one request involving charitable gaming issues in the Hampton Roads area.

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Series X. Intellectual Property Rights, 2002-2005.
Box 39
Extent: 3 folders.

Contains disclosures, correspondence and other supporting documentation for reporting all inventions in accordance with Virginia's Intellectual Properties Policy set forth by Executive Memorandum 4-95. This policy states that any employee of an executive branch agency who invents a potentially marketable or commercially valuable process, device, technique, or method during working hours, within the scope of employment, or when using state-owned or controlled facilities is required to disclose that information. The disclosure forms contain detailed descriptions of the inventions which include among others, an apparatus to support and store truck-mounted calcium chloride spreaders, a database for managing Freedom of Information Act requests, and a tracheotomy expectorant shield.

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Series XI. Legislative Files, 2002-2006.
Boxes 39-56
Extent: 145 folders.

Contains enrolled bill reviews, legislative action summaries, legislative proposals and other miscellaneous legislation-related documents which explain in detail various bills brought before and voted upon by both the Senate and the House of Delegates. The Secretary of Administration was tapped by the Governor to respond to all General Assembly activity involving the agencies assigned to her office. Decisions were reached with the aid of agency heads with working knowledge of how legislation might affect the agency's ability to operate. The legislative files contain information on a number of subjects, the most prevalent being health care reform, voting, and campaign finance. Each enrolled bill review contains a summary of the bill and the number votes on passage achieved by the House and Senate. The reviews also include notations as to whether the Governor should sign, ask to amend, or to veto the bill. The legislative action summaries usually include whether the Secretary supported the bill, supported it with amendment, opposed the bill, or took no position on it. Most of the summaries contain comments and reasons for support or opposition. The legislative proposals are packets provided by individual agencies under the Secretary of Administration. Each proposal packet usually includes a statement of need for legislation within which ideas and suggestions for agency-specific legislation are documented. Also included in the legislative files are fiscal impact statements that detail the monetary affect any legislation might have on certain agencies, as well as reviews of carry-over legislation from the previous session.

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Series XII. Public Broadcasting Board, 1997-2006.
Boxes 56-65
Extent: 96 folders; 7 compact discs; 8 cassette tapes.

Contains board meeting minutes, financial information, contracts, and reports which document the activities of the Virginia Public Broadcasting Board. The Public Broadcasting Board is the channel through which public television and radio stations (including the radio reading service), receive state financial support. It provides grants and contracts with stations that enable them to implement instructional television programs for schools and other community interest programs. Many files contain documents created by the Board during the administrations of Governors George Allen and James Gilmore, spanning the years 1997-2001. It is unclear how or why the files were included with the papers from the Warner administration. They may have been collected by Warner's Office of the Secretary of Administration, or they may have been abandoned when the previous administrations left office and merely added to the Warner files. Files of particular interest include those containing correspondence related to the funding campaign waged in an attempt to escape a devastating financial blow to public broadcasting during the 2002 budget crisis. Also of interest are the folders devoted to the digital conversion process undertaken in the late 1990s. The files containing detailed meeting transcripts, as well as those labeled "Board Meeting Packets" provide comprehensive information about the Board, its functions, and the issues public broadcasting faced. Additionally, the Master Plans for Public Telecommunications contain the blueprints for management of the statewide public broadcasting network of stations. The files are arranged alphabetically by subject.

Also included in this series are four sets of audio recordings of Public Broadcasting Board meetings. Tape recordings and recordings on compact disc are available for the following meetings: November 10, 1997, March 19, 1998, November 13, 2002, and for one unidentified meeting that possibly took place during 1997. Also included are three tapes of unrelated audio material, including recordings of radio show broadcasts and political campaign advertisements, all presumably from the 1990s. These tapes were not converted to compact disc because their contents are seemingly unrelated to the Board and its activities.

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Series XIII. Real Property Files, 2002-2005.
Boxes 66-69
Extent: 31 folders.

Contains correspondence, meeting minutes, reports and other material that document real property issues handled by the Department of General Services, which falls under the Secretary of Administration. Many of the files deal exclusively with issues involving the renovation of the Capitol Square complex in downtown Richmond. These records include reports, working papers and decision briefs that show the progression of the project throughout Governor Warner's administration. Well-documented issues include the proposed destruction and/or re-use of the 8th and 9th Street buildings, and the complete renovation of the Capitol building. There are also files that document the sale of what was known as "Old City Hall," in Richmond. Other files of note include meeting material and correspondence created by groups involved with various projects including the Capitol Square Preservation Council, the Virginia Capitol Preservation Foundation, and the Public Buildings Board. Material of particular interest found in the Public Buildings Board file includes a 2002 report which documents the then current conditions of the buildings in Capitol Square, while outlining potential projects.

Also included in this series are several folders devoted to the Governor's Real Estate Initiative, Executive Order 75. This order was issued as a reengineering effort to transform the management of the Commonwealth's real estate portfolio. The initiative came from a recommendation of the Governor's Commission on Efficiency and Effectiveness and was one of Governor Warner's key priorities. The order prompted the state to engage in a review of its real estate management processes, including acquisitions, sales, easements and leases, with the goal of identifying ways to save money and improve management practices. The Secretary of Administration was to direct the program with the goals of increasing bargaining power, decreasing allocations, reducing total costs, all while maintaining agency security and operational needs, as well as functional space and real property services. All files are arranged alphabetically according to subject, and in some cases chronologically within the folders.

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Series XIV. Special Projects Files: Electronic Procurement (eVA), 2002-2005.
Box 70
Extent: 9 folders.

Contains correspondence, memorandums, decision briefs, reports and other working papers pertaining to eVA, the Commonwealth's electronic procurement system. eVA is an internet based electronic portal for procurement by state agencies and institutions. eVA serves as a single point of contact for vendors and suppliers to conduct business with state agencies and institutions. It makes the purchasing process much quicker, and allows access to more businesses and increased competition. The goal of eVA is to provide agencies with more choices and less costly goods. Having been implemented at the end of Governor Gilmore's term, eVA was a very new program when Governor Warner took office. The material found in this series documents problems the system faced, such as lagging involvement from agencies, and complaints that the system disproportionately excluded small business owners. The files also contain information on the successes the program achieved in its formative years, such as being nationally recognized as leading the way in electronic procurement. The files are arranged chronologically.

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Series XV. Special Projects Files: Virginia Partners in Procurement, 2003-2004.
Box 71
Extent: 2 folders.

Consists of two folders of correspondence, reports and other working documents related to the 2003 launch of the Virginia Partners in Procurement (VaPP) program. The purpose of this spend management initiative was to change the "buying culture" of the Commonwealth by collaboratively purchasing good and services, with the goal of saving money. Other key goals of the project were to facilitate the use of Virginia-wide contracts using the eVA system, and to improve the state's supplier diversity in terms of small, women owned and minority owned businesses. One item of interest is a copy of Governor Warner's July 24, 2003 speech given during the roll-out event for the VaPP program.

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Series XVI. Veterans' Affairs Records, 2002-2005.
Boxes 71-79
Extent: 71 folders.

Contains reports, correspondence, and other working papers which document veterans' issues in Virginia, and the activities of the Department of Veterans' Services (previously the Department of Veterans' Affairs). In 2002 Governor Warner issued Executive Order 15 which created the Governor's Advisory Commission for Veterans' Affairs. This commission was charged with providing recommendations on how to make the Commonwealth's veteran-oriented programs more effective by reviewing the agencies, programs and boards that serve the veteran community, assessing current and future needs, and identifying potential funding sources. The Commission was responsible for submitting a comprehensive report of its findings, which was published in December 2002. The final report is included in this series, as are a multitude of files which document meetings and other aspects of the Commission's research process. In response to the Commission's findings, Governor Warner issued Executive Order 40, which aimed to improve services for Virginia's veteran population. The Governor directed all state agencies to identify ways they could improve services for veterans in the areas of service delivery and preference in hiring. The order also directed the Secretary of Administration to give priority to efforts to obtain grants and other contributions for improving services to veterans.

Many other veteran-specific programs are documented here, including the cemeteries in Amelia and Suffolk, Virginia. Information about the Virginia Veterans Care Centers in Richmond, and Roanoke, Virginia is also included. The Roanoke location folders are mostly devoted to issues surrounding the improper financial and personal actions of its executive director in 2002, and how the Board of Trustees and the Office of the Secretary of Administration worked together to correct the problems in order to keep the center operational. This series documents the involvement of Deputy Secretary Sheryl Bailey, and the Office's commitment to improving the services offered to Virginia Veterans.

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Series XVII. Weekly Reports Files, 2002-2005.
Boxes 79-86
Extent: 73 folders.

Consists of weekly reports submitted to the Secretary of Administration by the agencies and boards that operated under its heading, including the Charitable Gaming Commission, the Commonwealth Competition Council, the Compensation Board, the State Board of Elections, the Department of Employment Dispute Resolution, the Department of General Services, the Department of Human Resource Management, the Council on Human Rights, the Local Government Commission, the Department of Veterans Services, and the Virginia War Memorial Foundation. Each agency head was required to submit a report on a weekly basis so that the Secretary was up-to-date on the progress of projects and informed of any other issues or problems the agency had encountered. The reports contain information on legislation affecting the agency, matters of operation such as staffing and procurement, notice of special events, training, and stakeholder issues. The level of detail varies by agency. Some agencies and boards produced one or two page reports. Others, such as the Department of General Services and the Department of Human Resource Management, submitted highly detailed reports containing five or more pages. Notable reports include those created by the State Board of Elections, which document in detail issues the Board encountered during state and national elections, as well as the switch to a new voting registration system. Additionally, the Department of General Services reports contain notes on fleet management, Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA) projects, the Capitol Square renovations, and other real property related information. The Department of Human Resource Management files contain documentation of the state's budget crisis and subsequent lay-offs in 2002, as well as a compensation reform survey summary and a report on state health benefits, from March and October 2004, respectively. The reports are filed alphabetically by the name of the agency or board, and are arranged chronologically within each year.

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