Federal offices in New Orleans area gradually open doors

Federal government offices and buildings in the greater New Orleans area are gradually getting back on their feet as the region recovers from one of the worst natural disasters in the nation's history.

More than three months after the Hurricane Katrina slammed into the central Gulf Coast, resulting in the death of more than 1,300 people and the displacement of more than 1 million, about half of government offices in New Orleans are estimated to have at least partially re-opened.

There are about 70 federal agencies and field offices in the greater New Orleans area, including military commands, according to Kathy Barre, executive director of the New Orleans Federal Executive Board.

Barre -- an employee of the Agriculture Department's National Finance Center in New Orleans -- has been gathering information on other government agencies in the area and has been finding ways for them to communicate during the rebuilding phase.

"It's hard for people to imagine what has taken place here," Barre said. "When you talk about the entire evacuation of a federal city … how can we begin the process of trying to pull back together?"

Barre said she is still trying to get in touch with some of the agencies that are moving back to the city. Some were up and running by the end of September, but others won't move back until next year, she said.

"You will see this continuing into January and February, but with each passing month you will see more agencies come back into this area," Barre said. "It appears that about 50 percent or so have at least started reconstituting in this area."

Of the 33 government buildings in the region that are managed by the General Services Administration, 11 remain closed. Agencies housed at these locations are either in new locations or the employees are teleworking, according to GSA.

Gil Hawk, director of the National Finance Center's information resources management division and chief information office, said a building rented at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility reopened Nov. 1 and about 550 of the 1,300 employees have returned to work.

A second NFC-rented building that houses Thrift Savings Plans operations and is located a half mile from the Michoud facility sustained major flood damage and is unlikely to reopen, Hawk said. NFC is negotiating with Michoud to rent more space for the TSP operations, he said.

"Almost everything was destroyed in [the TSP] facility," Hawk said. "The facility is not fit for use and we don't know what the owner is going to do with [it]."

Patrick Scheuermann, chief operations officer at Michoud, which is run by the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. and produces the space shuttle's external fuel tank, said 120 of the 2,000 employees have yet to return to the 832-acre facility. Employees who have not returned were relocated to Huntsville, Ala., and are expected to move back by January at the latest, he said.

Michoud, one of the largest employers in New Orleans, has yet to receive city water, but Scheuermann said he decided in mid-September to have a well drilled. By Oct. 15, about 400 employees had returned to work at the facility, he said.

Scheuermann, who took the helm at Michoud about a week before the hurricane landed, said at least 800 employees have been unable to return to their homes.

"It's just incredible for me and I'm just blessed to be a part of this … to see the dedication of these folks," said Scheuermann, who recently finished the Senior Executive Service Federal Candidate Development Program.

Of the eight New Orleans Social Security Administration offices that closed, three have reopened, the first on Oct. 31, the agency said. An office is scheduled to reopen in January 2006 and another in spring 2006. There are no dates for reopening the remaining three.

In the meantime, two new locations have been opened to fill gaps in service.

The Agriculture Department's Farm Service Agency offices in Louisiana are all open, but there are still problems with sporadic e-mail and Internet service, according to a Dec. 7 status report.

The Forest Service's building in the region is still inaccessible, according to the report, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's plant protection and quarantine office at the U.S. Customs House remains closed.

On Oct. 26, the National Labor Relations Board reopened its New Orleans regional office in the city's central business district. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's New Orleans office opened in a new space on Nov. 29.

U.S. Postal Service spokesman David Partenheimer said undamaged mail was delivered to the New Orleans area as soon as it was safe to do so, and was returned to the sender if it was not deliverable.

"There is no backlog of mail," Partenheimer said. "Mail that was contaminated was recently sanitized and is now being delivered in the New Orleans metropolitan area."