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Government Property Control

  1. What are the rules that determine when something is considered "Government Property"?
  2. I saw some items sitting outside the wood shop that appear to be discarded. Is there any way that I could have the item?
  3. My computer has a numbered "U.S. Government Property - NSF" tag on it. What does the tag indicate?
  4. I have some electronic items in my office that I would like to get rid of. Can I just throw them out? If not, who do I contact?
  5. I have some electronic items in my office. One is no longer working and the one I have been using just failed. Can I scavenge the old one to get the recently failed one working?
  6. I know that we have many old and outdated computers on hand. My child's school is in need of computers. Is there any way we can give those computers to the school?
  7. Can NOAO acquire vehicles and equipment from other government agencies? Who should I contact to see what is available?
  8. I have a piece of equipment that I would like to loan to a colleague at another facility. How do I go about doing this?


What are the rules that determine when something is considered "Government Property"?

The specific rules governing this is found in the AURA-NSF Cooperative Agreement, AST-0132798, CLAUSE 9 and 10.

Clause 9 governs property in the US and Clause 10 governs property in Chile. In general the Minimum Capitalization Requirements are found in Paragraph 4 of those two Clauses. Paragraph 4 reads that "Nonexpendable personal property which meets the following criteria shall be capitalized:

  1. Has a unit cost or value in excess of $25,000;
  2. Has an expected useful life in excess of one year, and;
  3. Is of a durable nature and will retain its identity throughout its useful life."

Article III-Definitions, paragraph 10 states that "Government Property, means all property meeting the requirements of General Provisions Clause 9, Paragraph 4 including all motorized and non-motorized vehicles."

As a result of those two paragraphs, all property, located in the US and purchased through the Cooperative Agreement and meeting the Clause 9, Paragraph 4 criteria including all motorized and non-motorized vehicles regardless of cost is considered U.S. government property and cannot be disposed of, loaned out or used for personal purposes unless approved by the government.

Property not meeting the capitalization requirements of Clause 9 and 10 or the definition in Article III, Paragraph 10 is considered AURA property and can be disposed of as seen fit by AURA through the NOAO Property Officer.

The title of all property located in Chile and purchased through the Cooperative Agreement shall, according to Clause 10, Paragraph 1.b "vest in the Awardee (AURA)" and is considered Observatory Property. However, Clause 10 paragraph 10.a states that "no disposition shall be made of observatory property without prior approval of the (NSF) Grants and Agreements Officer." Because of this, NSF approval is required on the disposition, including loan, of all Observatory Property located in Chile

Complete property records will be maintained on all capitalized property (including that located in Chile)and on all AURA property exceeding $5,000. The property records required for all Capitalized Property are found in Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-110, Property Standards Section .34, Equipment (f)(1). Property records for AURA property will be held to a similar standard.

The disposition of all property will be handled by the NOAO Property Officer.

For further information, contact Jerry Smith, NOAO Property Control Officer (jsmith@noao.edu, ext. 8316).

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I saw some items sitting outside the Wood Shop that appear to be discarded. Is there any way that I could have the item?

All property purchased with contract funds is considered U.S. government property and cannot be disposed of or used for personal purposes unless approved by the government. Property can be temporarily loaned to an employee with the approval of his/her supervisor and the NOAO property officer, but it must be returned to NOAO upon request or upon termination of employment.

The property you saw was probably awaiting disposal by the General Services Administration (GSA). GSA is the federal agency to whom NOAO must report excess property. Items submitted for disposal to GSA by government agencies or contractors are routinely put up for auction by the GSA. It is possible for NOAO employees to get on the bid list.

In rare instances, property is given to NOAO by the National Science Foundation with the express approval to distribute to employees. In the past this has occurred when there is an abundance of office furniture that GSA does not want and that would otherwise be disposed of.

For further information, contact Jerry Smith, NOAO Property Control Officer (jsmith@noao.edu, ext. 8316).

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My computer has a numbered "U.S. Government Property - NSF" tag on it. What does the tag indicate?

All property purchased Cooperative Agreement meeting the criteria specified in Clause 9, Paragraph 4 and in Article III, paragraph 10 is considered government property and cannot be disposed of or used for personal purposes unless approved by the government. Property can be temporarily loaned to an employee with the approval of his/her supervisor and the NOAO property officer, but it must be returned to NOAO upon request or upon termination of employment. Because this property is controlled by the U.S. government, NOAO cannot sell it or otherwise dispose of the property unless it receives approval from the National Science Foundation.

Property acquired by SOAR or WIYN or other tenant organizations belongs to those organizations and is not considered government property. Government property loaned by NOAO to individuals or institutions remains government property and must be accounted for by NOAO.

The two classifications of government property are listed below:

  • AURA PROPERTY: All property valued over $5,000 and not considered Government property is considered to be AURA property. This property is labeled with a unique, easily identifiable property tag. Non-capitalized property tags are numbered 30000 or higher. Property valued less than $1,000 may be tagged if it has significant value and can be easily pilfered.
  • GOVERNMENT PROPERTY: All property meeting the criteria of Clause 9, Paragraph 4 of the Cooperative Agreement including motorized and non-motorized vehicles is considered Government Property.

Within the NOAO organization such property is identified with an account number object code (last three numbers of the 12-digit account number) of -800 as compared to consumable items, which are identified with an account number object code of -100.

In general the Minimum Capitalization Requirements are found in Paragraph 4 of Clause 9. Paragraph 4 reads that "Nonexpendable personal property which meets the following criteria shall be capitalized:

    1. Has a unit cost or value in excess of $25,000;
    2. Has an expected useful life in excess of one year, and;
    3. Is of a durable nature and will retain its identity throughout its useful life."

All Government Property is identified with an account number object code of -800. This property is labeled with a unique, easily identifiable property control tag. Generally, capitalized property tags are numbered 10000-20000.

Government and AURA property is inventoried on an annual basis. Such property cannot be discarded, traded in, scavenged, or donated without specific approval of either the NSF, in the case of Government property, or the NOAO Property Officer, in the case of AURA Property. The NOAO property officer maintains all property records and can assist with any questions concerning property.

For further information, contact Jerry Smith, NOAO Property Control Officer (jsmith@noao.edu, ext. 8316).

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I have some electronic items in my office that I would like to get rid of. Can I just throw them out? If not, who do I contact?

To dispose of any property, contact Jerry Smith, NOAO Property Control Officer (jsmith@noao.edu, ext. 8316). There are very strict rules under which NOAO operates concerning the acquisition and disposal of property. All property must be accounted for, and disposal is not a casual act.

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I have some electronic items in my office. One is no longer working and the one I have been using just failed. Can I scavenge the old one to get the recently failed one working?

Government property cannot be scavenged unless approved by the U.S. government. AURA Property cannot be disposed of with the approval of the NOAO Property Officer. If you would like to scavenge a piece of equipment that is identified as either AURA or Government Property, contact Jerry Smith, NOAO Property Officer (jsmith@noao.edu, ext. 8316).

There are very strict rules under which NOAO operates concerning the acquisition and disposal of property. All property must be accounted for, and scavenging and disposing of a piece of equipment should not be considered casual acts.

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I know that we have many old and outdated computers on hand. My child's school is in need of computers. Is there any way we can give those computers to the school?

NOAO, in conjunction with the National Science Foundation, has a program covering the donation of computers to schools. The process is fairly simple and is initiated with a letter from the school's principal requesting the donation of computer systems. The letter should be sent to:

Jerry Smith, NOAO Property Control Officer

National Optical Astronomy Observatory

950 N. Cherry Ave.

Tucson, AZ 85719

Upon receipt of the letter, the property officer will prepare the necessary paperwork and obtain NSF or AURA approval. Once completed, the property officer will arrange for the distribution of the computers to the school.

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Can NOAO acquire vehicles and equipment from other government agencies? Who should I contact to see what is available?

As a contractor with the U.S. government, NOAO has the right to acquire property declared excess by other government facilities and contractors. If you are interested in acquiring excess property, contact Jerry Smith, NOAO Property Control Officer (jsmith@noao.edu, ext. 8316), for the specific procedures to follow. The property officer maintains a "wish list" for various individuals within the organization and reviews lists from government sources seeking to give up equipment. Except for the transportation costs, the property is free.

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I have a piece of equipment that I would like to loan to a colleague at another facility. How do I go about doing this?

According to NOAO's Cooperative Agreement with the NSF, NOAO can make observatory property available for loan within the geographic limits of Chile or the United States or its possessions when such property is not needed for activities or programs of AURA. Loans to organizations outside these geographical areas must be approved by either the NSF, for Government property, or the NOAO Property Officer for AURA Property.

Generally NOAO can only loan property to non-profit organizations for scientific use. However, "for profit" organizations can receive loaned property if that property is used exclusively in connection with a government contract. All requests for loans of Government property to "for-profit" organizations must be approved by the NSF.

The NOAO individual supporting the loan must provide the following information to Jerry Smith, NOAO Property Officer:

  • The name, address and phone number of the organization which is receiving the property
  • The full name, email address, phone number and title of the person receiving the property
  • A list of the property, by property tag number, that is being loaned. If the property does not have a tag number, a list of the property by description, including manufacturer, make/model, serial number and value (or estimated value)
  • The start and end date of the loan
  • Full name of the scientific collaborator at NOAO/NSO proposing the loan

When the information is received by the NOAO property officer, a formal loan agreement will be generated and returned to the NOAO collaborator. The form must be signed by the NOAO collaborator and the NOAO director and returned to the NOAO property officer. The Property officer will oversee the transfer of the equipment to the other organization.

In some instances, the loan is for an indefinite period. In these cases, it may be better for NOAO to transfer title of the property to the other organization. Such formal transfers are handled by the NOAO property officer and may require NSF approval. In the majority of cases, this is a simple process and may be more beneficial for both the other organization and NOAO than would a simple loan.

For further information, contact Jerry Smith, NOAO Property Officer (jsmith@noao.edu, ext. 8316).

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  Last updated 8/23/2002.