POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE ONE HUNDREDTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON H.R. 2466 A BILL TO DESIGNATE MORGAN AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES IN OCTOBER 13, 1987 Serial No. 100-30 Printed for the use of the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service 80-960 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1988 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office ROBERT GARCIA, New York GERRY SIKORSKI, Minnesota CONSTANCE A. MORELLA, Maryland (II) 88-600957 CONTENTS Hon. Richard Shelby, a U.S. Senator from the State of Alabama..... Hon. Ronnie Flippo, a Member of Congress from the State of Alabama. Wendy Gramm, Administrator, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget..... Hon. H.A. Alexander, mayor, city of Moulton, AL.... Tom Wright, president, Decatur Chamber of Commerce Ronald C. Matthews, executive director, North Central Alabama Regional Edward J. Spar, president, Market Statistics. Communication from: Ronald J. Hewitt, planning director, Planning Depart- (III) KF27 P632. DESIGNATE LAWRENCE AND MORGAN COUNTIES, ALABAMA, AS A METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREA TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1987 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON CENSUS AND POPULATION, COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call at 9:00 a.m. in room 311, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Mervyn Dymally presiding. Mr. DYMALLY. Good morning. The Subcommittee on Census and Population is hereby called to order to consider H.R. 2466, a bill which would designate Morgan and Lawrence Counties in Alabama as a metropolitan statistical area. At this hearing we will review legislation which provides relief to these two counties as a result of their exhaustion of administrative remedies. Three years ago, officials of Lawrence and Morgan Counties began their efforts to have their area designated as a metropolitan statistical area. Their efforts have been based upon the fact that Decatur, Alabama is one of the 366 "Urbanized Areas" officially designated by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. An Urbanized Area is defined by the Census Bureau as an incorporated place, and adjacent to a densely settled surrounding area, which together have a minimum population of 50,000. According to OMB, to qualify as a metropolitan statistical area, an urbanized area must usually be located within a county with a population of 100,000. If the area is situated within a county of less than 100,000, that urbanized area may count a neighboring county which meets specific standards of population density and labor commuting patterns between the outlying county and the central county. The problem which has been brought to our attention concerns the inability of Lawrence and Morgan counties to qualify under the present OMB regulations, due to the inclusion of the unpopulated Bankhead National Forest area in the computation of the required population density. This is an important question. We are all aware of the decline of certain industries in areas adjacent to the counties in question. The designation of Lawrence and Morgan counties as a metropolitan statistical area would bring a measure of economic recovery to this area. (1) |