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HomeMy WebLinkAbout06964(SUBSTITUTED COPY) 4/11/2003 ORDINANCE NO. 6964 AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING A PLAN FOR THE DEFEASANCE AND PAYMENT OF SEWER REFUNDING REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 1996, ISSUED BY THE CITY OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, ACTING BY AND THROUGH ITS SEWER ENTERPRISE; AND AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING RELATED DOCUMENTS AND ACTIONS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH WHEREAS, the City of Pueblo, in the County of Pueblo and State of Colorado (the "City "), is a municipal corporation duly organized and existing as a home rule city pursuant to Article XX of the Constitution of the State of Colorado (the "State ") and the home rule charter of the City (the "Charter"); and WHEREAS, under the Charter, the City is possessed of all powers which are necessary, requisite or proper for the government and administration of its local and municipal affairs, all powers which are granted to home rule municipalities by the Colorado Constitution, and all rights and powers that now or hereafter may be granted to municipalities by the laws of the State; and WHEREAS, the City owns and operates a municipal sanitary sewer system (the "Sewer Enterprise "); and WHEREAS, the legislative powers of the City are vested in a board of council members, known as the city council (the "City Council "), which also operates as the governing body of the Sewer Enterprise; and WHEREAS, the City, acting by and through its Sewer Enterprise, previously issued its Sewer Refunding Revenue Bonds, Series 1996, in the initial principal amount of $11,100,000, of which $3,550,000 remains outstanding (the "1996 Bonds "), pursuant to Ordinance No. 6128, adopted by the City Council, acting as the governing body of the Sewer Enterprise, on second reading on October 15, 1996 (the "1996 Bond Ordinance "); and WHEREAS the 1996 Bonds are payable under a Paying Agency Agreement dated as of November 1, 1996 (the "Paying Agency Agreement") between the Sewer Enterprise and The Bank of Cherry Creek, a Branch of Western National Bank (successor to The Bank of Cherry Creek, N.A.) (the "1996 Paying Agent'); and WHEREAS the Sewer Enterprise desires to borrow funds through a program administered by the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority (the "Authority") for a wastewater treatment project which will enhance the public health and welfare of the residents of the City, and a necessary condition for that borrowing is the defeasance of the 1996 Bonds; and WHEREAS the Sewer Enterprise has moneys legally available to it which will enable it to establish an escrow account with enough funds for the payment of the remaining principal of, and the interest on, the 1996 Bonds, as they become due; and WHEREAS, the City has engaged James Capital Advisors, as financial advisor for the City ( "James Capital "), Kutak Rock LLP, as bond counsel for the City ( "Kutak"), and the City Attorney, to work with the Sewer Enterprise to develop a timetable and a plan for the defeasance and payment of the 1996 Bonds, and for the borrowing from the Authority (the "Plan "); and WHEREAS, James Capital, Kutak, the City Attorney and a representative of the Sewer Enterprise have drafted a timetable setting forth various steps to be taken to accomplish the Plan and have presented that timetable at this meeting of the City Council, sitting as the governing body of the Sewer Enterprise; and WHEREAS, there has also been presented at this meeting a form of Escrow Agreement, dated as of May 20, 2003 (the "Escrow Agreement"), between the Sewer Enterprise and The Bank of Cherry Creek, a Branch of Western National Bank, as Escrow Agent (the "Escrow Agent°), which would provide for the establishment of an escrow account, funded with moneys legally available to the Sewer Enterprise, which moneys and the investments purchased with such moneys will provide for the defeasance and the payment in full of the 1996 Bonds as they become due; and WHEREAS, the City Council, sitting as the governing body of the Sewer Enterprise, wishes to approve the outline and general timetable for the Plan, to adopt and approve the form of the Escrow Agreement, and to approve the deposit of moneys legally available to the Sewer Enterprise into the escrow account, all to provide for the defeasance and payment of the 1996 Bonds; and WHEREAS, the City Council, sitting as the governing body of the Sewer Enterprise, has considered the proposal and the outline of the Plan, and has determined that it is in the best interests of the residents of the City that the Plan be implemented without undue delay; BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF PUEBLO: SECTION 1 Approval of Plan Generally. The City Council, sitting as the governing body of the Sewer Enterprise, hereby approves and authorizes the execution of the Plan generally, along the approximate timetable presented at this meeting. SECTION 2 Defeasance of the 1996 Bonds. The City Council, sitting as the governing body of the Sewer Enterprise, hereby approves and authorizes the defeasance and payment of the 1996 Bonds, and directs the President and the Vice President of the City Council, the City Clerk and the Wastewater Director (together, the "Authorized Officials"), in conjunction with James Capital, Kutak and the City Attorney (together, the "Associated Professionals "), to take action or to cause the 1996 Paying Agent to take action to accomplish such defeasance and payment in accordance with the 1996 Bond Ordinance. SECTION 3 Approval of Escrow Agreement. The City Council, sitting as the governing body of the Sewer Enterprise, hereby approves the Escrow Agreement, in substantially the form presented to this meeting, and authorizes and directs the President or the Vice President of the City Council to execute and deliver the Escrow Agreement for and on behalf of the Sewer Enterprise, in substantially the form and with substantially the content as presented at this meeting, but with such changes, modifications, additions and deletions therein as the City Attorney and the Authorized Official executing the Escrow Agreement shall deem necessary, desirable or appropriate (execution thereof to constitute conclusive evidence of the approval of any and all such changes, modifications, additions or deletions). SECTION 4 Deposit of Moneys into the Escrow Account. The City Council, sitting as the governing body of the Sewer Enterprise, hereby authorizes and directs the deposit of enough money, not to exceed $3,821,585, from the legally available funds of the Sewer Enterprise, into the escrow account established pursuant to the Escrow Agreement, to provide for, and also authorizes and directs the use of such moneys for, the complete payment of the 1996 Bonds. SECTION 5 Additional Documents and Actions. The Authorized Officials, and any of them, are hereby authorized and directed to execute and deliver for and on behalf of the City and the Sewer Enterprise any and all additional certificates, documents, opinions or other papers, and to perform all other acts as they may deem necessary or appropriate in order to implement and cant' out the intent and purpose of this Ordinance. SECTION 6 Repeals. All ordinances, resolutions, motions, orders, by -laws, rules or regulations, or parts thereof, in conflict with this Ordinance are hereby repealed only to the extent of such inconsistency. SECTION 7 Severability. If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Ordinance shall for any reason be held to be invalid or unenforceable, the invalidity or unenforceability of such section, paragraph, clause or provision shall not affect any of the remaining parts or provisions of this Ordinance. SECTION 8 Effective Date. This Ordinance shall take effect on April 14, 2003, upon its final passage and approval. SECTION 9 Public Hearing. A public hearing on this Ordinance shall be held on Monday, April 14, 2003, at 7:00 p.m., in the City Council Chambers, One City Hall Place, Pueblo, Colorado. INTRODUCED March 24. 2003 BY Al Gurule Councilperson APPROVED: President of City Council ATTEST: Cily rk PASSED AND APPROVED: April 14. 2003 a 7 , 9 � Background Paper for Proposed ORDINANCE DATE: March 24, 2003 DEPARTMENT: WASTEWATER Gene Michael, Director TITLE (SUBSTITUTED COPY) ow . -# CocCeC/ AGENDA ITEM # 38 AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING A PLAN FOR THE DEFEASANCE AND PAYMENT OF SEWER REFUNDING REVENUE BONDS, SERIES 1996, ISSUED BY THE CITY OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, ACTING BY AND THROUGH ITS SEWER ENTERPRISE; AND AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING RELATED DOCUMENTS AND ACTIONS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH. ISSUE Shouid the City Council approve a plan for the defeasance and payment of sewer refunding revenue bonds, series 1996, issued by the City of Pueblo, through its sewer enterprise: and authorizing and approving related documents and actions? RECOMMENDATION Approval of Ordinance BACKGROUND In November 2002, the City Council adopted a 10 -year financial plan for the wastewater enterprise that included a new rate and fee schedule. The financial plan was based on recovering operating costs and on a 10 -year capital improvement program for the wastewater system. The capital improvement program included replacing a 30 -inch sanitary sewer interceptor line located in the Arkansas River channel bed. Construction for this project must begin in 2003 to avoid conflict with the U.S Army Corps of Engineers Arkansas River project and with the City of Pueblo's Legacy Project. Existing funds are insufficient for the interceptor replacement project. In accordance with the new financial plan, the Wastewater Department has applied for and received a loan in the amount of $8,363,188 from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority, under the State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan program authorized under the federal Clean Water Act. Approximately $6 million of this loan will be used to fund the Arkansas River Sanitary Sewer Interceptor Replacement Project, and the remainder will be spent on sanitary sewer replacement and rehabilitation throughout the City of Pueblo between 2003 and 2006. The wastewater enterprise presently owes debt service on a series of revenue bonds issued in the mid -1980s and refinanced in 1996. These bonds are presently referred to as the 1996 Series bonds. The 1996 Series bonds will be retired at the end of 2004. However, until the debt service payments on the existing bond series is complete, Wastewater Department's current revenues may be insufficient to maintain legal debt coverage on both the existing bonds and on the SRF loan. The plan for defeasance calls for placing $3,763,000 of operating capital in an escrow account to be used for debt service payments on the 1996 Series bonds. The escrow agreement will allow the City to fulfill its obligations to the investors in the 1996 Series bonds, and also places the SRF loan in a first mortgage position with regard to debt service payments. FINANCIAL IMPACT This ordinance will remove $3,763,000 in operating capital from the Wastewater Enterprise through 2004, for the purpose of assuring compliance with bond covenants on existing bonds. PUEBLO SEWER ENTERPRISE ESCROW AGREEMENT THIS PUEBLO SEWER ENTERPRISE ESCROW AGREEMENT, dated as of May 14, 2003 (this "Escrow Agreement'), is made by and between the CITY OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, ACTING BY AND THROUGH ITS SEWER ENTERPRISE (the "Enterprise ") and THE BANK OF CHERRY CREEK, A BRANCH OF WESTERN NATIONAL BANK, as escrow agent (the "Escrow Agent "). WITNESSETH: WHEREAS, the City of Pueblo, Colorado (the "City"), is a municipal corporation in the State of Colorado (the "State "), duly organized and operating under the Constitution and laws of the State and its Home Rule Charter; and WHEREAS, the City, acting by and through the Enterprise, has previously issued its Sewer Refunding Revenue Bonds, Series 1996 (the "Series 1996 Bonds ") in the aggregate principal amount of $11,100,000, of which $3,550,000 is presently outstanding; and WHEREAS, the ordinance authorizing the issuance and delivery of the Series 1996 Bonds provides that the Series 1996 Bonds are not subject to redemption prior to their maturity; and WHEREAS, the Enterprise desires to provide for the defeasance of the Series 1996 Bonds by providing moneys for the payment of the principal of and interest on the Series 1996 Bonds as they mature; and WHEREAS, the Enterprise therefore will deposit moneys in a special fund and trust account herein created and authorized, to be used solely to pay and discharge the Series 1996 Bonds as herein provided; and WHEREAS, a portion of the moneys in the special fund and trust account will be invested in the noncallable direct obligations of the United States of America (the "Government Obligations ") listed in Exhibit A hereto; and WHEREAS, the maturing interest on and principal of such Government Obligations will be used by the Escrow Agent, together with cash in the escrow account, to pay the principal of and interest on the Series 1996 Bonds on their respective payment dates; and WHEREAS, the Escrow Agent, as Paying Agent for the Series 1996 Bonds (which are sometimes called the "Refunded Bonds" in this Agreement), shall provide for such payment of the Refunded Bonds as set forth herein; NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS AGREED that in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, and in order to secure the payment of the principal of and interest on the Refunded Bonds, according to the schedules set forth herein, the parties hereto mutually undertake, promise and agree for themselves and their respective representatives, successors and assigns, as follows: 02- 141166.3 Section 1. The Enterprise hereby establishes with the Escrow Agent a special fund and trust account designated as the "City of Pueblo, Colorado, Sewer Enterprise Refunding Revenue Bonds, Series 1996, Escrow Fund" (the "Escrow Fund "). The Enterprise as of this date irrevocably deposited into the Escrow Fund $3,821,585 from moneys legally available to the Enterprise, and the Escrow Agent acknowledges receipt of that amount of money. The Enterprise hereby directs the Escrow Agent to invest moneys in the Escrow Fund in the Government Obligations described in Exhibit A hereof at a cost of $3,821,042.69, and to hold $542.31 as uninvested cash, and the Escrow Agent agrees to make such investment and to hold such cash. The principal of and interest on the Government Obligations described above shall be sufficient, together with cash on hand, and shall be used, as the Government Obligations mature, to make the required payments of principal of and interest on the Refunded Bonds on their payment dates. The debt service schedule for the Refunded Bonds is set forth in Exhibit B hereto and the Escrow Agent is authorized to rely thereon. Section 2. The Escrow Agent acknowledges receipt from the Enterprise of $800.00, as full payment for its services in connection with this Escrow Agreement. The Escrow Agent expressly waives any lien upon or claim against any other moneys and investments in the Escrow Fund. Section 3. The Escrow Agent agrees to hold the deposits in the Escrow Fund, together with the Government Obligations herein authorized and directed to be purchased, at all times in the Escrow Fund, wholly segregated from other funds and securities on deposit with it, shall never commingle such deposit or securities with other funds or securities of the Escrow Agent, and shall never at any time use, loan or borrow the same in any way unless said funds are fully secured in the manner required by law for other trust funds. The Escrow Fund shall at all times be maintained on the books of the Escrow Agent together with the Government Obligations so purchased. The Government Obligations will be irrevocably deposited in the Escrow Fund, will be registered in the name of the Escrow Agent and title to the Government Obligations shall vest in the Escrow Agent on behalf of the registered owners of the Refunded Bonds. Section 4. The maturing interest on and principal of the Government Obligations in the Escrow Fund shall be used first solely to meet the debt service on the Refunded Bonds as provided in Section 1 hereof. On or prior to each principal and/or interest payment date on the Refunded Bonds and without further direction from anyone, including the Enterprise, the Escrow Agent shall withdraw from the Escrow Fund an amount sufficient to pay the debt service on the Refunded Bonds and shall use such moneys to pay the principal of and interest on the Refunded Bonds. The Escrow Agent shall notify the Enterprise if the amounts on deposit in the Escrow Fund are not sufficient to make the transfers required by Section 1 hereof, and the Enterprise shall immediately deposit with the Escrow Agent an amount equal to the deficiency. The Escrow Agent will not commingle any amounts subsequently deposited by the Enterprise to make up a deficiency with the Government Obligations or any other funds in the Escrow Fund, but will create, and deposit the amount of such deficiency in, a subaccount of the Escrow Fund. The Enterprise hereby waives any and all conditions to any vesting of title to the Government Obligations in the Escrow Agent and the timely payment of amounts due on the Refunded Bonds from the Government Obligations. 02- 141166.3 2 Section 5. The Escrow Agent agrees to maintain the Escrow Fund until the date upon which all the Refunded Bonds are fully paid, as to principal and interest, whereupon the Escrow Agent shall redeem any Government Obligations remaining in the Escrow Fund and shall remit all moneys, if any, then remaining in the Escrow Fund to the Enterprise. Section 6. The Escrow Agent shall continuously secure any moneys in the Escrow Fund not invested in Government Obligations by a pledge of Government Obligations in a principal amount at all times at least equal to the total uninvested moneys held in the Escrow Fund. This requirement shall not apply with regard to any such uninvested moneys to the extent and during any time the same are fully insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Section 7. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable or responsible for any loss resulting from any investment made pursuant to this Escrow Agreement and in full compliance with the provisions hereof. The Enterprise shall not be liable for any action or failure to act of the Escrow Agent. Section 8. In the event of the Escrow Agent's failure to account for any funds or Government Obligations received by it for the account of the registered owners of the Refunded Bonds, said funds and Government Obligations shall be and remain the property of the registered owners of the Refunded Bonds, and if for any reason said funds or Government Obligations cannot be identified, all other assets of the Escrow Agent shall be impressed with a trust for the amount thereof and the registered owners of the Refunded Bonds shall be entitled to the preferred claim upon such assets enjoyed by a trust beneficiary. The funds received by the Escrow Agent shall not be considered as a banking deposit by the Enterprise, and the Escrow Agent shall have no right or title with respect thereto. The funds so received by the Escrow Agent as escrow agent shall not be subject to checks drawn by the Enterprise. Section 9. The Escrow Agent, as Paying Agent, is hereby irrevocably directed to give notice to the registered owners of the Refunded Bonds that the deposits referred to in Section 1 hereof have been made and that the Refunded Bonds have been defeased, such notice to be in substantially the same form as attached hereto as Exhibit C. Section 10. On or prior to each January 31, beginning January 31, 2004, the Escrow Agent shall forward to the Enterprise a statement in detail of the income, investments, payments and withdrawals of moneys from the Escrow Fund for the preceding calendar year. The Enterprise shall have the right, at any time, to examine all the Escrow Agent's records regarding the status of the Escrow Fund, and the details of all income, investments, payments and withdrawals therefrom with respect to the Escrow Fund. Section 11. The Escrow Agent shall not reinvest any cash or redeem and reinvest the proceeds of any of the securities held in the Escrow Fund or substitute other securities for any of the securities held in the Escrow Fund unless and until the Enterprise requests that such reinvestment or substitution be made. Any such reinvestment or substitution must be in Government Obligations. Prior to any request for such redemption and reinvestment of any proceeds of any of the securities held in Escrow Fund or request to substitute other securities for any of the securities held in the Escrow Fund, the Enterprise shall provide to the Escrow Agent: (a) an opinion by an independent certified public accountant that after such reinvestment or 02- 141166.3 3 substitution the principal amount of the Government Obligations purchased, plus the remaining securities held in the Escrow Fund, together with the earnings thereon and other available moneys, will be sufficient to pay, as the same become due, all principal of and interest on the Refunded Bonds which have not then previously been paid, and (b) an unqualified opinion of nationally recognized municipal bond counsel to the effect that (i) such reinvestment or substitution will not affect adversely the exclusion from federal income tax of the interest on the Refunded Bonds, and (ii) such reinvestment or substitution complies with the Constitution and laws of the State of Colorado and the provisions of all relevant documents relating to the issuance of the Refunded Bonds. Section 12. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable for any act done or step taken or omitted by it or any mistake of fact or law or for anything which it may do or refrain from doing, except for its negligence or its default in the performance of any obligation imposed upon it hereunder. Section 13. This Escrow Agreement is made by the Enterprise for the benefit of the registered owners of the Refunded Bonds as provided herein and shall not be revocable by the Enterprise, and the Government Obligations and other funds held in the Escrow Fund and all income therefrom are hereby irrevocably appropriated for the payment of the Refunded Bonds in accordance with this Escrow Agreement and as particularly described in Section 1 hereof. Section 14. This Escrow Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the registered owners of the Refunded Bonds, as third party beneficiaries, and the Escrow Agent and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that the Escrow Agent shall not assign this Escrow Agreement without the consent of the Enterprise, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. Said third party beneficiaries shall be entitled to enforce performance and observance by the Enterprise and the Escrow Agent of the respective agreements and covenants herein contained as fully and completely as if such third party beneficiaries were parties hereto. Any bank into which the Escrow Agent may be merged or with which it may be consolidated or any bank resulting from any merger or consolidation to which it shall be a party or any bank to which it may sell or transfer all or substantially all of its corporate trust business shall, unless the Enterprise disapproves in writing, be the successor agent without the execution of any document or the performance of any further act. In the event that the Enterprise disapproves of the successor agent resulting from any of the events described above, the Enterprise shall immediately appoint any commercial bank which is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and which has trust powers to be the successor escrow agent hereunder, whereupon such successor agent shall immediately succeed to the agreements and covenants of the Escrow Agent hereunder. Section 15. If any one or more of the covenants or agreements provided in this Escrow Agreement on the part of the Enterprise or the Escrow Agent to be performed should be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction to be contrary to law, such covenant or agreement shall be deemed and construed to be severable from the remaining covenants and agreements herein contained and shall in no way affect the validity of the remaining provisions of this Escrow Agreement. 02- 141166.3 4 Section 16. This Escrow Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, all or any of which shall be regarded for all purposes as one original and shall constitute and be but one and the same instrument. This Escrow Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Colorado. Section 17. Time shall be of the essence in the performance of obligations from time to time imposed upon the Escrow Agent by this Escrow Agreement. 42- 141166.3 5 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Enterprise has caused this Escrow Agreement to be signed in its name by the President of the City Council and the Escrow Agent has caused this Escrow Agreement to be signed in its corporate name by its authorized officer, all as of the day and year first above written. CITY OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, ACTING BY AND THROUGH ITS SEWER E By President, City Council THE BANK OF CHERRY CREEK., A BRANCH OF WESTERN NATIONAL BANK, as Escrow Agent By - b MIOL Authorized Officer 02- 141166.3 6 EXHIBIT A GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS 02- 141166.3 Principal Maturity Type Amount Coupon Date Cost U.S. T -Bill $41,000 1.04475% 05/29/2003 $40,982.40 (yield) U.S. Treasury 1,510,000 3.0000% 11/30/2003 1,546,106.22 Bond U.S. Treasury 30,000 3.2500% 05/31/2004 31,084.15 Bond U.S. Treasury 2,160,000 2.0000% 11/30/2004 2,202,869.92 Bond 02- 141166.3 EXHIBIT B DEBT SERVICE SCHEDULE FOR THE REFUNDED BONDS Date Principal Interest Total June 1, 2003 -- $85,352.50 $ 85,352.50 December 1, 2003 $1,470,000 85,352.50 1,555,352.50 June 1, 2004 -- 50,440.00 50,440.00 December 1, 2004 2,080,000 50,440.00 2,130,440.00 02- 141166.3 EXHIBIT C NOTICE OF DEFEASANCE OF CITY OF PUEBLO, COLORADO, ACTING BY AND THROUGH ITS SEWER ENTERPRISE SEWER REFUNDING REVENUE BONDS SERIES 1996 Notice is hereby given that there is on deposit with The Bank of Cherry Creek, A Branch of Western National Bank, paying agent for the above - captioned bonds (the "1996 Bonds "), cash and direct obligations of the United States of America ( "Government Obligations ") which are sufficient to pay the remaining principal of and interest on the 1996 Bonds as they become due, and that the 1996 Bonds therefore have been defeased. THE BANK OF CHERRY CREEK, A BRANCH OF WESTERN NATIONAL BANK By L.4o� 02- 141166.3