95-724ORSGINAL
Presented by
RESOLUTION
CITY OF SAfNT PAUL, MINNESOTA
Council File # 'J�'�a 7
Green Sheet # 7!� �
17
RefeiredTo FINANCE AND BUDGET COMMITTEE Suly 5, 1995
Comnuttce Date
1 WI�REAS, the City of St. Paul recently consolidated its St. Paul Police Relief Association and the St. Paul Fire
2 Relief Association with the Nfinnesota Public Employees Relief Association (PERA);
WHEREAS, a recent actuarial evaluation prepared by Milliman & Robertson, Inc., indicated that as of June 30,
1993, the St. Paul Fire Relief AssociaUon had an unfunded liabi]iry of $19,548,416; and
5 WHEREAS, the additional annual contribution from the City required to eliminate this unfunded liabiliry by the year
6 2010 as required by state law is $2,279,610 assuming that the actual investment returns is approximately equal to
7 8.5% and that the actuarially assumed long term rate of return on investments remains at its current level of 8.5%;
8 and
9 WHEREAS, today's interest rate environmem affords the City with a unique and significantly less costly alternative
10 method of eliminating this unfunded pension liability through the issuance of a taxable pension bond to pay the
11 unfunded pension liability; and
12 WI�REAS, the financial analysis prepued by Dougherty, Dawldns, Strand & Bigelow, Tnc., dated March 29, 1994,
13 attached as Eachibit shows that the City of St. Paul could achieve annual savings of $187,030 for a total savings
14 of $2,992,480 by the year 2010 if the City were to issue a taYable pension bond to finance the unfunded liability for
15 the St. Paul Fire Relief Association;
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1 Tf�REF.ORE, BE TT RESOLVF.D, that the City Council of the City of St. Paul hereby requests the appropriate City
2 staff to negotiate with the underwriting fum of Dougherty, Dawkins, Strand & Bigelow, Inc., for the possible
3 issuance of a tasable pension bond to &nance the unfunded liabiliry for the St. Paul Fire Relief Association; and
4 BE TT F[JRTFiIIt RESOLVED, that if the issuance of such a taxable pension bond can save the City of St. Paul at
5 least $1OQ000 annually until the year 2010, as indicated by an updated financial analysis similar to that included as
6 Ea�lubit then City staff should prepaze for consideration by the City Council the appropriate resolutions authorizing
7 the sale of such t�able pension bonds by July l, 1995.
Requested by Department of:
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Frnm Approved by City Attomey
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Approved by Mayor for Submission to Council
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Adopted by CouncIl: Date (�
Adoption �e�by Co� �
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City of Saint Paul
City Council Research Center
310 City Hall
Saint Paul, MN 55102
INTER-DEPARTMENTAL MEMORANDUM
DATE: July 7, 1995
TO: Councilmember Rettman
FROM: Mary Erickson
SUBJECT: Finance and Budget Committee Referral
At the July 5, 1995, City Council meeting, the following resolution was referred to the
Finance and Budget Committee:
Resolution - 95-724 - Requesting appropriate City staff to negotiate with the
underwriting fum of Dougherty, Dawkins, Strand & Bigelow, Inc. for the possible
issuance of a taxable pension bond to finance the unfuuded liability for the St. Paul
Fire Relief Association.
mce
attachment
�s �a y �
DEPARTMENLpPFICE/COUNCI� DATE INITIATED N� �� 7 O�
ci�c«�;� �-2s-9s GREEN SHEE
CONTACT PER$pN 8 PHONE INITIAUDATE INITIAVDATE
� �EPqflTMENT DIRE � CRY COUNCIL
��L' �IIIO GUClm X YBEA POP O CIT' ATTORNEY O CRY CLERK
MUST B€ ON CqUNpL AGENDA BY (DATE) �n� � BUDGET DIRECTOR � FIN. & MGT. SERVICES OIP.
�� OflOER �MAVOR(ORASSISTANT) �
TOTAL # OF SIGNATURE PAGES (CLIP ALL LOCATIONS POR SIGNA7URE)
ACTION REQUESTED:
That the City Council of the City of St Paui hereby requests the appropriate City stagto negotiate with The unaerwriUng fum ofDgugfieriy,
Dawldns, Shgnd &Bigelow, Inc. forffiepos�ble is�anoe of a teYablepension bond to finance the unfunded liability for the St Paul Fire Relief
Association.
RECOMMENDA710N5: Approve �A) or ReJett (R) pERSONAL SERVICE CONTRACTS MUST ANSWER THE FOLLOWING �UESTIONS:
_ PLANNWG GOMMISSION _ CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION �� Has this personfirm ever worketl untler a coMract for ihis department?
_ C�e CoMMt77EE _ YES NO
_ STaFF 2. Has this personKrm ever been a ciry employee?
— YES NO
_ DISrRiCT COUqr _ 3. Does this person/firm possess a skill not normally possessetl by any current ciry employee?
SUPPORTS WHICH COUNCIL OBJECTIVE'+ YES NO
Espla�n all yes answers on separate sheet antl aNaeh to green sheet
INITIATING PROBLEM, ISSUE. OPPORTUNITV (Who, What, When, Where, Why�:
Today's interest rate environment affords the City with a unique and significantly less costly atternative method of eliminating this unfunded
pension liability thtough the issuance of a taxable pension bond to pay the unfunded pension liability.
ADVANTAGESIFAPPROVED.
A finaucial analysis shows that tbe City of St Paul coidd achieve annual savings of $187, 030 for a total savings of $2,992,480 by the year 2010
if the Ciry were to issue a taxable pension bond to finance the unfunded liabiliry for ihe St. Paul Fire Relief Association.
DISADVANTAGES IF APPqOVED
None
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JUN 2 � i�95
DISADVANTAGESIFNOTAPPROVED "
J.OSS Of POSCIlt131 58V1IIg5,
TOTAL AMOUN7 OF TRANSACTION $ COST/pEVENUE BUDGETED (CIRCLE ONE) YES NO
FUND1idG SOURCE ACTIVI7V NUMBER
FINANGIAL INFOqMATION: (EXPLAIN)
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CITY OF SAINT PAUL
PENSION FUNDING PROGRAM
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� March 29 1994 Dougherty, Dawkins, Strand & Bigelow, Inc.
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Executive Summary
IntPOduCtlon The State of Minnesota Pubfic Employees Retirement Association (PERA) administers
and manages the assets of the Police and Fire Consolidation Fund (the "Consolidation
Fund"). The Consolidation Fund provides retirement benefits for police officers and
firefighters belonging to local relief associations that have elected to merge with and
transfer pension asseu and administration to PERA. Each of the 35 relief associations
has a sepazazely designated account in the Consolidation Fund. Each receives a
sepazate actuarial valuation, sepazately bears the cost of providing pension benefits and
sepazately beazs the cost of funding any unfunded pension liability.
BeueSts aIId Pension benefits aze funded from member and empluyer contributions and ir.come
Contributions from investment of fund assets. Regulaz contribution caces for Consolidation Fund aze
set by state law and were most recently reset in 1993. Beginning in the first full
payroll period after December 31, 1993, employees will concri6ute 7.6 percent of
salary and employers will contribute ] 1.4 percent of earnings. In order to eliminate,
by the year 2010, any unfunded liability existing in each of the accounts, an Additional
Contribution is required. The amount of the Additional Contribution paid each year
is calculated as the amount necessary to pay such tiability on an annual payment basis
(assuming that the assets of the Consolidation Fund are invested at an 8.5% yiP�d each
yeaz uid that benefits increase at 6.5% each year) over that period of time.
Unfunded Liability The most recent actuarial valuatioa prepazed by Milliman & Robertson, [nc. indicated
that as of June 30, 1993, the St. Paul Pire Relief Association had an unfunded Iiabilitv
in the Consolidation Fund of $19,548,416. The additional annual contribution required
to eliminate this unfunded liability by the yeaz 2010 is $2,279,bL0, assuming that the
actual investment retum is approximately equal to 8.5% and that the actuazially
assumed long term rate of retum on investments remains at its current level of S.5%
New and Less Today's interest rate environment affords municipalities a unique and significantiy less
Costly SOlution costly altemative method of eliminating unfunded pension liabilities. This technique
uses the proceeds of a taxable pension bond issue to pay the unfunded pension
liabiliry. That is, a municipality issues bonds in an amount large enough to cover the
unfunded pension liability and the wsts of issuance. The proceeds of the bond issue
will then he paid to PERA in satisfaction of the unfunded liability. ABer the bonds
are issued, the municipality is no longer required to make "Additional Contributions"
to the Consolidation Fund. [nstead, the municipality pays debt service on the new
pension bonds. Because interest rates today aze at neaz record lows, annual deb[
service payments on a bond issue are substantially lower than the annual paymeacs
required by an Additional Contribution Schedule as calculated by PERA. The savin,s
to a municipality can be estimated by comparing the annual payments under che
Additional Conhibution Schedule to the annual debt service payments under the
pension bond issue.
Dougherty Dawkins has worked with PERA and the State Pension Commission to
introduce legislation to facilitate these transactions. A copy of the bill containing che
relevant staNtory amendments is attached hereto.
Section A of these materials illustrates the unfunded pension liability problem, as �iell
as the solution discussed above. Section B of this booklet contains tables which
estimate the savings available to the City of St. Paul as a result of the bond issue.
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Section B: Proposal for the City of St. Paul
Savings for the City of The St. Paul Fire Relief Association had unfunded pension liabilities of $19,548,416
St. Paul � of June 30, 1993 -- the most recent date for which figures aze avai]able. State law
requires that this obligazion be fully funded by the year 2010.
To determine the savings available to the Ciry from a Pension Bond issue, we simply
compare the annual debt service on the Pension Bonds against the City's estimated
Additional Contribution Schedule. The table below shows the total savings and the
present value of the total savings which would result from the issuance of the proposed
pension bonds.
St. Paul Fire Relief Association and St. Paul Police Relief Association
Unfunded Liability Financing
Total Savings: $2,992,480
Present Value Savings: $1,747,184
Bond Yield: 7.169%
Year Combined Additional Debt Service on Annual Savings
Contributions Pension Bond Issue
1994 $2,279,610 $2,092,580 $187,030
1995 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
1996 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
1997 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
1998 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
1999 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
2000 2,219,610 2,092,580 187,030
2001 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
2002 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
2003 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
2004 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
2005 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
2006 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
2007 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
2008 2,279,610 2,092,580 187,030
2009 2,279,b10 2,092,580 187,030
$36,473,760 $33,481,280 $2,992,480
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Section A: tllustration of the Unfunded Pension Liability
Probiem
A Fuily Funded Pension Plan
Figure 1
$$ Value
30
25
' 20
���., a,nenr
....... ,� 5 MarRet vaa,e w
� Pension PWn
Mve¢OnenLs
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5
Q
Year 4 Year 8 Year 12 Year 16
30
Fumre Value
ofPension 2�j
Nvesbnerrts
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15
10
5
0
Year 20
C Shavs the Present Ualue
of future pension benefits
Shows the estimated total
of future benefrt payments
Figure 1 shows an e�cample of a Pension Plan tY�at is fiilly funded -- i.e, has �ro u��fiirded
liabiliry. Note in particular tha[ tlre current mazket value of the Plan's imes[ments (blue
baz on tlie te8) is equal to tt� Present Value of tt� Plan's fuUUe be�St obligadons ( the red
poitrter). Because the Plan is fiilly fimded toda}; the coc�ination of (1) regilaz monttily
cotrtnbutions by employers and/or empioyees and (2) on-going imest�irt earmngs. «ill
provide enough money in tY�e future (blue baz on the right) to pay the required le� el of
retirement berefits (green pointer).
• The term'Nonnal Fwxi Growth" as used l�re meat�s the combinarion of
(1) re�ular mo�hiy employer/empioyee covtributions to the Plan, a�i
(2) aunulaace imest�c�t elndngs on fiuds held by the Plan
Today's Pension Plan Investments
Grow to Cover Future Benefits
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Normal Fund Growth'
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A Pension Plan �th Unfunded Liability
I $$ Vafue
30 T
25
20
15
I '[ 0
30 1
Currerrt Asset Shortage Produces f �""�
Future Unfunded Liability vaa,uty 25
P.esam �� __ _� 20
FurMln9 ... _: ..__..,._..
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� CurrerG
Market Value of
Pmsron Man
InvesC/Mn�
a , --,—
Year 4 Year 8
Figure 2
�'"— , Fualre �alue
� ofPensionPlan
; Nvesbnend
Nortnal Fund Grwrth ` �
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Year 12
C Shows the Preserrt Va1ue
of future pension benefds
10F
5
-o
Year 16 Year 20
Shovrs the estimated toNal
of future benefrt payments
In Figure 2 we see a plan with an unfunded liabiliry. The present value of the future bc�x1 i t
obligation is substantially higher than the current market value of the plads imestmcnts
(Compare the position of the red poiMer with the top of the blue portion of the bar )
UNess action is takeq tMs Plan will fall considerabty slmrt of having sufficient funds io
pay the pensionbecrefits owed to setirees in the fuuue, (Compare the position of the ercti n
pointer to the top of the blue portion of the baz. ) Many public pe�ion pla� toda} f.�c;c ih s
problem
• The term 'Nom�al Fund Grow[h" as used here �ans the combi�uon of
(1) regular mornhiy employeflemployee contribuaons to the Plaq a�
(Z) �utnulatiVe irn•esmiem earnings on fiuds t�ld by t2� Pian.
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The Traditional Funding Solution
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Supplemental Employer Contributions
Over Many Years Fill the Funding Gap
Frgure 3
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-- Market Yalue o!
Pension Plan
Mvestrtenta
Year 4 Year 8
Nortnal Fund GroMh�
I
30
FuOxe Value
atPenstonqan nL
o-,,.eso„ena LJ
_� zo
15
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10
5
Q
Year 12 Year 16 Year 20
C Shoxs the PreseM Vafue
of (uture pension benefrts
Shows the estimated total
of future benefR paymerrts
Figure 3 shows the sol�rtion to underfucKling that has been adopted in many vanauons b�
most Plans with an unfunded liability problem. This solution requires tliat an actuan
design a sche�ile of supplememal comriburions which (together with imesunern eartu ngs �
will red�e the amount of the utduided liability ro zem by a specified date. It bears
amPt�asizing that these contribuaons are paid in addition to the ordinary cornribuuons
made by the municipality at the e� of each pay period. Whi1e this solution is an effectn c
o�, an equally effective and less cos[ty solution is available.
*'I'he term 'Nom�al Fund Growth" as used here means ttie combimaon of
(1) regular momhiy employerlemployee comributions to Uie Plan, ani
(2) cumu(a[ive im�eshneM eamings on funds t�eld by the Plan.
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The Proposed Pension Bond Solution
I $$ Value
30 - r -- -
I 25
I 20
Deposit of
Penslon BoiM
'� �3 Prceeetls
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Figure 4
Pension Bond Proceeds Fill
the Funding Gap Immediately
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MeilcetValueW
Persion Plan
Mv��tr
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Year 4 Year 8
Year 12 Year 16
R+Nre VaWe
W Perulon plan
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Year 20
��
30
25
20
15
10
5
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C Shows the PreseM Value
of future pension benefits
Shows the estimated total w
of future benefR payments r
Figure 4 shows a rew and less costly way to eliminate unfun�ed pencion liabilities Instcad
of n�aldng supplememal contributions over mazry years, a mudcipality can issue pens�on
bonds and deposit the bond procceds direcfly irno its Pension Plan. This tecluvque
imtnediately e�tinguishes the unfiuided liabiliry, acxi subsritutes an�ai bond pa} ments for
tl�e supplemernal pension contnbuaons. Si�e princq�at and interest pay�nts on the
bonds are substantially lower than tl� supptemeNal cornributions were and wdl be , real
savings are achieved Savings are achieved so long as the average rate of reeun on fund
assets exceeds ihe irneiest rate on the bonds over the term of the bond issue. Over the past
�ve Yeazs PERA has �hieved an anm�atized rate of return of 12.3%. The hable on the
ne�t page compares supplements comributlons to bond paymencs on a yeaz-by-year bas�s
to quanrify tLe savings .
* The term 'Nornial Fund Growth" as used here means ti� combination of
(1) regu(az mornhiy employer/employee coirtnbutionc to tt� Plan, and
(2) cumuiative im�estmen[ earningr on fiu�ds held by the Plan.