A RESOLUTION APPROVING A PLAN OF LEASE FINANCING WITH THE ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA, FOR THE ACQUISITION,
CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPPING OF A FIRE STATION AND THE REPLACEMENT OF FIRE AND EMS
APPARATUS
WHEREAS, the Board of Supervisors (the “Board”) of
Albemarle County, Virginia (the “County”), desires to finance and refinance the
costs of (a) acquiring, constructing and equipping a fire station to be known as
the Hollymead Fire Station and (b) replacing certain fire and EMS apparatus
(collectively, the “Project”);
WHEREAS, the Economic Development Authority of
Albemarle County (the “Authority”) is authorized under the Industrial
Development and Revenue Bond Act (the “Act”) to exercise all the powers set
forth in the Act, which include, among other things, the power (i) to make loans
to, among others, a county in furtherance of the Act, (ii) to finance or
refinance and lease facilities for use by, among others, a county, (iii) to
issue its revenue bonds, notes and other obligations from time to time for such
purposes and (iv) to pledge all or any part of its revenues and receipts derived
from payments received by the Authority in connection with its loans or from the
leasing by the Authority of such facilities or from any source, as security for
the payment of principal of and interest on any such obligations;
WHEREAS, the Board desires to undertake the
financing and refinancing of the Project through a lease structure with the
Authority, pursuant to which the County would lease certain property to the
Authority pursuant to the terms of a Ground Lease (as hereinafter defined) and
the Authority would lease such property back to the County pursuant to the
terms of a Lease Agreement (as hereinafter defined);
WHEREAS, until the County acquires fee simple
title to the Hollymead Fire Station and can substitute such property as leased
collateral, the Board desires to secure the financing through a lease of its
Monticello Fire Station located on land in the County (with such land, together
with all improvements now or hereafter located thereon being, collectively, the
“Property”);
WHEREAS, the Board desires that the Authority
(a) issue a tax-exempt bank qualified revenue note in an aggregate principal
amount not to exceed $7,000,000 (the “Note”) pursuant to the terms of the Lease
Agreement between the Authority, the County and the Noteholder (as hereinafter
defined) and (b) lease the Property to the County at a rent sufficient to pay
when due the principal of and interest on the Note;
WHEREAS, the County Executive has requested
Davenport & Company LLC, as the County’s financial advisor (the “Financial
Advisor”), to solicit bids from banking institutions for the purchase of the
Note;
WHEREAS, there have been presented to this meeting
drafts of the following documents (collectively, the “Documents”) that the
County proposes to execute to carry out the transactions described above, copies
of which shall be filed with the records of the County:
(a) Ground Lease to be dated the date of its
delivery (the “Ground Lease”), between the Authority and the County pursuant to
which the County will lease the Property to the Authority;
(b) Note Purchase Agreement and Lease Agreement to
be dated the date of its delivery (the “Lease Agreement”), between the
Authority, the County and the banking institution selected by the Authority and
the County (the “Noteholder”) pursuant to which the Authority will (1) issue and
sell the Note, (2) use the proceeds of the Note to finance the Project, and
(3) lease the Property to the County.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF
ALBEMARLE COUNTY, VIRGINIA:
1.
The following plan for financing the Project is approved. The Authority
is hereby requested to issue the Note in a maximum principal amount not to
exceed $7,000,000 and use the proceeds to finance the Project. The County will
lease the Property to the Authority pursuant to the terms of the Ground Lease.
Thereafter, the Authority will lease the Property to the County pursuant to the
terms of the Lease Agreement. The County will undertake to make payments to the
Authority of basic rent (“Basic Rent”) and additional rent (“Additional Rent”)
under the terms of the Lease Agreement in amounts sufficient to amortize the
Note and to pay the fees and expenses of the Authority. The obligation of the
Authority to pay principal of and premium, if any, and interest on the Note will
be limited to payments of Basic Rent and Additional Rent received from the
County. The undertaking by the County to make payments of Basic Rent and
Additional Rent will be subject to appropriations from time to time by the Board
of sufficient amounts for such purposes. If the County exercises its right not
to appropriate money for such payments, the Authority shall have the right to
exercise any remedies provided in the Lease Agreement upon an event of
non-appropriation, including the right to terminate the Lease Agreement and
exclude the County from possession of the Property. The Note will be secured by
an assignment to the Noteholder of the Authority’s rights to receive payments of
Basic Rent. The plan of financing for the Project shall contain such additional
requirements and provisions as the County Executive may approve and determine to
be in the best interest of the County.
2.
Subject to the pricing parameters of the Note described below, the Board
hereby authorizes the County Executive, in consultation with the Financial
Advisor and the Authority, to review the bids from the banking institutions and
to select the bid that the County Executive determines to be in the best
interests of the County. The banking institution submitting such winning bid
shall be selected as the Noteholder.
3.
The County Executive is authorized and directed to execute the Documents,
which shall be in substantially the forms submitted to this meeting, which are
hereby approved, with such completions, omissions, insertions and changes not
inconsistent with this Resolution as may be approved by the County Executive,
his execution to constitute conclusive evidence of his approval of any such
completions, omissions, insertions and changes. In making completions to the
Lease Agreement, the County Executive shall provide for payments of Basic Rent
on terms equivalent to a Note that (a) matures in installments ending no later
than December 31, 2029; (b) has an aggregate principal amount not exceeding
$7,000,000; (c) has a “true” or “Canadian” interest cost not exceeding
5.0% per
year; (d) is subject to optional redemption, if at all, at a premium not
exceeding 1.0% of the principal amount thereof; and (e) is sold to the Noteholder
at a price not less than 99.0% of the aggregate principal amount thereof.
Following the sale of the Note, the County Executive shall file a certificate
with the records of the Board of Supervisors setting forth the final terms of
the Note and the Lease Agreement. The actions of the County Executive in
approving the terms of the Note and the Lease Agreement shall be conclusive, and
no further action shall be necessary on the part of the County. As set forth in
the Lease Agreement, the County undertakes to pay from legally available funds
such “late charges” and other charges as described therein.
4.
The officers of the County are authorized and directed to execute and
deliver all certificates and instruments and to take all actions necessary or
desirable in connection with the execution and delivery of the Documents and the
completion of the financing.
5.
The undertaking by the County to pay any amounts under the Lease
Agreement shall be limited obligations payable solely from funds to be
appropriated by the Board for such purpose and shall not constitute a debt of
the County within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory limitation or a
pledge of the faith and credit of the County beyond any fiscal year for which
the Board has lawfully appropriated from time to time. Nothing herein or in the
Lease Agreement shall constitute a debt of the County within the meaning of any
constitutional or statutory limitation or a pledge of the faith and credit or
taxing power of the County.
6.
The Board believes that funds sufficient to make payment of all amounts
payable under the Lease Agreement can be obtained. While recognizing that it is
not empowered to make any binding commitment to make such payments beyond the
current fiscal year, the Board hereby states its intent to make annual
appropriations for future fiscal years in amounts sufficient to make all such
payments and hereby recommends that future Boards do likewise during the term of
the Lease Agreement. The Board directs the County Executive or Director of
Finance, or such other officer who may be charged with the responsibility for
preparing the County’s annual budget, to include in the budget request for each
fiscal year during the term of the Lease Agreement an amount sufficient to make
the payment of all amounts payable under the Lease Agreement. Within 10 days
after adoption of the County’s annual budget and related appropriation
resolution, but not later than 10 days after the beginning of each fiscal year,
the County Executive is authorized and directed to deliver to the Authority and
the Noteholder a certificate stating whether an amount equal to or credited to
the payment of Basic Rent and Additional Rent which will be due during such
fiscal year has been budgeted and appropriated by the Board. So long as the
Note is outstanding, if at any time during any fiscal year of the County, the
amount appropriated in the County’s annual budget in such fiscal year is
insufficient to pay when due the amounts payable under the Lease Agreement, the
Board directs the County Executive or Director of Finance, or such other officer
who may be charged with the responsibility for preparing the County’s annual
budget, to submit to the Board at its next scheduled meeting, or as promptly as
practicable (but in any event within 45 days), a request for a supplemental
appropriation sufficient to cover the deficit.
7.
LISTNUM (a) The County covenants that it will not take or omit to
take any action the taking or omission of which will cause the Note to be an
“arbitrage bond” within the meaning of Section 148 of the Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended, and regulations issued pursuant thereto (the “Code”), or
otherwise cause the interest due on the Note to be includable in the gross
income of the holder thereof under existing statutes. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the County shall comply with any provision of law
that may require the County at any time to rebate to the United States any part
of the earnings derived from the investment of the funds received under the
Lease Agreement, unless the County receives an opinion of nationally recognized
bond counsel that such compliance is not required to prevent interest on the
Note from being includable in the gross income for federal income tax purposes
of the holder thereof under existing law.
(b)
The County covenants that during the term of the Lease Agreement it shall
not permit the Project or the proceeds of the Note to be used in any manner that
would result in (a) 10% or more of such proceeds or the facilities financed with
such proceeds being used in a trade or business carried on by any person other
than a governmental unit, as provided in Section 141(b) of the Code, provided
that no more than 5% of such proceeds may be used in a trade or business
unrelated to the County’s use of the Project, (b) 5% or more of such proceeds
being used with respect to any “output facility” (other than a facility for the
furnishing of water), within the meaning of Section 141(b)(4) of the Code, or
(c) 5% or more of such proceeds being used directly or indirectly to make or
finance loans to any persons other than a governmental unit, as provided in
Section 141(c) of the Code; provided, however, that if the County receives an
opinion of nationally recognized bond counsel that any such covenants need not
be complied with to prevent the interest on the Note from being includable in
the gross income for Federal income tax purposes of the holder thereof under
existing law, the County need not comply with such covenants.
8.
Such officers of the County as may be requested are authorized and
directed to execute an appropriate certificate setting forth the expected use
and investment of the proceeds of the Note, and any elections such officers deem
desirable regarding rebate of earnings to the United States, for purposes of
complying with Section 148 of the Code. Such certificate and elections shall be
in such form as may be requested by bond counsel for the County.
9.
All costs and expenses in connection with the undertaking of the Project
and the issuance of the Note, including the Authority’s fees and expenses and
expenses of bond counsel, counsel for the Authority, shall be paid from the
proceeds of the Note or other legally available funds of the County. If for any
reason the Note is not issued, it is understood that all such expenses shall be
paid by the County from its legally available funds and that the Authority shall
have no responsibility therefor.
10.
Any authorization herein to execute a document shall include
authorization to deliver it to the other parties thereto and to record such
document where appropriate.
11.
All other actions of the officers of the County that are in conformity
with the purposes and intent of this Resolution and in furtherance of this
financing and the undertaking of the Project are approved and ratified.
12.
The Board requests the Authority to designate
the Note as a “qualified tax-exempt obligation” under Section 265(b)(3)(B) of
the Code, and, to the extent required by law, concurs with such designation.
The Board acknowledges that, for purposes of such designation, the County will
not issue, nor approve the issuance of, any tax-exempt obligations which, taking
into account the Note, will result in more than $30,000,000 in tax-exempt
obligations being issued in calendar year 2009, unless the County obtains an
opinion of bond counsel to the effect that such issuance will not adversely
affect the statue of the Note as a “qualified tax-exempt obligation.”
13.
This Resolution shall take effect immediately.
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