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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Report - July 15, 1981 (52)1 `° � - _ }` � � _ s ',^ - a t - �, , 1 l r b .1' +\ UNCIL C011 MUNICATI TO: TME Cffy Comm DATE NO. FRW: TME CITY MANAGER'S OiitCE JULY 10, 1981 SUBJECT: RESOLdTI'It N RE00**ENDIW USE OF PERS RESMGMS FOR M3 DWES'TMM Approximately 3 months ago, Mayor Pat D. Maisetti of Patterson, at a conference of the Central Valley Division League of California Cities seminar at Twain Harte, asked Councilman James Pinkerton to work on a resolution to be presented to that Committee for their approval and subsequent thereto upon appro- val, to be presented to the League of California r'ities at its Fall meeting. The subject of said resolution is ;.he possible freeing -up of the Public Employees' Retirement System funds for investments in residential real estate. Attached hereto is a copy of the League Employee Relations Committee Report regarding PERS investments. You will note that at the present time, the net earnings of PERS investments is 7.91%. This amount of interest, when compared with the investments of many cities of their investments, is substantially low. It was with this in mind and because of the shortage of housing in this State, that Mayor Maisetti asked Councilman Pinkerton to look into the possibility of opening up the area of investments of PERS funds into higher yielding investments, and specifically real estate investment. What is important to note at the very outset is that the invest- ments would not be specifically in mortgages per se, but would be an investment in savings and loan institutions, and the savings and loan institutions would originate and service the investments. For your consideration and review, there is also information within the above -referenced Committee Report which sets out the background regarding the present public pension system's invest- ment limitations. At present, there are two Bills in the Senate regarding the investment of public pensions into other than sources where it presently has invested monies, including the investment in real estate. Senate Bill 211 (Keene) and Senate Constitutional Amendment 21 (Keene) are the two Bills to which I am referring. Copies of said Bills are attached hereto for your review and consideration. At present, SCA 21 :las failed in Committee but has been granted reconsideration and will be reconsidered in August. SCA 21, since it is a Constitutional amendment, would require an election by the people. SB 211 would permit the investments of monies in retirement funds into residential real estate in the State. You will note the language in SB 211 to the effect that this is not mandatory, but rather somewhat of a suggestion, therefore, the fund manageIrs would still have to be convinced to make these types of investments. In speaking with Ann Bailey of Senator Keene's office, I was informed that if SCA 21 is defeated, that SB 211 will not go into effect because SCA 21 appears to be the general enabling act while SB 211 is the specific enabling act, and to invest in real estate, it would require the passage of SCA 21, a vote of the people, and passage of SB 211. As a further note, I am attaching a copy of Assembly Bill 2167 which is authored by Assemblyman Costa which would permit the use of retirement funds in the Carpenters' Union to be used for shared appreciation loans. At present, this Bi -1i is in the Banking and Commerce Committee and will be heard in the Fall. I have been in contact with Dwight Stenbakken of the League of California Cities regarding the resolution and he will be keep- ing me apprised of the progress of SB 211, SCA 21 and AB 2167. The League's position on our resolution as it is presently worded is that as long as there is no intent to direct or suggest that the pension funds be used for low or moderate in- come housing, that the League could support the resolution. RONALD M. STEIN CITY ATTORNEY RMS:vc attachments - Committee Report SB 211 SCA 21 AB 2167 • J.2-2. - - COlc�= ON MOLOYEE RELATIONS + .:. _•` .• •. `. .•.. PERS INVESTMENTS --INFORMATION ITEM • •- April 1981 At the lase westing of the Board it was recommended that the League Employee Relations Committee begin'an examination of the investment policies of the'Public Emploj►ee s' Retire anent Sysiem (PERS). the net interest earnings of PERS for the fiscal year' ending Juiie'30. 1981 wx'7.91x ori Investments while employee and employer accounts were credited with 6.75X of those net interest earnings. This amount of interest earnings when compared with the earnings of.=anny cities on -the investment of local funds Is significantly lost. The implications of this problem for public employers is obvious. The greater the amount of interest earnings the lower the employer contribution rate into the system. The current interest earning rate o PERS is:doing little to defer our obligations: A iau� of cities in the Peninsula;Diviaioa of the League have, started asystematic. - Axamination of'thts issue and made a number.of suggestions to PERS on possible strategies to increase interest earnings. -These suggestions have been made"at a special meeting scheduled with the PERS investment staff.as Mall as the PERS Board meeting held on April 22 in Los Angeles. The League testified at the same April Board meeting of PERS and'has suggested the fol- lowing • e + _ It The assumptions behind the:PERS',investment strategy on'long-term-in- vestments be examined carefully with particular attention to increasing FM revenues going into short-term investments. This should bq thoroughly explored as a possible means to.increase the total investment return. 2. The League will fully support the Investigation of PERS investment policies In the Assembly under the direction of Assemblyman lou Papan. One of the specific suggestions of this Committee should be the examination of the assumptions behind the PERS investment strategies. Particular attention should be directed at the economic predictions and their implications for - the investment of PERS revenues in short and long-term Investments. 3. The League would support legislation which Would give PERS more flexibility to invest funds in areas where they are now limited and where greater re- turns on investments can be achieved. d. There should be an increase in local government management representatives on the PERS Investment Committee. With the growth in the percentage of -local government montes going to PERS there should be greater opportunity for local government input on the investment strategies of the fund. S. Local government representation on the PERS Board should also be increased ° to more accurately reflect the greater percentage of local government assets In the system. ' • 6. The League and California Taxpayers' Association will sponsor legislation to discourage the use of the contingency reserve account of the PERS fund. This will also require the Board'of PERS to credit more of the interest earnings back to employer and employee accounts. thus deferring some of the employer obligations to the system. ' . OVER • y The Employee Relations committee intends to be actively involved in this Issue as It: progresses through the Legislature. The positions taken by the League on vestmeat issues will be directed at the goal of maximising the investment return of thee' systen vhich in turn vita assist in offsetting employer obligations to PERS. v The Cosmeittes will report back to the Board as the issue progresses. • 4 4 . . ° ® e • s b e ° - . '� •i • a .• '•,�t'1 1 •.3 * • i • � I r v i i i •� ,• ` W e. a AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 23, 1981 C SENATE BILL No. 211 IC' C. U Introduced by Senator Keene February 3, 1981 An act to add Seetien 7M Sections and 222U.5 to the Education Coder and to add Sections 75M, 2=5.6, 2020A 31595-7. and 31558 to the Government Code, relating to public pension and retirement plans, and making an appropriation therefor. • . LWAS[.AME dov OMS DIGEST SB' 211, as * amended, Keene. Public pension and retirement systems: investments. • (1) - E'oist w haw prescribes the permis bl8 investments of Me Public Employees- Be&wnent Fiend the Teachers' Retirement Fond and the funds of systems ustabfisbed under the County Employees Retirement Law of I9?7. • This bill would authorize those funds to be invested in se+cmities issued by cvrporstions and Ihnited partnerships in this state; the m4oion'ty of whose assets are in nonpublicly traded stocks and would establish the State Securities Advisory .Chmmittee to review those investments for the SWe . - Teachers' ReUrment S)stem and the Public E alWoyees' Retirement System. 0' The Public Employees' Retirement Law, the State Teachers' Retirement Law, *and 'the County Employees Retirernent Law of 15947 presently provide that the systems established under thane laws are trusts and contain p' Ovisions regarding thefrduciaryduties of the board membersand their oRcers and='7OMM s; til! dW on, pre=ibe additiartal fiduciary standards and prohibitions (3) Existing law prescribes permissible investments of ae SB 211 —2— retirement 2-- retirement fund moneys of public pension and retirement.. systems and some systems havq only limited authority to invest in residential real estate. ' This bill would, notwithstanding any other provision of law, -permit all state and local public retirement systems to invest ' in residential real estate in this state without restriction and authorize their governing boards. to enter into agreements with private lending institutions and individuals to originate and service the investments. (4) .Article A7HB - of the California Constitution and A Section X31 of the Revenue and Taxation Code require the state to reimburse loccal agene es and school districts for certain casts mandated by the state. The statutory provision also sped es'the manner for pWng this reimbursement and requires any statute mandating these oasts to contain an appropriation to pay for the oasts in the initial focal year.. This bill would appropriate an unspecified sum to the . Gontrofer for allocation and disbursement in accordance with Section 2231 of the -Revenue and Taxation Code to local agencies and school districts for costs mandated by the state and incurred by them pursuant to this act. Vote: majority X. Appropriation: ne yes Focal committee: yes. State -mandated local program: ne yes AMENDED IN SENATE MAY 27, 1981 AMENDED IIS SENATE MAY 53, 1981 Senate Constitutional Amendment No. 21 Introduced by Senators Keene and Creene (Principal coauthors: Senators Speraw and Foran) (Coauthors: Assemblymen Bane and Floyd) March 19, 1981 Senate Constitutional Amendment No. 21—A resolution to propose to the people of the State of California an amendment to the Constitution of the state, by amending Section 17 of Article XVI, relating to public pension and retirement systems. LECISIA IVE COUNSELS DICE Sr SCA 21, as amended, Keene. Publfc pension and retirement systems: fiends. The California Constitution presently permits the Legislature to authorize public pension and retirement funds to invest up to 25% of their assets in common stock or shares, and 5% of their assets in preferred stock or shares, of co tions which meet prescribed standards. This messure .would permit the Legislature to authorise public pension and retirement systems to instead invest up to 60 50% of their assets in common stock or shares and, Within the 50% findtatibn, to also invest up to 5% of their assets in the common stock or shares of corporations which do not meet certain of the present standards, and would also permit the Legislature, within the 505 limitation, to authorize 1% of the funds to be invested in corporations and limited partnerships, the majority of whose assets are in nonpublicly traded equity instruments. The measure would also provide that the assets of public pension or retirement funds are trust V 30 SCA 21 —2— funds -2—funds and would prescribe fiduciary standards in respect to - their investment. Vote: %. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State -mandated local program: no. C e° P b AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 1981 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 13P 1981 CALIFORNIA LECISLAIVRE-1981-82 REGULAR SESSION ASSEMBLY BILI. No. 2167 Introduced by Assemblyman Costa April 10, 1981 An act to. add Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 1917.010) to Title 4 of Part 4 of Division 2 of the Civil Code, ! relating to shared appreciation loans, and declaring the urgency thereof, to, take effect immediately. t.EGtsLArty$ oouNsxts 1>tcUI' AB 2167, as amended, Costa. Shared appreciation loans. Exis!#n 1 law contains no provisions directly relative to an alternative mortgage instrument by which a lower than prevailing market interest rate is given on a loan for the i purchase of residential property in exchange for a share in the future appreciation of the property. Ibis bill would enact a comprehensive schem' o for providing "shared aprelation loans" by persons acting on behalf of pension fung subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. A shared appreciation loan would be for the purchase of real property at an interest rate K lower than the prevailing interest rate in return for contingent deferred interest in the amount .of . % of the appreciation, to be paid by the borrower upon sale, when title is transferred, except as otherwise specified, when a lease with an option to purchase is entered into, when a partneirship is formed which transfers the beneficial interest to another person, when a trust is created which affects title to the property, upon a judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure sale, upon M prepayment of the loan, or upon the maturity date of the a a4 t AB 2167 -- 2 — loan, whichever first occurs. In the absence of any such event, the lender must provide refinancing of the balance of the loan and any contingent deferred interest, if the borrower so desires, for a period of at least 30 years. The bill would exempt lenders making these shared appreciation loans from the usury provisions of the California Constitution. ,l The bill would take effect immediately as an urgency statute. Vwprovikbw of the bill would &vome inoperative ° am Immwy -1, 1990, except as to sbared appreciation loans entered -into prior to that date. Vote: Via• Appropriation; no. Fiscal committee: 'no. . State -mandated local program no. -- `ld DRAFT RESOLUTION WHEREAS, Rapid escalation in housing costs, in association with unprecedented rises in mortgage interest rates havg reduced housing opportunities within the State of California; and WHEREAS, the present housing crisis threatens economic growth, job growth, prosperity and the quality of life in California; and WHEREAS, these housing problems have been compounded by tremendous reductions in traditional sources of mortgage capital; and WHEREAS, the flow of new capital into the housing market will make housing financing more available; and WHEREAS, public and private pension funds make up the greatest capital resource in the State; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the League of California Cities as follows: Big 1? Action should be taken by the State Legislature which would facilitate the pension fund managers entering into agreements with savings and loan asso- ciations to originate and service mort- gage-backed investments on behalf of the Public Employees -Retirement System. 2) Pension fund managers should be strongly - encouraged to participate in mortgage- backed investments; and further, should be afforded maximum flexibility in their approach to and choice of investments, including the investment of pension funds in residential real estate. -2- O RESOLUTION NO. 81-94 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LODI RECOMMENDING USE OF P.E.R.S. RESERVES FOR MORTGAGES WHEREAS, rapid escalation in housing costs, in associa- tion with unprecedented rises in mortgage interest rates have reduced housing opportunities within the State of California; and WHEREAS, the present housing crisis threatens economic growth, job growth, prosperity and the quality of life in California; and WHEREAS, these housing problems have been compounded by tremendous reductions in traditional sources of mortgage capital; and WHEREAS, the flaw of new capital into the housing market will make housing financing more available; and WHEREAS, public and private pension fund's make up the greatest capital resource in the State; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Lodi as follows: 1) Action should be taken by the State Legislature which would facilitate the pension fund managers entering into agreements with savings and loan associations to originate and service mortgage- backed investments on behalf of the Public Employees Retirement System. 2) Pension fund managers should be strongly encouraged to participate in mortgage-backed investments; and further, should be afforded maximum flexibility in their approach to and choice of investments, ° including the investment of pension funds in residential real estate. 81-94 -1- Dated: July 15, 1981 I hereby cert-ify that Resolution No. 81-94 was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Lodi in a regular meeting held July 15, 1981 by the follow- ing vote: Ayes: Councilmen - Murphy, Hughes, Pinkerton, Katnich and McCarty Noes: Councilmen - None Absent: Councilmen - None / ' GGCGC�/?�E#MCHEa ALICE City Clerk 81-94 -2-