HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 150-25 - Resolution - Bonds Rochester Civic Lot Affordable Project
RESOLUTION
Adopting a Housing Program for a Multifamily Rental Housing
Development, Approving the Project and the Program and Authorizing the
Issuance of Conduit Multifamily Housing Revenue Obligations and the
Execution of Related Documents (Rochester Civic Lot Affordable Project).
WHEREAS, the City of Rochester, Minnesota (the “City”) is a home rule charter
city and political subdivision duly organized and existing under its Charter and the
Constitution and laws of the State of Minnesota;
WHEREAS, pursuant to Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 462C, as amended (the
“Act”), the City is authorized to carry out the public purposes described in the Act by
issuing revenue bonds and notes or other obligations to finance or refinance multifamily
housing developments located within the City, and as a condition to the issuance of such
revenue obligations, adopt a housing program providing the information required by
Section 462C.03, subdivision 1a, of the Act;
WHEREAS, with the issuance of the City’s revenue obligations and the making of
a loan to finance a multifamily housing development, the City may exercise, within its
corporate limits, any of the powers that the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency may
exercise under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 462A, as amended, without limitation under
the provisions of Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 475, as amended;
WHEREAS, Rochester Civic Lot Limited Partnership, a Minnesota limited
partnership (or another entity to be formed by or affiliated with Sherman Associates, the
“Borrower”), has requested that the City issue its housing revenue obligations, in one or
more series under the Act and lend the proceeds thereof to the Borrower to: (i) finance
the acquisition, construction, and equipping of an approximately 76-unit multifamily rental
housing development consisting of an approximately 5-story apartment building and
functionally related facilities to be located at the SW Corner of the existing Civic Center
North Parking Lot located at 217 E. Center Street in the City; (ii) pay costs of issuance
and other costs related to the issuance of the note; (iii) paying interest on the note during
the construction of the Project, if necessary; and (iv) fund capitalized interest and certain
reserves, if necessary (collectively, the “Project”);
WHEREAS, under Section 146 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”), in order to issue multifamily housing revenue obligations the interest on
which is excludable from gross income for federal income tax purposes the Code, the City
must receive an allocation of volume cap from the bonding authority of the State, and an
application for such an allocation must be made pursuant to the requirements of
Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 474A, as amended (the “Allocation Act”);
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WHEREAS, the City received Certificate of Allocation No. 490, dated January 14,
2025, from Minnesota Management and Budget allocating volume cap bonding authority
to the City in the amount of $16,053,950 for the Project;
WHEREAS, the City has prepared a housing program (the “Housing Program”) to
authorize the issuance by the City of tax-exempt and taxable revenue notes in one or
more series to be issued to finance the Project in an amount not to exceed $16,500,000;
WHEREAS, a public hearing on the Project and the issuance of the Note was held
by the City on this same date, following duly published notice in the Rochester Post
Bulletin, a newspaper of general circulation in the City, with respect to: (i) the required
public hearing under Section 147(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code”); (ii) the required public hearing under Section 462C.04, subdivision 2, of the
Act; (iii) the Housing Program; and (iv) approval of the issuance of the Note (defined
below); and
WHEREAS, during said public hearing a reasonable opportunity was provided for
interested individuals to express their views, both orally and in writing.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of
Rochester, Minnesota (the “Council”), as follows:
SECTION 1. LEGAL AUTHORIZATION AND FINDINGS.
1.1 Findings. The City hereby finds, determines and declares as follows:
(a) The issuance and sale by the City of its Multifamily Housing Revenue
Note (Rochester Civic Lot Affordable Project), Series 2025 in the maximum
principal amount of $16,500,000 (the “Note”) to finance the Project, pursuant to the
Act, is in the best interest of the City and hereby approved. The City hereby
determines to issue and sell the Note to American National Bank, a national
banking association, or another financial institution selected by the Borrower
(“Lender”). The Note may be issued in one or more series on a taxable or tax-
exempt basis. The City will loan the proceeds of the Note (the “Loan”) to the
Borrower to finance the Project.
(b) Pursuant to a loan agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) to be entered
into between the City and the Borrower, the Borrower will agree to repay the Loan
in specified amounts and at specified times sufficient to pay in full when due the
principal of, premium, if any, and interest on the Note. In addition, the Loan
Agreement contains provisions relating to the construction, maintenance and
operation of the Project, indemnification, insurance, and other agreements and
covenants which are required or permitted by the Act and which the City and
Borrower deem necessary or desirable for the financing of the Project.
(c) Pursuant to an assignment of loan agreement between the City, the
Borrower and the Lender (the “Assignment of Loan Agreement”), the City will
pledge and grant a security interest in all of its rights, title, and interest in Loan
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Agreement to the Lender (except for certain rights of indemnification and to
reimbursement for certain costs and expenses).
(d) The obligations of the Borrower under the Loan Agreement and
payment of amounts due under the Note will be secured by a certain security
instrument required by the Lender and in a form authorized by the Borrower to be
executed by or on behalf of the Borrower in favor of the Lender, which may include:
(i) a mortgage or security agreement granting a mortgage lien or security interest
with respect to the Project or any portion thereof to the Lender or to the City and
assigned to the Lender pursuant an assignment of mortgage to be executed by
the City (the “Mortgage Assignment”) provided that such mortgage shall be
recorded after the Borrower acquires the property for the Project; (ii) one or more
collateral assignments of the contracts between the Borrower and the architect and
contractor with respect to the Project; (iii) one or more security agreements,
guaranty agreements, and/or indemnity agreements; and (iv) other security
documents that are intended to ensure timely payment of the loan and the Note
(collectively, the “Security Documents”).
(e) As determined by the Borrower, the proceeds of the Note may be
disbursed pursuant to a disbursing agreement (the “Disbursement Agreement”) by
and among the Lender, Borrower and a title company to be determined by the
Borrower (the “Disbursing Agent”).
(f) Certain requirements of federal and state law which require that a
portion of the housing units in the Project be occupied by families of low and
moderate income are set forth in a Regulatory Agreement (the “Regulatory
Agreement”) by and among the City, Borrower and the Lender.
(g) The Note will be a special, limited revenue obligation of the City. The
Note shall not be payable from or a charge upon any funds other than the revenues
pledged to the payment thereof, nor shall the City be subject to any liability thereon.
No holder of any Note shall ever have the right to compel any exercise of the taxing
power of the City to pay the Note or the interest thereon, nor to enforce payment
thereof against any property of the City. The Note shall not constitute a debt of the
City within the meaning of any charter, constitutional or statutory limitation.
(h) It is desirable, feasible and consistent with the objects and purposes
of the Act to issue the Note for the purpose of financing the costs of the Project.
(i) The Project constitutes a “qualified residential rental project” within
the meaning of Section 142(d) of the Code, and a “multifamily housing
development” authorized by the Act, and furthers the purposes of the Act.
(j) The purpose of the Project is, and the effect thereof will be, to
promote the public welfare by the acquisition, construction and equipping of a
facility for use as a multifamily housing development designed primarily for
occupancy by persons of low and moderate income.
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(k) The Act authorizes (i) the acquisition, construction and equipping of
the Project, (ii) the issuance and sale of the Note, (iii) the execution and delivery
by the City of related documents and the performance of all covenants and
agreements of the City contained therein, and (iv) the performance of all other acts
and things required under the constitution and laws of the State of Minnesota to
make the Note and such agreements valid and binding obligations of the City in
accordance with their terms.
(l) It is desirable that the Borrower be authorized, subject to the terms
and conditions set forth in the Loan Agreement, which terms and conditions the
City determines to be necessary, desirable and proper, to complete the acquisition,
construction and installation of the Project by such means as shall be available to
the Borrower and in the manner determined by the Borrower, and with or without
advertisement for bids as required for the acquisition and installation of municipal
facilities.
(m) The payments under the Loan Agreement are fixed to produce
revenue sufficient to provide for the prompt payment of principal of, premium, if
any, and interest on the Note, when due, and the Loan Agreement also provides
that the Borrower is required to pay all expenses of the operation and maintenance
of the Project, including, but without limitation, adequate insurance thereon and
insurance against all liability for injury to persons or property arising from the
operation thereof, and all taxes and special assessments levied upon or with
respect to the Project and payable during the term of the Loan Agreement.
(n) The City hereby finds, determines and declares that it is in the public
interest of the residents of the City that the Project be undertaken in order to further
the public purpose of increasing the supply of decent, safe, affordable and sanitary
rental housing units available to residents of the City.
1.2 Authorization and Ratification of Project. The City does hereby authorize
the Borrower, in accordance with the provisions of the Act and subject to the terms and
conditions imposed by the Lender, to provide for the acquisition, construction, and
equipping of the Project by such means as shall be available to the Borrower and in the
manner determined by the Borrower, and without advertisement for bids as may be
required for the construction and acquisition of other municipal facilities; and the City
hereby ratifies, affirms, and approves all actions heretofore taken by the Borrower
consistent with and in anticipation of such authority.
SECTION 2. THE NOTE.
2.1 Authorized Maximum Amount, Form of Note and Interest Rate.
(a) The Note is hereby approved and shall be issued pursuant to this
Resolution in substantially the form on file with the City Director of Finance with
such appropriate variations, omissions and insertions as are necessary and
appropriate and are permitted or required by this resolution (the “Resolution”), and
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in accordance with the further provisions hereof. The Note shall be issued in a
denomination equal to its entire principal amount. The Note shall mature in the
years and amounts and be subject to redemption as therein specified, as such may
be modified by agreement of the Lender, the Borrower and the City; and the
principal amount of the Note that may be outstanding hereunder is expressly
limited to the aggregate amount of $16,500,000. The actual amount of the Note
shall be determined by the agreement of the Lender, and the Borrower and the
Mayor and the City Clerk (the “Authorized Officers”) as evidenced by their
execution of the Note.
(b) The Note will bear interest at the fixed or variable rates determined
by the Borrower and the Lender, and set forth in the Note as executed by the
Authorized Officers; provided that such rates shall be subject to adjustment
pursuant to the terms as set forth in the Note, the Resolution, the Loan Agreement,
the Assignment of Loan Agreement, a loan purchase agreement or similar
agreement with respect to the purchase of the Note by the Lender and dated as of
the date of delivery of the Note, between the Borrower and the Lender, (the “Loan
Purchase Agreement”), or the Security Documents. The sale of the Note to the
Lender at a purchase price equal to its stated amount is hereby accepted.
2.2 The Note. The Note shall be dated as of the date of delivery to the Lender,
shall be payable at the times and in the manner and shall be subject to such other terms
and conditions as are set forth therein.
2.3 Execution of Note. The Note shall be executed on behalf of the City by the
Authorized Officers. In case any Authorized Officer whose signature shall appear on the
Note shall cease to be such officer before the delivery of the Note, such signature shall
nevertheless be valid and sufficient for all purposes, the same as if such signatory had
remained in office until delivery. In the event of the absence or disability of any Authorized
Officers, such officer(s) of the City as, in the opinion of the City Attorney, may act in their
behalf, shall without further act or authorization of the Council execute and deliver the
Note.
2.4 Disposition of the Proceeds of the Note. Upon delivery of the Note to the
Lender, the Lender shall, on behalf of the City, disburse the purchase price thereof for
payment of Project costs in accordance with the terms of the Loan Agreement, the
Disbursing Agreement and such other documents as required by the Lender.
2.5 Registration of Transfer. The City will cause to be kept at the office of the
City Director of Finance a Note Register for the Note in which, subject to such reasonable
regulations as it may prescribe, the City shall provide for the registration of transfers of
ownership of the Note. The Note shall be initially registered in the name of the Lender
and, subject to the limitations on transfer provided herein, shall be transferable upon the
Note Register for the Note by the Lender in person or by its agent duly authorized in
writing, upon surrender of such Note together with a written instrument of transfer
satisfactory to the City Director of Finance, duly executed by the Lender or its duly
authorized agent. The City will require, as a precondition to any transfer, that the
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transferee provide to the City an investor letter or certification in a form satisfactory to the
City and other evidence satisfactory to the City that the transferee is a financial institution
or other accredited investor under the securities laws. The following form of assignment
shall be sufficient for said purpose.
For value received ___________ hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
________________ the attached Note of the City of Rochester, Minnesota,
and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint ___________________
attorney to transfer said Note on the books of said City, with full power of
substitution in the premises. The undersigned certifies that the transfer is
made in accordance with the provisions of Sections 2.5, 2.7 and 2.8 of the
Resolution authorizing the issuance of the Note.
Dated:__________________
Registered Owner
Upon such transfer the City Director of Finance shall note the date of registration and the
name and address of the successor Lender in the Note Register for the Note and in the
registration blank appearing on the Note; subject to receipt of a purchaser letter or
certification as required by Section 2.8 hereof.
2.6 Mutilated, Lost or Destroyed Note. In case a Note shall become mutilated
or be destroyed or lost, the City shall, if not then prohibited by law, cause to be executed
and delivered a new Note of like outstanding principal amount, number and tenor in
exchange and substitution for and upon cancellation of such mutilated Note, or in lieu of
and in substitution for such Note destroyed or lost, upon the Lender’s paying of the
reasonable expenses and charges of the City in connection therewith, and in the case of
a Note destroyed or lost, the filing with the City of evidence satisfactory to the City with
indemnity satisfactory to it. If the mutilated, destroyed or lost Note has already matured
or been called for redemption in accordance with its terms it shall not be necessary to
issue a new Note prior to payment.
2.7 Ownership of Note. The Lender will be required to execute and deliver an
investor letter or certification to the City, confirming that the Lender is either (a) a “qualified
institutional buyer” as defined in Rule 144A promulgated under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended (the “1933 Act”), that purchases each Note for its own account or for the
account of a qualified institutional buyer, or (b) an “accredited investor” as defined in
Regulation D promulgated under the 1933 Act, that purchases the Note for its own
account and without registration under state or other securities laws, pursuant to an
exemption for such sale. The City may deem and treat the person in whose name the
Note is last registered in the Note Register and by notation on each Note, whether or not
such Note shall be overdue, as the absolute owner of such Note for the purpose of
receiving payment of or on account of the Principal Balance, redemption price or interest
and for all other purposes whatsoever, and the City shall not be affected by any notice to
the contrary.
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2.8 Limitation on Note Transfers. The Note will be issued to a “qualified
institutional buyer” or an “accredited investor” and without registration under state or other
securities laws, pursuant to an exemption for such sale; and accordingly the Note may
not be assigned or transferred in whole or part, except to another “accredited investor” or
“qualified institutional buyer”. The City will require, as a precondition to any transfer, that
the transferee provide to the City an investor letter or certification substantially in the form
required of, and delivered upon issuance of the Note by the Lender in accordance with
Section 2.7 hereof and other evidence satisfactory to the City that the transferee is a
“qualified institutional buyer” or other “accredited investor”.
SECTION 3. MISCELLANEOUS.
3.1 Severability. If any provision of this Resolution shall be held or deemed to
be or shall, in fact, be inoperative or unenforceable as applied in any particular case in
any jurisdiction or jurisdictions or in all jurisdictions or in all cases because it conflicts with
any provisions of any constitution or statute or rule or public policy, or for any other
reason, such circumstances shall not have the effect of rendering the provision in
question inoperative or unenforceable in any other case or circumstance, or of rendering
any other provision or provisions contained herein invalid, inoperative, or unenforceable
to any extent whatever. The invalidity of any one or more phrases, sentences, clauses
or paragraphs contained in this Resolution shall not affect the remaining portions of this
Resolution or any part thereof.
3.2 Authentication of Transcript. The officers of the City are directed to furnish
to Bond Counsel certified copies of this Resolution and all documents referred to herein,
and affidavits or certificates as to all other matters which are reasonably necessary to
evidence the validity of the Note. All such certified copies, certificates and affidavits,
including any heretofore furnished, shall constitute recitals of the City as to the
correctness of all statements contained therein.
3.3 Authorization to Execute Agreements. The forms of the proposed Note, the
Loan Agreement, the Assignment of Loan Agreement, Regulatory Agreement and the
Mortgage Assignment (collectively, and together with any Disbursing Agreement, the
Security Documents and such other documents as Bond Counsel considers appropriate
in connection with the issuance of the Note, the “Financing Documents”) are hereby
approved in substantially the forms on file with the City Director of Finance, together with
such additional details therein as may be necessary and appropriate and such
modifications thereof, deletions therefrom and additions thereto as may be necessary and
appropriate and approved by Bond Counsel prior to the execution of the documents, and
the Authorized Officers are authorized to execute, in the name of and on behalf of the
City, the Financing Documents to which the City is a party. In the event of the absence
or disability of any of the Authorized Officers, such officers of the City as, in the opinion
of the City Attorney for the City, may act on their behalf shall without further act or
authorization of the Council do all things and execute all instruments and documents
required to be done or executed by such absent or disabled officers. The execution of
any instrument by the appropriate officer or officers of the City herein authorized shall be
conclusive evidence of the approval of such documents in accordance with the terms
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hereof. The electronic signature of a party to the Financing Documents, including all
acknowledgements, authorizations, directions, waivers and consents thereto (or any
amendment or supplement thereto) shall be as valid as an original signature of such party
and shall be effective to bind such party to the Financing Documents. Any electronically
signed Financing Documents shall be deemed (i) to be “written” or “in writing,” (ii) to have
been signed, and (iii) to constitute a record established and maintained in the ordinary
course of business and an original written record when printed from electronic files. For
purposes hereof, (i) “electronic signature” means (a) a manually signed original signature
that is then transmitted by electronic means or (b) a signature obtained through DocuSign,
Adobe or a similarly digitally auditable signature gathering process; (ii) “transmitted by
electronic means” means sent in the form of a facsimile or sent via the internet as a
portable document format (“pdf”) or other replicating image attached to an electronic mail
or internet message; and, (iii) “electronically signed document” means a document
transmitted by electronic means and containing, or to which there is affixed, an electronic
signature.
3.4 Future Amendments. The authority to approve, execute and deliver future
amendments to the Financing Documents entered into by the City in connection with the
issuance of the Note and consents required under the Financing Documents is hereby
delegated to the Authorized Officers of the City, subject to the following conditions: (a)
such amendments or consents do not materially adversely affect the interests of the City;
(b) such amendments or consents do not contravene or violate any policy of the City, (c)
such amendments or consents do not require the consent of the holder or such consent
has been obtained; and (d) such amendments or consents are acceptable in form and
substance to the counsel retained by the City to review such amendments. The
authorization hereby given shall be further construed as authorization for the execution
and delivery of such certificates and related items as may be required to demonstrate
compliance with the agreements being amended and the terms of this Resolution. The
execution of any instrument by the Authorized Officers shall be conclusive evidence of
the approval of such instruments in accordance with the terms hereof. In the absence of
the Authorized Officers, any instrument authorized by this paragraph to be executed and
delivered may be executed by the officer of the City authorized to act in his or her place
and stead.
3.5 Governmental Program. The City has established a governmental program
of acquiring purpose investments for qualified residential rental projects. The
governmental program is one in which the following requirements of §1.148-1(b) of the
federal regulations relating to tax-exempt obligations shall be met:
(a) the program involves the origination or acquisition of purpose
investments;
(b) at least 95% of the cost of the purpose investments acquired under
the program represents one or more loans to a substantial number of persons
representing the general public, states or political subdivisions, 501(c)(3)
organizations, persons who provide housing and related facilities, or any
combination of the foregoing;
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(c) at least 95% of the receipts from the purpose investments are used
to pay principal, interest, or redemption prices on issues that financed the program,
to pay or reimburse administrative costs of those issues or of the program, to pay
or reimburse anticipated future losses directly related to the program, to finance
additional purpose investments for the same general purposes of the program, or
to redeem and retire governmental obligations at the next earliest possible date of
redemption;
(d) the program documents prohibit any obligor on a purpose investment
financed by the program or any related party to that obligor from purchasing bonds
of an issue that finances the program in an amount related to the amount of the
purpose investment acquired from that obligor; and
(e) the City shall not waive the right to treat the investment as a program
investment.
3.6 Adoption of Housing Program. The preparation of the Housing Program is
hereby ratified, confirmed, and approved in all respects. The Housing Program is hereby
adopted, ratified, and approved in substantially the form on file with the City Director of
Finance. The City Clerk is hereby authorized to do all other things and take all other
actions as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out the Housing Program in
accordance with the Act and any other applicable laws and regulations.
3.7 Costs; Indemnification by Borrower. The Borrower has agreed and it is
hereby determined that any and all costs incurred by the City in connection with the
financing of the Project, whether or not the Project is carried out to completion, will be
paid by the Borrower. It is understood and agreed that the Borrower shall indemnify the
City against all liabilities, losses, damages, costs and expenses (including attorney’s fees
and expenses incurred by the City) arising with respect to the Project, the Financing
Documents, or the Note, as further provided for and agreed to by and between the
Borrower and the City in the Loan Agreement. The Borrower shall pay the City’s
administrative fee.
3.8 Individual Liability. No covenant, stipulation, obligation, or agreement
herein contained or contained in the aforementioned documents shall be deemed to be a
covenant, stipulation, obligation, or agreement of any member of the Council, or any
officer, agent, or employee of the City in that person’s individual capacity, and neither the
Council nor any officer, agent, or employee executing the Note or any such documents
shall be personally liable on the Note or such documents or be subject to any personal
liability or accountability by reason of the issuance of the Note or the execution and
delivery of such documents. No provision, covenant, or agreement contained in the
aforementioned documents, the Note, or in any other document relating to the Note, and
no obligation therein or herein imposed upon the City or the breach thereof, shall
constitute or give rise to a general or moral obligation of the City or any pecuniary liability
of the City or any charge upon its general credit or taxing powers. In making the
agreements, provisions, covenants, and representations set forth in such documents, the
City has not obligated itself to pay or remit any funds or revenues, other than funds and
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revenues derived from the Loan Agreement, which are to be applied to the payment of
the Note, as provided therein.
3.9 Headings; Terms. Paragraph headings in this resolution are for
convenience of reference only and are not a part hereof, and shall not limit or define the
meaning of any provision hereof. Capitalized terms used, but not defined, herein shall
have the meanings given them in, or pursuant to, the Financing Documents. This
Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its approval.
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA, THIS __________ DAY OF _______________, 2025.
___________________________________
PRESIDENT OF SAID COMMON COUNCIL
ATTEST: __________________________
CITY CLERK
APPROVED THIS _____ DAY OF ______________________, 2025.
___________________________________
MAYOR OF SAID CITY
(Seal of the City of Rochester, Minnesota)
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