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Memo Westbrooke Rehabilitation Analysis C I T Y o F HOP KIN S MEMORANDUM Date: March 3, 1992 To: Honorable Mayor and Hopkins City council From: Kersten Elverum, H~g Coordinator Subject: Westbrooke Rehabilita 'on Financing Analysis Purpose The purpose of this council Work session item is to present the Westbrooke Rehabilitation Financing Analysis recently completed by springsted, Inc. and to discuss the study with its authors. Representatives from the various Westbrooke associations have been invited to add their input to the discussion. As a result of the study and subsequent discussion, a course of action should be established whicp staff can follow in order to stabilize and enhance the Westbrooke neighborhood. Background In August of 1991 the City, in cooperation with the five Westbrooke associations (Patio Home, Meadow Creek, North, Park and West), hired the financial consulting firm of springsted, Inc. to complete an analysis of the financing options for the rehabilitation of the Westbrooke neighborhood. Attached is a copy of this analysis and a map identifying the five associations. Representatives of Springsted first met with each association's manager to determine their areas of greatest need and to review past and current financial information of each association. It was evident through these meetings that the needs and desires of the associations varied greatly. As a result, the recommendations are based on the types of financing the associations would be most interested in pursuing to meet their individual needs. springsted then described and evaluated the identified financing tools based on criteria established by City staff. From this evaluation, springsted made four recommendations: o convert Westbrooke Way to a public road and to extend Westbrooke Way to Smetana Road o assist Westbrooke North with parking lot renova~ion through a bidding process o pursue the concept of Special Purpose Revenue Bonds to finance the common area improvements in the Patio Homes o coordinate leasing activities of the rental units in all developments. At the retreat in February the city council and staff established asa goal that a program should be established to address issues relating to the condition of Westbrooke. Attached is a copy of the results of the council/staff's analysis of the issue. Comments on Recommendations One of the recommendations Springsted has made is converting , Westbrooke Way and Old Settler's Trail to public roads and extending Westbrooke Way to Smetana Road. The recommendation is being made for several reasons. The Meadow Creek Association currently does not have the funds available for the reconstruction of Westbrooke Way. Additionally, if the City were to take over the maintenance of this road, reserve funds could be used for other capital improvement items. Finally, it is felt that by extending Westbrooke Way to Smetana, Meadow Creek's "curb appeal" would be enhanced which would have a stabilizing effect on the entire area. There are a few details which require clarification concerning this recommendation. First, the estimates provided by the City for the Westbrooke Way upgrade do not include the cost of upgrading Old Settler's Trail. Staff would not recommend tpe city to upgrade Old Settler's Trail as there would be no public benefit in doing so and it would therefore be hard to justify. Also, the standard terms of the assessment would be 8% interest over a 15 year period, rather than 6% over 10 years. Finally, the study presumes a 70/30 split on the assessment. While this is possible for the reconstruction of Westbrooke Way to it's intersection with Old Settler's Trail (provided the property is first deeded to the City), the extension of Westbrooke Way from it's intersection with Old Settler's Trail to Smetana Road would be new construction and require a 100% assessment to the property owners. However, the Road Assessment Policy is subject to a certain amount of interpretation in this case.. There are advantages to the city in extending Westbrooke Way to Smetana. Fire and emergency access would be improved to the area as would access to Valley Park. If the project is approved, staff would also recommend adding additional parking for the garden plots and the archery range which would further improve usage of this area. Recommendations Based on Analysis The first step in implementing any improvement plan for Westbrooke should be to have the City Council meet with the condominium associations and the Patio Home Association. The purpose of these meetings would be to secure input from these groups relating to the problems that they perceive are of a major concern and to secure their commitment. The second step would be to undertake action to implement the recommendations of the Springsted study. After each recommendation made by Springsted are suggested steps which could be taken to implement the recommendation: Convert Westbrooke Way to a public road and extend Westbrooke Way to Smetana Road o Community Development and Public Works staff should meet at Meadow Creek to discuss road project with owners and Association Board. o Enter into a development agreement with Meadow Creek Association o Meadow Creek deeds property to City Assist Westbrooke North with parking lot renovation through a bidding process o Include as part of the bidding package for the reconstruction of Westbrooke Way the reconstruction of North's parking lot. Require North Association to escrow cost of the parking lot renovations. Pursue the concept of special Purpose Revenue Bonds to finance the common area improvements in the Patio Homes o Determine Patio Home Association's interest in special purpose revenue bond as a way to finance improvements and secure preliminary commitment from the association. o Discuss special purpose revenue bond with underwriting firm to determine if it is possible to successfully structure a bond given the current financial condition of the association. Coordinate Leasing Activities o Encourage associations to make it a policy to encourage absentee owners to contract with professional rental agents to manage their units. o Assist in the establishment of a property manager coalition for rental agents and absentee owners. Provide services as needed to coalition. other Activities Additionally, staff recommends that besides assisting the area with rehabilitation financing, other city services should be emphasized in the Westbrooke area such as code enforcement and neighborhood crime watch programs. Developing the landfill into a recreational use would also have a positive impact on the area. Additional work sessions and/or meetings with the neighborhood groups may be necessary to further identify problems and discuss solutions. WESTBROOKE AREA ASSOCIATIONS j-, J'rJ~L-JrL-Jl~~~L-J~~L--J~~~' J CI) r.ri , g! en ui I en u.i u.i ~ W vi q: W W > >, <( ~ ~ w . ~ ~ <( <( W 0 > ~ 1st 51: 5. > 1st - <( q: 0 j[]~ : C'""ol [J~ Os, :,Ws ;;: ~~ S" ~ "~ - - Park - (J) ~ ([) ,.... ({) \. , - - - 2nd ~ ~ ",> , ~&,.C ,~ <( =, , 3 d 5T f' ~ ~ r . .'..: r TII7$:::" :[ I U~ : t . r CI);[ I : l- I ~ t ' ~ , <( r ST. S. 5T.. ~ ' r'" ~ '" {- , oc I ~ 5 e r.ri ~ '<( , W ~ /, ' -1 f:, ~. =i . 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",1 :::1 ~ ;: .~:.:.::.::: IIIII PATIO HOHES , ~ SPRINGSTED PUBLIC FINANCE ADVISORS ' , Home Office 85 East Seventh Place 222 South Ninth Street Suite 100 Suite 2825 Saint Paul, MN 55101-2143 Minnea~olis, MN 55402-3368 (612) 223-3000 612) 333-9177 Fax: (612) 223-3002 Fax: (612) 333-2363 16655 West Bluemound Road Suite 290 Brookfield, WI 53005-5935 (414) 782-8222 Fax: (414) 782-2904 6800 College Boulevard Suite 600 Overland Park, KS 66211-1533 (913) 345-8062 Fax: (913) 345-1770 February 14, 1992 Mr. Jim Kerrigan, Director of Planning and Economic Development Ms. Kersten Elverum, Housing Coordinator City of Hopkins 1010 First Street South Hopkins, MN 55433 Re: Westbrooke Rehabilitation Financing Analysis Dear Mr. Kerrigan and Ms. Elverum: The purpose of this letter is to report on the conclusions of the financing analysis Springsted Incorporated has conducted for the City of Hopkins regarding options for rehabilitation of the Westbrooke Condominiums. Our analysis includes a review of five possible tools or sources of financing -- tax increment financing, special purpose revenue bonds, general obligation bonds, special seNice district, and private lending institutions. We have researched the current financial status of the five homeowners associations that represent the 1,296 housing units in Westbrooke, how each tool relates to the issues facing the associations, and the advantages and disadvantages of each funding source. The documentation of our analysis contained in this letter is organized in three main sections -- 1) a brief history of the associations and their current financial status, 2) an evaluation of funding alternatives including a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each source, and 3) recommendations on the use of certain financing alternatives, including the process needed to secure the funding source. I. Background and Current Status of the Westbrooke Associations The Westbrooke Condominium and Patio Homes neighborhood consists of two housing types -- the eight-plex apartment condominiums located east of 11 th Avenue South and the patio homes, or townhouse condominiums located west of 11 th Avenue City of Hopkins, Minnesota February 14, 1992 Page 2 South. The total complex is divided into five separate homeowner associations as follows: Association Name Number of Units Apartment Condominiums: Westbrooke West 176 Westbrooke North 88 Westbrooke Park 168 Meadow Creek 536 Subtotal 968 Townhouse Condominiums: Patio Homes 328 Total 1,296 The apartment condominiums were originally constructed as rental units in the early 1970's and converted to condominiums from 1980 to 1983. The units consist of one- and two-bedroom apartments, some including separate garages. Original values were in the $45,000-$60,000 range. Currently values range from as low as $13,000 for a recently foreclosed unit to approximately $38,000. The majority of the Westbrooke apartment condominiums are rental properties. The percentage of owner-occupancy varies by association, ranging from approximately 5% in Westbrooke North to 21 % in Meadow Creek and 25% in Westbrooke West and Westbrooke Park. The Westbrooke Patio Homes were also constructed in the early 1970's, but were developed originally for home ownership. The 328-unit complex includes two- and three-bedroom townhomes with detached or tuck-under garages. Some units were sold on a 99-year land lease from the original developer. Original values, including purchase of the underlying land, were in the $40,000-$50,000 range. Current values appear to range from $50,000-$65,000. The majority of the Patio Homes are still owner- occupied, with owner-occupancy rates currently estimated at approximately 64%. As a whole, the Westbrooke Condominium and Patio Homes complex is suffering from problems of deferred maintenance, inadequate repair and replacement reserves, and declining property values, After 20 years of use, the major infrastructure and common area components are wearing out and must be replaced. These components include roofs, windows, parking lots, siding, hallway and entry area refurbishing, and entry and garage doors. Since some original apartment condominium owners are unable to sell units at a price sufficient to payoff their remaining debt, a large number of units have been converted to rental properties. To a large extent, there is no coordination between individual owners on rental rates or policies, which results in underbidding rents to attract tenants and further declines in values. The absentee owners are reluctant to approve increases in association dues to fund repairs, since the increased dues further reduce their rental cash flow. As part of our analysis, we examined current and historic levels of association dues, current and future budgets for repair and replacement and existing reserve fund balances. Table I, attached, presents the association dues and reserve account information by association. The average dues per unit is based on the total budgeted revenue from dues divided by the number of units. It does not reflect adjustments for actual collections. With the exception of Meadow Creek, historic association dues information prior to 1986 was not available. City of Hopkins, Minnesota February 14, 1992 Page 3 Association dues budgeted for 1992 range from a low of $124.50 per unit per month for Westbrooke North to $144.80 per unit per month in Meadow Creek. Westbrooke North does not contain garages, which accounts for a differential in dues of $7 per unit per month. Over the past six years, Westbrooke North has had the lowest average annual increase in association dues at 5.36%, while the Patio Homes have experienced the highest average annual increase at 8.07%. It should be noted that the Patio Homes is the only association whose articles of incorporation and by-laws restrict increases in annual dues to no more than 10% per year without a vote of the membership. In the last four years, the Patio Homes have increased dues at the maximum rate. As shown in the bottom half of the table, reserve account balances varied from $36,780 to $55,000. On a per-unit basis, the variance in reserves by association is much greater. However, the reserve per unit does not reflect the ongoing level of repair and replacement or the adequacy of current association dues to cover needed improvements over the next five to 10 years. With the exception of the Patio Homes, the associations and the property managers have prepared long-term capital improvement budgets. These budgets compare expenditures for repair and replacement with revenues from association dues and reserve fund balances. Of the four apartment condominium associations, Westbrooke North is the only association showing a projected shortfall in their replacement reserve, which may occur in 1993 unless association dues are increased further. An average increase of $10 per unit per month in association fees for Westbrooke North would alleviate the projected shortfall and bring their dues amounts closer in line with the other apartment condominium associations. It is important to point out that the capital improvement budget for Meadow Creek does not include maintaining or rebuilding Westbrooke Way and Old Settler's Trail, which are considered part of the common area for the association. The remaining life of the roads is estimated at two to three years. The City Engineer has estimated the cost of reconstructing these roads at $193,000. The Meadow Creek association clearly does not have the capacity currently to absorb this extraordinary cost. As stated above, the Patio Homes association does not currently have a long-term capital improvement program. The Patio Homes are in a much poorer financial position than any of the other associations. It is currently estimated that $900,000 is necessary in the next severai years for common area improvements such as repairing roofs, replacing siding and garage doors, and repairing roads and parking areas. The association intends to spend approximately $100,000 this year on various repairs. A special annual assessment of $2,300 per unit to finance the needed improvements failed to gain membership approval two years ago. This special assessment would have almost tripled the association dues. II. Evaluation of Funding Alternatives Unless repair and replacement reserves are accumulated on an annual basis or the association levies a special dues assessment, a condominium association cannot proceed with major common area expenditures. Restrictions on borrowing for common area repairs and replacement without membership votes are sometimes included in the by-laws or articles of incorporation. A more practical constraint to borrowing by the association is the inability to provide adequate security for the loan. Often the associations' only assets are the value of the caretaker units or maintenance garages. This constraint leads us to a discussion of the following funding alternatives: general City of Hopkins, Minnesota February 14, 1992 Page 4 obligation bonds, special purpose revenue bonds, special service district, private lenders, and tax increment financing. . General Obligation Bonds. General obligation (G.O.) bonds may be issued by the City of Hopkins on a tax-exempt basis to finance public infrastructure. This funding alternative is the simplest to implement but contains the restriction of usage for public improvements. The most logical application would be for the reconstruction of Westbrooke Way and Old Settler's Trail, which are currently owned by the Meadow Creek condominium association. To use G.O. bonds, the Association must transfer ownership of the roads to the City. The current City roadway policy calls for the City to assume 30% of the construction costs with the remaining 70% assessed against the Meadow Creek property owners. The assessments could be repaid over a 10-15 year term at interest rates from 6- 7%. . Special Purpose Revenue Bond. One possible source for financing the necessary common area improvements is a special purpose revenue bond. This option was initially presented to the City by the staff of the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA). The proposed bond structure includes a taxable bond issued by MHFA to be repaid from increases in association fees. Since the bond would be supported only by revenue from the increased association dues, MHFA suggested that a bond reserve equal to 25% of the total bond amount be set aside as additional security. It was anticipated that the interest rate on the bonds would be in excess of 10% (depending on the final structure and bond market at the time of sale) and the bond term would be 10- 12 years. It is our understanding that this concept did not proceed further due to the lack of a source for the 25% security reserve, As part of our analysis of financing options, we have pursued the concept of a special purpose revenue bond further. We contacted the City's bond counsel, Holmes & Graven, to research ways the City of Hopkins may issue the bonds and whether it is possible to issue them on a tax-exempt basis. The response from Barbara Portwood of Holmes & Graven in a memo dated February 6, 1992 is attached to this letter. While the City does have authorization under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 462C to issue multi-family rehab revenue bonds for the common area improvements, the bonds cannot be issued on a tax-exempt basis due to the residency requirement and federal tax laws. Given that the City has authorization to issue the taxable bonds, the key issue remains the type of security that must be provided to make the bonds marketable. The bond issue would most likely be structured and negotiated through a local underwriting firm. The bond investor must believe that there is a strong likelihood that the bond principal and interest would be paid on a timely basis. In addition to the 25% reserve proposed by MHFA, a second security option may include letters of credit from local banks, covering two or more years of debt service payments. The cost of the annual letter of credit fees would also be paid from increased association dues. The City is currently discussing establishing a consortium of local banks. A banking consortium would be an excellent resource for providing the letter of credit or other sources of security for the bond issue. Since the Westbrooke Condominium and Patio Homes reflect such a large share of Hopkins housing stock and property values, any efforts on the part of the local banking consortium to participate in a possible financing solution may also assist the banks in meeting federal Community Reinvestment Act requirements. City of Hopkins, Minnesota February 14, 1992 Page 5 Use of a special purpose revenue bond for common area improvements is an unconventional approach, one that will only be successful through a concerted effort on the part of the condominium association. As stated previously, investors will only purchase the bonds if they believe the condominium association will levy and collect the required dues to amortize the bonds. The association must demonstrate a history of dues collections, a firm management plan, and a commitment to continue ongoing repair and replacement and upkeep of the facilities. . Special Service District. A second method for financing the common area improvements would be through the establishment of a special service district. The special service district is a relatively new concept in Minnesota. In recent years, the state legislature has passed special legislation giving certain cities the authority to create special taxing districts to finance improvements and maintain activities in commercial areas. Initially, the authority and the relative power were uniquely described for each city. In 1988, the legislature codified the powers and procedures for special service districts as Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 428A. Communities that have been granted the authority include Minneapolis, White Bear Lake, Robbinsdale, Hopkins, Mankato and Crookston. Half of these communities, including Hopkins, have not yet established the districts. From a financial perspective, there are two advantages of the special service district as a means of financing various activities. First, the district pays for the cost of the services that it receives. The special service district raises money by imposing a service charge on properties within that district. The charge allows the city to generate money to pay for improvements and their maintenance without levying a tax across the entire community. Second, the money is raised without facing the difficulties of the special assessment process. The drawback of the special service district lies with its creation. To date, this authority has only been conveyed through special legislation. Getting the legislative authority does not completely open the door to the creation of a special service district. The legislature has been very concerned about protecting the rights of the property owners. Consequently, the process for using it is complicated. A city cannot initiate the process to create a district unless it is petitioned to do so. The petition must be signed by property owners representing 25% or more of the net tax capacity and 25% of the land area in the district subject to the service charge. The process to impose the service charge is subject to the same petition requirements. The initial petition only starts the process. Following the receipt of the petition, the City schedules a public hearing. After the hearing, if the city decides to create the district or impose the service charge, then a copy of the summary of the ordinance or resolution taking the action must be mailed to effected property owners within five days of adoption, The resolution or ordinance may not take effect for at least 45 days. During that period, the action may be vetoed if objections are filed by property owners representing 35% or more of the net tax capacity and 35% of the land area in the district subject to the service charge. If a service charge is initially proposed and approved fora multi-year period, then the second and subsequent years are not subject to petition and veto. Once the district is established, the city may issue bonds supported by the special service district charges. Depending on the use of funds, the bonds may be issued on a tax-exempt basis, with a general obligation pledge from the city. City of Hopkins, Minnesota February 14, 1992 Page 6 Assuming a 10-15 year bond term, the interest rate would be approximately 6% to 7%, depending on market conditions at the time of sale. For taxable bonds, the interest rate would range from approximately 8% to 9%. The two primary difficulties in using the special service district as a financing tool for Westbrooke Condominium and Patio Homes are first, the need to amend the initial legislation to include improvements to residential common areas and to allow collection of charges from residential property and second, an amendment to the existing special legislation specific for the City of Hopkins to include the expenditures for the Westbrooke rehabilitation. . Private Lenders, The role of private lenders in the rehabilitation of the Westbrooke Condominium and Patio Homes complex may be primarily as providers of letters of credit or other security for the special purpose revenue bond mentioned previously. This may be most effectively provided through a consortium of local banks, so that the risk and responsibility for the letters of credit can be shared between the various banks. The City may ultimately wish to explore the option of placing the entire special purpose revenue bond with the banking consortium, rather than negotiating the issue through an underwriting firm. In addition to assisting with the common area improvements, local lenders may participate in home improvement loans to individual owners or new mortgages on units that may be sold or refinanced. This participation will be in conjunction with the normal lending practices. . Tax Increment Financing. Tax increment financing assumes that by subsidizing certain infrastructure or public costs related to a project, the new tax values generated by the development will be sufficient to pay back the initial assistance. Unfortunately, the renovation of the common area improvements in the Westbrooke complex would primarily result in stabilizing current values rather than increasing future property value. It is therefore unlikely that significant tax increment revenues would be generated by the common area improvements. The second problem with the use of tax increment financing is the restriction on the type of costs that can be financed by tax increment. These costs include public infrastructure such as roads, water and sewer, curb and gutter, parking; demolition of blighted structures; and land writedowns. A less common use is credit enhancement for revenue bonds or interest rate reduction on other debt. The only possible application for Westbrooke may include road improvements if the association agrees to convert the private roads to public roads or credit enhancement for the special purpose revenue bond. Although Westbrooke may not generate actual tax increment, it is possible to use excess tax increment from other districts within the City of Hopkins. The amount of increment available in the districts is limited. The boundaries of the development district established in 1985 must be amended to include the Westbrooke area in order to expend increment within the Westbrooke neighborhood. The City must make the policy decision to use their excess increment for Westbrooke or other eligible projects. A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each of these financing tools is summarized on the following page. The process necessary to secure these tools is further described under "Recommendations." City of Hopkins, Minnesota February 14, 1992 Page 7 WESTBROOKE ANALYSIS COMPARISON OF FINANCING ALTERNATIVES Special Special G.O. Revenue Service Private Bond Bond District Lender TIF A. Risk/Cost to City risk of negligible risk of NA alternative non-pymt. of non-pymt. of uses of TIF assessments/ service dist City has 30% charges of cost B. Eligible Improvements infra- common common common infra- structure area area area structure/ improve- improve- improve- credit ments ments ments enhance- ment C. Availability of Funds good difficult difficult difficult limited D. Affordability to Association assessments to be to be may reduce may reduce impact determined determined interest interest directly on rate rate owners E. Special Requirements roadway approval of special approval of TIF plan dedication increase legislation increase amendment in dues in dues F. Difficulty to Administer OK complex complex OK NA G. Time Constraints assessment none after none plan process legislation amendment requirements approved process City of Hopkins, Minnesota February 14, 1992 Page 8 III. Recommendations Our review of the status of the five Westbrooke condominium associations contained in Section I indicated that two associations, Westbrooke Park and Westbrooke West are in good financial condition. Westbrooke North should reexamine the current level of association dues and begin setting aside more for future repairs and replacements. The single most immediate maintenance issue is the repair of the two large parking lots. In addition to Westbrooke North, our recommendations focus on two large problem areas -- the private roads in Meadow Creek and the extraordinary common area repairs needed in the Patio Homes. Our recommendations are as follows: A Convert Westbrooke Way and Old Settler's Trail to public roads and extend Westbrooke Way to Smetana Road. As mentioned previously, the city engineer has estimated the cost to upgrade Westbrooke Way and Old Settler's Trail at $193,000. It would cost an additional $130,000 to extend Westbrooke Way from Old Settler's Trail to Smetana Road (assuming a 30-foot roadway). The third cost component would be $20,500 for storm sewer installation. Based on current assessment policies, these costs would be allocated as follows: Meadow Creek Association Improvement City Costs Costs Total Westbrooke Way Upgrade $ 57,900 $135,100 $193,000 Extension to Smetana Road 39,000 91 ,000 130,000 Storm Sewer 20,500 0 20.500 Total Costs $117,400 $226,100 $343,500 Assuming ,the Meadow Creek Association's share of the costs is assessed back to the unit owners and financed through a 10-year general obligation 6% tax- exempt bond, the average cost per unit would be less than $5 per month. In return for agreeing to take over responsibility for the roads and extending Westbrooke Way to Smetana Road, Douglas Strandness, property manager for the Meadow Creek Association, has indicated that ''the Association would commit to developing a 'grand entrance' at Westbrooke Way and Smetana Road, which would include brick pillars and wing walls along with high class signage. By doing this, the curb appeal of Meadow Creek would be literally and figuratively enhanced." We believe that these improvements would have a significant positive effect on the entire Westbrooke Condominium and Patio Homes complex. A separate, attractive entrance to the Meadow Creek association would provide a more positive image to the area. Property values in Meadow Creek should improve considerably from these improvements, which may also stabilize values in the other condominium associations. The process necessary to proceed includes action by Meadow Creek association to deed the existing road and proposed road right-of-ways to the City, further engineering studies by the City on the costs of the improvements, and establishment of the special assessments. City of Hopkins, Minnesota February 14, 1992 Page 9 As a final note, it is possible to follow the same procedure outlined above for improvements to the roads in the Patio Homes complex. At this time, we have assumed that these improvements will be done in conjunction with other extensive rehabilitation projects and that the roads would continue to be owned by the association. From a homeowner's perspective, it would be more advantageous to have the improvements repaid through an increase in association dues rather than add special assessments against the property. The association dues may be collected by future owners while special assessments are generally paid by the seller when the property is transferred. B. Assist Westbrooke North with parking lot renovations through a bidding process. Westbrooke North contains two large parking lots needing major repairs. The City can only provide the repairs if the parking lots are truly "publicll parking lots, which would be unacceptable to the condominium association. It may be possible, however, to achieve cost savings by bidding the repairs, together with the road improvements to Westbrooke Way. The full cost of the repairs would be paid for by the Westbrooke North association, but possibly at a lower total cost than having the parking lot repairs completed independently. C. Pursue the concept of special purpose revenue bonds to finance the common area improvements in the Patio Homes. In 1990, the Patio Homes association identified approximately $900,000 in rehab costs for new roofs, siding, roads, parking lots and garage door improvements. Currently, the special purpose revenue bond appears to be the only option available to finance these improvements. As discussed previously, the bonds are an unconventional source of financing and would require the assistance of an underwriting firm to negotiate the actual structure and identify investors for this product. It will also require a considerable effort on the part of the association to provide an updated budget and priority list for the improvements, and documentation of the ability to levy and collect the increased dues. The bond structure may also require the assistance of a local banking consortium to provide credit enhancement for the issue. And finally, the City may need to commit future excess tax increments as additional security for the bonds. The steps necessary to implement the special purpose revenue bond option include first retaining an underwriting firm to assist in the bond structure. When a preliminary structure has been developed, the plan must receive approval of the Patio Homes association members. The association must vote to increase dues in an amount sufficient to repay the bonds, which will take two-thirds of the membership at an association meeting which has a quorum (50% of the membership). Finally, the preliminary structures will be dependent on the willingness of the local banking consortium to participate. The last step is to receive their approval or a commitment on the City's part to use tax increment , financing, if necessary. It is possible that based on the current management plan and financial status of the Patio Homes association, an underwriter may not be able to successfully structure a marketable revenue bond. The most recent unaudited financial statements reflect a large amount of delinquent association dues. The options at this point would be for the association to increase dues to build up replacement reserves and structure their financial statement and collection history so that in 12 to 18 months a better financial outlook can be presented. City of Hopkins, Minnesota February 14, 1992 Page 10 A final option would be to pursue special legislation for the special service district. As mentioned previously, two legislative actions must be requested, the first amending the overall authorizing statute to include residential area improvements and the second, specific authorization for the City of Hopkins. D. Coordinate Leasing Activities. As mentioned in Section I, the Westbrooke Condominium and Patio Homes complex suffers from declining property values due in part to an increasing number, of absentee owners undercutting rental rates to attract tenants and offset their cash flow losses. One solution would be for the associations to make it a policy to encourage absentee owners to contract with professional rental agents to manage their units. The rental agents would provide more consistent and reasonable rental rate policies, better tenant screening, and a more effective, positive approach to marketing the Westbrooke neighborhood. A second method of coordinating the rental activities would be the establishment of a property manager coalition for those rental agents and absentee owners currently involved in the Westbrooke neighborhood. Brooklyn Park has recently established such a coalition with the goal of "cooperation, education, communication. II The mission statement for the coalition mentions such goals as improving the image of their community within the city, enriching the relationship with the city, sharing solutions to common problems, enhancing the quality of life for residents and protecting the interest of their investors. The participation of the City of Brooklyn Park in the coalition is to provide staff support in the preparation of the monthly newsletter and coordinating speakers for the monthly meeting. The Brooklyn Park coalition was organized in response to many of the same concerns currently facing the Westbrooke Condominium and Patio Homes neighborhood, The mandatory commitment on the part of the City for establishing or supporting the coalition is quite modest when compared to the magnitude of the investment in housing stock and tax base represented currently in the Westbrooke neighborhood. As a final note, one suggestion made by the Associations to enhance property values within the neighborhood would be to develop a golf course on the sanitary landfill site adjacent to the Patio Homes. There is currently a strong demand for golf facilities within the Metropolitan area. This concept may merit further research and discussion. We look forward to presenting our recommendations to the Hopkins City Council and members of the Westbrooke associations. Please feel free to contact us if you need further clarification on any of our recommendations or information contained in this letter. Sincerely, /' ~~~~ \:J ~~~ ?f~J'~~ Kathleen A. Aho Rebecca D. Yanisch Senior Vice President Vice President mmr /Minneapolis Office Enclosures "#"#'#-'#-'S"#"# 'S O(JJ..... W L.{)C')0l00lC")0 C\J OC')(JJ L.{)'-.-00l?""0 en o L.{) . C.!i c-Jc:ir'c:i"":c:i~ ,...: . C\J ffi L.{) 0 I~ ..... .- ?"" L.{) .- l.LJ U9 U9 c:: :I: Q C,;l ~ W Oti3C\JOOOOC\l($OO 00 000l0l0l C\J ~ C!)1:: ~a:i<.Oc:OcOci"":"": C\J....0000l00 ~ ~Z ,.- or- ,.- ?- ...- ,..... W;:) U9 > <( ~~~~~~ ~ 000q- W .....C')~(JJcryCO " OC\JL.{) Olq- (JJL.{)?"" 0 o C') . C!) cricricricriMc.ci cO . 00 C\J L.{) ffi ~~ L.{) ~ U9 ~ :I: C,;l :I: 0 W OOOOOOL.{) F= L.{)OOL.{)OOO c: C.!i~ r'<.O<.O<.Oa:il.lici <(- C\J.-OOlOOCOOO a:Z ..... ..... ..... 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Portwood (Z<<f' RE: Hopkins Condominium Project Financing DATE: February 6, 1992 FACTS The Westbrook residential condominium development (the "Project") located in the City of Hopkins (the "City") is in need of rehabilitation which the homeowner's association is unable to fund on a current basis, The City is interested in financing the rehabilitation with tax exempt bonds. ISSUE Can tax-exempt bonds be issued to finance a loan to the Westbrook condominium homeowner's association (the "Association") to finance the rehabilitation? DISCUSSION Federal Tax Law Requirements Bonds issued to finance the rehabilitation of the Project would be mortgage revenue bonds for purposes of federal tax law, and in order to be tax-exempt would have to meet the following requirements for qualified mortgage bonds: a. residence requirement, b. first time homebuyer requirement (unless the loan to the Association is characterized either as qualified home improvement loans or qualified rehabilitation loans) , c. purchase price requirement, unless the loan to the Association could be characterized as a home improvement, d. income requirements, e. arbitrage requirements, f. targeted area requirement (if applicable), and g. the new mortgage requirement (unless the loan is characterized as a qualified rehabilitation loan). BLP29184 HPllO-l The residence requirement could be a problem if any of the owners of condominium units use the units for a,ny purpose other than their principal residence. As indicated above, it is not necessary for federal tax purposes to determine the purchase price of each of the units in the Project if the loans constitute qualified home improvement loans (maximum principal amount of $15,000 per mortgagor). It would of course be necessary to obtain an allocation of issuing authority. Allocation of Issuing Authority Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 474A governs the allocation of authority to issue private activity bonds. I have attached a brief summary of certain relevant provisions of Chapter 474A. For purposes of Chapter 474A, the City would have to apply for an allocation from the housing pool to issue mortgage bonds. The statute requires a purchase price limitation equal to the greater of the MHFA's purchase price limits or 90 percent of the median purchase price in the City, up to a maximum of 80% of the safe harbor limits under Section 143 (e) of the Code. The language of the statute on this pc,int is not i.eloribly fJl'8ebe, 1ut tIle l'efeli.mc8 lu the .. sate harbor limits undel' Section 143(e) appears to refer to the number which is 90% of the average area purchase price. Chapter 474A also imposes lower income requirements than federal law. Whether or not the owners of units in the Project meet these requirements is obviously a question of fact which will need to be addressed. Chapter 474A also encourages a City has to provide in its bond program for recycling of payments and prepayments to make additional loans. This is a complicated requirement to meet in larger programs, but may be overwhelming in a small issue such as is proposed here. If the City determines that recycling is not possible, it is required to explain to the State why recycling is not possible, and why the City did not have the bonds issued by MHFA. Once such an explanation is given, the City could presumably issue bonds without a recycling provision. State Law Authorization Al though Bonds issued to finance the rehabilitation of the Project constitute mortgage bonds for purposes of Federal tax law and for purposes of obtaining an allocation under state law, for purposes of Minnesota Statues, Chapter 462C, the Project constitutes a "multifamily housing development" . Chapter 462C authorizes the City to issue its revenue bonds to finance single family programs and multifamily housing developments, including a program to rehabilitate a multifamily housing dC'~7dQpmcn~ :J.S l:::ng a~ the :::-ehgbilH8tinn ~:ORts eflual the le~~E'r of $1 ~OOO per unit or 20% of the appraised value of the building and site. CONCLUSION Assuming that the state and federal purchase price, income and residence requirements described above can be met, it should be possible to issue tax-exempt bonds to finance the rehabilitation of the Project. The loan to the homeowners association would have to be structured in a way that it could be deemed to cons titute loans to the owners of the individual units. Such individual loans would have to be either qualified home improvement loans or qualified rehabilitation loans for federal tax purposes, The City would apply for an allocation of authority under Chapter 474A to issue mortgage bonds, and either provide for recycling or explain BLP29184 HPllO-l 2 to the State why doing so is not possible. Assuming that an allocation of authority to issue is awarded under Chapter 474A, the City would have the authority to issue the bonds to fiance the rehabilitation of the Project as a multifamily housing development under Chapter 462C, BLP29184 HPllO-l 3 ST A TE LAW PROVISIONS 474A.061, Subd. 2a. Housing pool allocation. From April 2 to April 15, MHF A may accept applications for an allocation of single family mortgage revenue bonds (as defined for federal tax purposes) which meet the following requirements: 1. locally identified housing need; program economically viable; 2. in Mpls/ St. Paul MSA, adjusted income of buyers cannot exceed greater of agency's income limits 80% of area median income; 3. housing price limits may not exceed: i. greater of agency house price limits or median purchase price for the particular city, up to maximum of 80% of safe harbor limits for existing housing under 143(e) of the Code; housing prices may in fact exceed the 80% referenced above if a subsidy is used to reduce the effective purchase price to the a bove levels; 4. program must meet the requirements of 474A.048, which has been repealed, but which provided that during the first 10 months of an origination period "a city may make loans financed with proceeds of mortgage bonds for the purchase of existing housing. . ." and restricts the use of proceeds during that period to finance new housing except under certain circumstances. The same requirement appears for a single family housing program under Minnesota Statutes, Section 462C.071, subd. 2. It does not appear to prohibit the issuance of bonds for the purpose of financing rehabilitation loans or home improvement loans; 5. application deposit of 1%. If a city issues mortgage bonds from an allocation it has received in its own behalf, it mu~t provide fOl' the l~ecyciing uf .l'8jJaYillents and prepay.nents of ll!l'l~tgage loans in to new loans. If the issuer is not able to provide for recycling, it must notify the commissioner in writing of the reason recycling was not possible and the reason the issuer elected not to have MHF A issue the bonds. Maximum allocation to anyone city is the lesser of $4,000,000 or 20% of the total amount available for allocation for mortgage bonds from the housing pool on April 7, 1992. CHAPTER 462C: BLP29184 HPllO-l 4 462C.02, Subd, 4 "single family housing" means. . . a unit or an apartment as described in chapter 515 or 515A... owned or to be owned and occupied by one person or family as a principal residence... Single family housing may include the acquisition and rehabilitation of an existing building and site, or the rehabilitation of and discharge of any interest or lien in an existing building and site. . . "rehabilitation" means the improvement of existing single family housing or an existing multifamily housing development to improve the basic livability of the housing or restore it to a decent, safe and sanitary condition. . . . Improvements shall not include the construction or improvement of recreational facilities, routine or minor repairs or maintenance, or cosmetic improvements unless coupled with the cure of substantial accumulation of deferred mr.intenanC0 :}r GLher j:.:el'mittE-d impra';'8~c:;,ts, "multifamily housing development" . . . means an apartment facility, including an apartment described in chapter 515 or 515A or a cooperative, or a group of townhouses, which include four or more dwelling units, each to be rented or sold to or occupied by a person or family for use as a residence, or a building or buildings which include one or more dwelling units, each to be rented by a person or family for use as a residence. A development may include new construction or the acquisition and rehabilitation of an existing building and site or the rehabilitation of and discharge of any interest or lien in an existing building or site. 462C.05 Multifamily housing development loans may be made for the rehabilitation of an existing building and site and the discharge of any lien or other interest in the building and site. The cost of rehabilitation of an existing building must be estimated to equal at least $1,000 per dwelling unit or 20% of the appraised value of the original building and site, whichever is less, but if rehabilitation is primarily for energy conservation, the loans may be made without regard to cost. . . Each development upon completion shall comply with all applicable code requirements. BLP29184 HPllO-l 5 , WESTBROOKE Summary of city council/staff Discussion I. What is the Issue? 0 Erosion of social structure 0 Declining property values 0 Physical deterioration of private and common area 0 Absentee ownership 0 Lower end rentals 0 Lack of association leadership 0 Several associations 0 Represents 30% of housing stock 0 Impacted by landfill 0 Lack of, insufficient financing - HUD 0 Down market for townhomes/condos - weak market 0 Concern with financial management practices 0 Increase domestics, illness - public safety calls 0 Drug use, gangs II. Why Is This An Issue? 0 Costly to treat sYmptoms 0 Extra service demands 0 Poor image for city 0 Decreasing tax base 0 Lack of attention by owners III. What Are the Consequences of Not Addressing This Issue? . 0 continued deterioration 0 Problems will move to rest of complex 0 Problems will move into rest of community 0 More calls for service 0 Pay less in taxes 0 Impact on school systems 0 Impact on Inspections IV. What Alternatives. Dreams or Visions Are There? 0 Incentives to fix up - penalties if they don't 0 City maintain common areas and assess back 0 Establish minimum standards of enforcement 0 Assist In developing leadership 0 All buildings up to code 0 Financing pool 0 Park on the landfill 0 Ability to obtain financing for units 0 People pride 0 Neighborhood crime watch . 0 Property values up 0 People have equity position in properties 0 Lender interest v. What Are the Barriers to Achievinq The vision ? 0 Money - lack of public and private dollars 0 Risk to city 0 Five associations to work with, some of which are having problems with leadership 0 Absentee owners 0 Poor market for townhomes and condos 0 High cost of renovation 0 Legal barriers 0 stigma of landfill 0 Lack of community empathy for the problem VI. Major strategies to Achieve Alternatives, Dreams, Visions 0 Form~late inspection plan and enforcement procedure 0 Determine financing resources - city, state, lenders, property owners 0 Identify leadership - get commitment 0 Mutual planning process with the neighborhood 0 Establish community police concepts 0 Develop recreational use of landfill 0 Obtain necessary legislative changes - possibly coordinate with other cities 0 Raise level of consciousness of rest of community 0 Use carrot and stick approach VII. Action Plan Staff should develop draft of Action steps based on aforementioned work. Council then hold meeting at Westbrooke. TH03022A .