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HomeMy WebLinkAbout14 Finance Workshop Agenda Item # / A DONNER Public Ulility District'. Memorandum To: Board of Directors From: Peter Hoizmeister Date: July 16, 2004 WORKSHOP Finance Master Plan Policies: Cash Reserves, Debt and Other Planning Matters Introduction During the last strategic plan workshop we talked about the finance master plan. We concluded that the finance master plan would not be a completely useful tool until it reflected policies regarding cash reserves and the use of debt. These policies would be entered into the finance master plan such that we would build reserves and structure debt over a reasonable period of years to build a healthy financial condition for the District while maintaining reasonable rates. I began the review of finance policies by researching the web site maintained by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). GFOA is the professional association for persons who work in the government finance field, to state the obvious. It is a long-standing group with an excellent reputation. It publishes test books, a monthly journal, conducts annual seminars. I have used its material for many years. Attached under the first tab is information about GFOA from the web page. Additionally, I am concerned that we do not evaluate adequately the costs and revenues of operations as distinct from the costs and revenues of system development. I believe our financial planning, reporting and review needs to make this distinction. GFOA recommended policy areas Although our strategic plan meeting discussion focused on finance policies dealing with debt and cash reserves, my review of the GFOA web page got me thinking about other issues that relate to finance master planning, such as general planning, annual budgeting and revenue planning. Attached under tab 2 are policy statements adopted by GFOA that help us think about the following policy areas: • Financial Forecasting in the Budget Preparation Process • Adoption of Financial Policies • Appropriate Level of Unreserved Fund Balance in the General Fund • Debt Management Policy • Setting of Government Charges and fees GFOA does not necessarily provide specific advice on what a policy should say. it leaves that to us to wrestle with based on our values and factual circumstances. GFOA does, however, suggest that we develop policies in certain areas to help us get our arms around the District's overall financial position. Suggested policies (as a place to start) Planning Policies • Review water and electric master plans at least every five years. • Review finance master plan every year Budget Policies • Prepare annual operating budget • Prepare five year capital replacement budget • Prepare five year finance projection Revenue Policies • Review rate structure and levels at least once every three years • Set operating revenues to capture entire cost to provide service plus maintain reserves and satisfy debt coverage ratios • Review connection charges each year and set then to recover all costs • Review facilities fees every three years Debt Policies • Separate debt that is serving development(facilities fees), debt serving current customers (rates), and debt serving a special assessment district(assessments). These categories of debt should be separately identified in the budget. • One-half the debt service for all long-term debt in the aggregate is due in the first ten years • No more than one half the projected annual facilities fee revenue committed to debt service • No more than twenty percent of general fund revenues committed to debt service • No debt more than 25 years maturity • No debt longer than useful life of the project --------.Cash Reserve Policies Operations • Water general fund should have a reserve equal twice the highest month budgeted expenditure (this will probably be the month in which principal and interest on debt is due) • Electric general fund should have a cash reserve equal to twice the highest month budgeted expenditure (This will be the month in which the highest wholesale electric bill is due plus the highest debt service payment) • Electric rate stabilization fund should maintain a balance of$1,000,000 Capital Reserve • There should be a revolving water capital reserve fund in the amount of$4,000,000 to permit projects to be initiated and funded prior to arrangement of long-term debt or other financing. • There should be an electric capital reserve fund in the amount of$1,000,000. Debt reserves There should be a reserve fund for each debt instrument equal to one year's principal and interest Conclusion I would like the chance to review these matters with the board at the workshop on July 21.