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<br />Attachment 2 6.3C <br />Page 6 <br /> <br />itIl/!i:i1li'1; .... <br />i~'~~t"1~~f~t;.i';:si"0~1:J%'" ....~..;.;}!~.,):.'.. "~~(tA. :~M.~.'..'..~.';'..~~.)~1~.;;~.-~',:,:'~,'.;>~a'-:_.B':'~r:': <br /> <br />,"'J )''', ~ ..,;;r,>l'\"' -" .:' :..' .... ~;ffi1f~ '..,ft.M:~ <br /> <br />September 25, 2006 <br /> <br />Subject <br />Funding Strategy for Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Statement <br />Number 45 .. Other Post Employment Benefits (OPES) <br /> <br />Recommendation <br />Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the proposed OPES funding plan as <br />presented below. <br /> <br />Background <br />GASe Statement Number 45 provides new requirements for the accounting and financial <br />reporting by employers for post employment benefits other than pensions (OPES). The <br />City currently provides one post employment benefit in the form of health insurance for <br />retirees. This new statement is similar to previous GASS guidance for pensions in that it <br />requires the recognition of the cost of post employment benefits during the years of an <br />employee's active years of service to the City rather than the City's current practice of "pay- <br />as..you-go" in which costs are recognized only as payments are made for retirees. Under <br />GASS 45, an actuarial valuation is performed to determine the total cost of the benefit, and <br />from this valuation the Annual Required Contribution (ARC) is calculated. The ARC <br />consists of the value of benefits earned during the year (the normal cost) plus amortization <br />of the unfunded liability. <br /> <br />At the City Council meeting of May 22, 2006, staff presented a financial update to the City <br />Council which included information on OPES along with a preliminary funding strategy (see <br />Attachment I for OPES). At that meeting, City Council recognized the potential impact of <br />OPES on the City's bond rating, and given the City's plans for issuing future debt, directed <br />staff to bring back in the fall of 2006 a comprehensive plan, including several options for <br />implementing OPEB to consider incorporating into the FY 2007/08 budget year. <br /> <br />Subsequent to the May 22,2006 staff report, at the request of the SEIU bargaining unit, <br />City staff met with representatives from SEIU on July 12, 2006 to review the OPES <br />actuarial valuation report and to provide them with the City's OPES information previously <br />provided to the City Council, including staffs recommended phased-in approach for <br />funding the requisite annual contribution amounts. The SEIU representatives appeared <br />satisfied with the information provided and the preliminary recommended funding <br />approach. <br /> <br />Compensated Absences Liability <br />Separately and in addition to the above events, the City was recently notified that the City's <br />FY 2004/05 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) has received the Certificate <br />of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance <br />Officers Association. This awards program entails review of the CAFR with resultant <br />recommendations for improvement which must be addressed or resolved in the <br />