Title
Recommendation to Approve the City of Alameda Investment Policy. (Finance 2410)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Kevin Kennedy, City Treasurer
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Annually, the City Treasurer and the Finance Director review the City’s Investment Policy for changes and revisions that may be needed to comply with applicable sections of the California Government Code or any other changes to keep the Policy updated to current business practices. Tonight, the City Council is asked to approve the City of Alameda Investment Policy with proposed changes as outlined below.
BACKGROUND
Section 5-2 of the Alameda City Charter requires the City Treasurer to annually recommend to the City Council, at a public meeting, an Investment Policy for the Council’s approval. The City Treasurer and Finance Director have reviewed and recommend these proposed changes to the City’s Investment Policy.
DISCUSSION
The City of Alameda’s Investment Policy affirms the fiduciary responsibility to safeguard public assets and identify the opportunities for a systematic investment process. Priority is placed first on securing the safety of principal and the liquidity needed for payroll and other City of Alameda (City) obligations, then on yield of the investment.
The City’s Investment Policy is reviewed annually by the City Treasurer and Finance Director and is attached to this report (Exhibit 1). The policy has been developed in accordance with standards and policies established by the California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission (CDIAC) and the Association of Public Treasurers of the United States and Canada (APTUSC). The City’s Investment Policy received a Certification of Excellence from California Municipal Treasurers Association in September 2017. In addition, APTUSC awarded a Certificate of Excellence for the City’s Policy in September 2018.
The Investment Policy requires staff to submit quarterly Investment Reports to the City Council. Investment Reports include investment summaries with the market value of securities and a statement confirming that current liquidity is adequate to meet expenditures for the next six months, as required by the California Government Code.
The City Treasurer and Finance Director are proposing certain changes to the Policy, as listed below, to reflect actual practice, implement changes as directed by the City Council, and provide further clarity.
• For the U.S. Agencies securities category, a requirement for a maximum investment of 25% in one issuer is eliminated to more closely reflect the language used in the CA Government Code, which does not have this restriction;
• For the Asset-Backed securities category, maturity is revised from 5 years to 5 years weighted average life as updated in the Code effective January 2019; and
• For the Asset-Backed Securities category, rating requirement for the underlying issuer on asset-backed securities is removed in its entirety to be consistent with Government Code Section 53601(o).
The City Treasurer and Finance Director continue to review the portfolio and its performance on a quarterly basis. It is through these discussions that the recommended changes were developed, which are reflected in the attached Investment Policy.
ALTERNATIVES
• The City Council could approve the investment policy with the recommended changes.
• The City Council may choose not to approve the above changes.
• The City Council may provide direct the Treasurer and Finance Director to review additional changes to the Investment Policy prior to approval.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact as a result of the approval of the Investment Policy.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This activity complies with Section 5-2 of the Alameda City Charter, which provides that the Treasurer shall annually recommend to City Council an investment policy.
CLIMATE IMPACTS
There is no climate impact from acceptance of this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This activity is not a project and is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to section 15378 (b)(4) of the CEQA Guidelines, because it involves governmental fiscal activities (approval of the investment policy), which does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potentially significant physical impact on the environment.
RECOMMENDATION
Approve the City of Alameda Investment Policy.
CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION
The City Manager recommends approval of the Alameda Investment Policy as amended.
Respectfully submitted,
Kevin Kennedy, City Treasurer
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Investment Policy