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2015-28890 Reso RESOLUTION NO. 2015-28890 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE AND CITYWIDE PROJECTS COMMITTEE TO APPROVE THE CONTINUATION OF THE BMG MONEY LOANS-AT-WORK PROGRAM AS A BENEFIT OF EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH WHEREAS, there City of Miami Beach has been offering a direct-to-consumer loan, designed for employees who do not have access to traditional credit options since January 2012; and WHEREAS, between January 1, 2012 and November 30, 2014, 188 employees have made use of the program; and WHEREAS, the program provides employees the opportunity to obtain funds they may need to cover unexpected or emergency expenses, such as medical bills, or home and vehicle repairs; and WHEREAS, the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee members reviewed the options available to employees without access to traditional credit opportunities at the December 12, 2014 meeting; and WHEREAS, a report will be provided to the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee at its December 2016 meeting; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby accept the recommendation of the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee to approve the continuation of the BMG Money Loans-at-Work Program as a benefit of employment with the City of Miami Beach. PASSED AND ADOPTED this IV day of Ja#iWr4�- , 2015. ATTEST: waft 01 84:- • 'ff ` � P ip L-,YiMayor • ~ RED AS TO RA<< , y/ FORM&LANGUAGE Rafael . Granado, City °Caerk ` '� // FOR EXECUTION City Attorney Date COMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY Condensed Title: A resolution of the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Miami Beach, Florida, accepting the recommendation of the Finance and Citywide Projects Committee to continue offering the BMG Loans-at-Work program as a component of the employment benefits with the City of Miami Beach. Key Intended Outcome Supported: Streamline the delivery of services through all departments Item Summary/Recommendation: The BMG Money Loans-At-Work program is a direct-to-consumer loan, designed for employees who do not have access to traditional credit options. These loans are unsecured and based on the following: (1) borrower's employment; (2) borrower's bi-weekly net take-home pay; and (3) the ability to repay. The program does not verify the employee's credit worthiness but does provide the opportunity to build good credit, as the loans are reported to the credit reporting agencies when paid off. Through the BMG Money Loans-At-Work program, employees with one year of service who are at least 21 years old may: • • Borrow up to 20% of their net take-home pay (minimum of$500 to a maximum of$5,000); • Pay loan interest rates from 23.75% to 29.75%; loans are repaid using simple interest - interest is computed daily based on the loan outstanding loan balance; • Qualify for loans which are based solely on take home pay, ability to repay and are not subject to credit worthiness; • Pay a $25 application fee (per loan); • Select their repayment period, at either 6, 12, 18 or 24 months; and • Pre-pay the outstanding loan amount at any time without penalty. Should the employee default on the loans as they had either cancelled their payroll contribution or left the employment of the City, BMG Money would be responsible for collecting any outstanding loan balance directly from the employee. The City would not have any responsibility for collecting delinquent loan balances or be liable in any way. Advisory Board Recommendation: At the December 12, 2014, Finance and Citywide Projects Committee meeting, members unanimously voted to continue offering this benefit to employee and recommended that staff not call it a "pilot program" but review its performance every two to three years. Financial Information: Source of Amount Account Funds: 1 2 OBPI Total Financial Impact Summary: City Clerk's Office Legislative Tracking: Sylvia Crespo-Tabak, Human Resources Director Sign-Offs: Department Director ACM/ FO City M nager SC-T -i' KGB JLM T:WGENDA\2015\January\Human Resources\BMG Money Loans-at-Work Summary.docx / I BEACH ITEM C 7 MI � 'llYAM � DATE HNC- M1AMIBEACH City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive,Miami Beach, Florida 33139,www.miamibeachfl.gov COMMISS ON MEMORAMDUM TO: Mayor Philip Levine and Members of the City •ommission FROM: Jimmy L. Morales, City Manager i. DATE: January 14, 2015 SUBJECT: RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE OMMENDATION FROM THE FINANCE AND CITYWIDE PROJECTS COMMITTEE TO CONTINUE THE BMG LOANS-AT-WORK PROGRAM OFFERING TO ACTIVE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH EMPLOYEES. BACKGROUND The BMG Loans-At-Work Program was implemented on trial basis for the period January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012. At the January 24, 2013, Finance and Citywide Projects Committee (FCWPC) meeting, the Committee recommended executing a month-to-month agreement with BMG Loans while the Administration researched loan options. At the December 12, 2014 meeting, the FCWPC recommended that the City continue with the program as a benefit of employment and that staff review its performance and report back to the Committee every two to three years. BMG Money BMG Money provides active employees voluntary loans through their program called Loans-At-Work. The BMG Money Loans-At-Work program is a direct-to-consumer loan, designed for employees who do not have access to traditional credit options. These loans are unsecured and based on the following: (1) borrower's employment; (2) borrower's bi-weekly net take-home pay; and (3) the ability to repay. The program does not verify the employee's credit worthiness but does provide the opportunity to build good credit, as the loans are reported to the credit reporting agencies when paid off. Through the BMG Money Loans-At-Work program, employees with one year of service who are at least 21 years old may: • Borrow up to 20% of their net take-home pay (minimum of $500 to a maximum of $5,000); • Pay loan interest rates from 23.75% to 29.75%; loans are repaid using simple interest - interest is computed daily based on the loan outstanding loan balance; • Qualify for loans which are based solely on take home pay, ability to repay and are not subject to credit worthiness; • Pay a $25 application fee (per loan); • Select their repayment period, at either 6, 12, 18 or 24 months; and • Pre-pay the outstanding loan amount at any time without penalty. BMG Money Loans-At-Work Program January 14,2015 Page 2 • In addition to their loan program, BMG Money also provides employees with financial education tools through their interactive website. Through their Money Matters education tool, employees can watch a step-by-step video on financial management, and access a "Spending Diary" and a "Debt Worksheet" when directed to help them create a budget. Through their "Other Resources" link, employees may access the FDIC's Money Smart programs. In addition, BMG Money will conduct financial management training sessions for employees, either directly or with their partner, though The United Way of Miami's Center for Financial Stability The BMG Loans-At-Work program is currently offered to the several public employers including the City of Doral, City of Hialeah, City of Hialeah Gardens, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller, Palm Beach County Tax Collector, Town of Surfside, City of Sweetwater, and City of Fort Lauderdale. Should the employee default on the loans as they had either cancelled their payroll contribution or left the employment of the City, BMG Money would be responsible for collecting any outstanding loan balance directly from the employee. The City would not have any responsibility for collecting delinquent loan balances or be held liable in any way. RECOMMENDATION The Administration supports adoption of the FCWPC recommendation to continue the BMG Money Loans-At-Work program as an alternative for individuals who would not otherwise have the ability to borrow from an institution. Also based on the FCWPC's recommendation that staff report of the program's performance at regular intervals, the Administration further recommends that the report be placed on the Committee's meeting agenda for December 2016. JLM/K B/SC-T T:WGENDA\2015\January\Human Resources\BMG Money Loans-At-Work Memo.docx