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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution 2026-34161RESOLUTION NO. 2026-34161 A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER AND APPROVING THE SELECTION OF MORGAN STANLEY & CO. LLC, AS SENIOR MANAGER, ALONG WITH JEFFERIES LLC AND STIFEL, NICOLAUS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED, AS CO -MANAGERS, TO PROVIDE UNDERWRITING SERVICES FOR THE RESORT TAX REVENUE REFUNDING BONDS, SERIES 2026 ("SERIES 2026 REFUNDING BONDS") THAT THE CITY ANTICIPATES WILL BE ISSUED IN 2026. WHEREAS, on April 14, 2010, the Mayor and City Commission accepted the City Manager's recommendation to award RFP 15-09-10 for Underwriter Services and, as a result, created a pool of 15 firms to provide underwriting services on an as needed basis; and WHEREAS, to seek proposals for a replacement pool of underwriters, on June 7, 2017, the Mayor and City Commission authorized the issuance of Request for Qualifications (RFC) 2017-163-WG for Underwriter Services; and WHEREAS, on January 17, 2018, the Mayor and City Commission approved a resolution authorizing the Administration to establish a pool of 14 underwriters to provide underwriting services to the City for the issuance of bonds; and WHEREAS, the pool was approved for services from January 17, 2018, through January 17, 2023 (5 years), with an additional five (5) years, on a year-to-year basis, if mutually agreed upon by both parties; and WHEREAS, four optional renewals have been exercised and the contracts extended to January 17, 2027; and WHEREAS, on December 15, 2015, the City issued its $194,920,000 principal amount of Resort Tax Revenue Bonds Series 2015 (the "Series 2015 Bonds") for the purpose of providing funds to finance a portion of the costs of acquiring and constructing renovations to the Convention Center and related improvements and pay the costs of issuing the Series 2015 Bonds; and WHEREAS, given the current interest rate environment, the City's Chief Financial Officer, in conjunction with the City's Financial Advisor, PFM Financial Advisors LLC (the "Financial Advisor"), has identified a refinancing opportunity to achieve debt service savings; and WHEREAS, on December 17, 2025, the Commission approved a referral to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee ("FERC") to review the potential refunding of outstanding Series 2015 Bonds; and WHEREAS, the City's Chief Financial Officer and Financial Advisor presented the opportunity, which was discussed by the FERC on February 20, 2026, and the FERC recommended that Administration move forward with the refinancing; and WHEREAS, the process to select firms to serve as a senior or co -manager for a particular issue involves a review of work previously assigned to the various firms during the tens of the pool, experience in and commitment to Florida municipal finance, the capability of a fimr to senior manage large and/or complex credit structures, the size of the bond issue to be sold, and the various markets that the firm has access to for marketing and distribution; and WHEREAS, the City anticipates the issuance of the Series 2026 Refunding Bonds in 2026 to refund all or a portion of the outstanding Series 2015 Bonds. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, that the Mayor and City Commission hereby accept the recommendation of the City Manager and approve the selection of Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, as Senior Manager, along with Jefferies LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, as Co -Managers, to provide underwriting services for the Resort Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2026 ("Series 2026 Refunding Bonds") that the City anticipates will be issued in 2026. PASSED and ADOPTED this /7 day of March, 20 ATTEST: Steven Meiner, Mayor MAR 2 0 2026 •- Rafae E. Gra ado, City Clerk r tPO0 APPROVED AS TO FORM & LANGUAGE & FO CUTION 313)�i� City A orney YtX Date Resolutions • C7 C MIAMI BEACH COMMISSION MEMORANDUM TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission FROM: Eric Carpenter, City Manager DATE: March 18, 2026 TITLE: A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, ACCEPTING THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE CITY MANAGER AND APPROVING THE SELECTION OF MORGAN STANLEY 8 CO. LLC, AS SENIOR MANAGER, ALONG WITH JEFFERIES LLC AND STIFEL, NICOLAUS 8 COMPANY, INCORPORATED, AS CO -MANAGERS, TO PROVIDE UNDERWRITING SERVICES FOR THE RESORT TAX REVENUE REFUNDING BONDS, SERIES 2026 ("SERIES 2026 REFUNDING BONDS") THAT THE CITY ANTICIPATES WILL BE ISSUED IN 2026. The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission approve the City Manager's recommendation of underwriters for the Series 2026 Refunding Bonds. On April 14, 2010, the Mayor and City Commission accepted the City Manager's recommendation to award RFP 15-09-10 for Underwriter Services and as a result created a pool of 15 firms to provide underwriting services on an as needed basis. The award was valid through April 13, 2018. To seek proposals for a replacement pool of underwriters, on June 7, 2017, the Mayor and City Commission authorized the issuance of Request for Qualifications (RFQ) 2017-163-WG for Underwriter Services. The RFQ sought statements of qualifications from underwriting firms to establish a team of underwriters to provide Underwriter Services to the City for the issuance of various municipal bonds. On June 8, 2017, RFQ No. 2017-163-WG for Underwriter Services was issued. RFQ responses were received on July 13, 2017. On January 17, 2018, the Mayor and City Commission approved a resolution authorizing the Administration to establish a pool of 14 underwriters to provide underwriting services to the City for the issuance of bonds. The pool was approved for services from January 17, 2018, through January 17, 2023 (5 years), with an additional five (5) years, on a year-to-year basis, if mutually agreed upon by both parties. Four optional renewals have been exercised, and the contracts were extended through January 17, 2027. On December 15, 2015, the City issued its $194,920,000 principal amount of Resort Tax Revenue Bonds, Series 2015 (the "Series 2015 Bonds") for the purpose of providing funds to finance a portion of the costs of acquiring and constructing renovations to the Convention Center and related improvements and pay the costs of issuing the Series 2015 Bonds. The Series 2015 Bonds are solely payable from and secured by a pledge of and first lien on the Pledged Funds derived by the City from Resort Tax Revenues and all moneys, securities and instruments held in the funds and accounts created under the Bond Resolution. The Series 2015 Bonds were issued with interest rates of 3.00% to 5.00% payable semiannually on March 1 and September 1. Given the current interest rate environment, the City's Chief Financial Officer, in conjunction with the City's Financial Advisor, PFM Financial Advisors LLC (the "Financial Advisor"), has identified a refinancing opportunity to achieve debt service savings. A debt refunding opportunity is a 149 of 1677 chance to replace existing debt obligations with new ones that offer cost savings and improved financial conditions for the City. On December 17, 2025, the Commission approved a referral to the Finance and Economic Resiliency Committee ("FERC") to review the potential refunding of outstanding Series 2015 Bonds. The City's Chief Financial Officer and Financial Advisor presented the opportunity, which was discussed by the FERC on February 20, 2026, and the FERC recommended that Administration move forward with the refinancing. ANALYSIS The selected firms participate in the bond issues by assisting the City, its Chief Financial Officer and its Financial Advisor with development of financing structures, preparation of preliminary and final official statements, bond resolutions, and other documentation as may be required. The underwriters' price, market and sell the bonds to investors in municipal securities. Additionally, firms appointed as the senior managing underwriter are required to provide the services listed below throughout the bond issuance process. Co -managing underwriters provide assistance as requested and support in the marketing, distribution and underwriting of the assigned transactions. The City, at its sole discretion, may select one or more firms to serve as senior manager or co -manager from the underwriting team for each of its bond financings. The City reserves the right to assign less than all of the members of the underwriting pool for a particular financing and reserves the right to remove any underwriter from participation in the underwriting syndicate if the underwriter and the City are unable to agree on any provision of the bond purchase agreement. All fees are contingent upon the issuance of the proposed bonds. The required services include, but are not limited to, the following: 1. Participate in drafting of all bond documents, including the Official Statement. 2. Assist in preparation and discussions with rating agencies and bond insurers, if requested. 3. Make recommendations for the proposed financing, including, but not limited to, the timing of the sale, the overall sales approach, the structure of the bonds, the call provisions, and the use of credit enhancement. 4. Lead the underwriting team in marketing and distributing the bonds to both retail and institutional investors. 5. Underwrite the financing based upon terms and conditions agreed to by both the City, financial advisor, and the underwriters in the bond purchase agreement. 6. Assist with the closing of the financing, including reviewing all closing documents and providing a post -financing report to the City which highlights the key characteristics of the financing. The process to select firms to serve as a senior or co -manager for a particular issue involves a review of work Previously assigned to the various firms during the term of the pool, experience in and commitment to Florida municipal finance, the capability of a firm to senior manage large and/or complex credit structures, the size of the bond issue to be sold, and the various markets that the firm has access to for marketing and distribution. A firm's response to other business requests, such as the City's Line of Credit and Equipment Line of Credit and resulting commitment to the City is also considered. The list of firms is recommended by the City Manager following consultation with the City's Chief Financial Officer and Financial Advisor. The City anticipates the issuance of Series 2026 Refunding Bonds in May 2026 to refund all or a portion of the outstanding Series 2015 Bonds. The firms recommended for the Series 2026 Refunding Bonds, based on a combination of the above considerations, are as follows: • Senior Manager: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC • Co -Managers: Jefferies LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. 150 of 1677 A list of the underwriters' recent transactions with the City and the resulting total participation in the City's fond financings based on this recommendation are provided as an attachment. The City and its Financial Advisor will work with the underwriters to provide information on how City taxpayers and residents can purchase the Series 2026 Refunding Bonds through the new issue order period. The resolution for the issuance of the Series 2026 Refunding Bonds will delegate to the City Manager, relying upon the recommendation of the Chief Financial Officer and the City's Financial Advisor, the determination of various terms of the Series 2026 Refunding Bonds, including the payment of all related costs and expenses in connection with the issuance of the Series 2026 Refunding Bonds and all other actions necessary or desirable in connection with the issuance of the Series 2026 Refunding Bonds. FISCAL IMPACT STATEMENT Does this Ordinance require a Business Impact Estimate? (FOR ORDINANCES ONLY) If applicable, the Business Impact Estimate (BIE) was published on: See BIE at: https://www.miamibeachfi.gov/city-hall/city-clerkimeeting-notices) FINANCIAL INFORMATION CONCLUSION The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission approve the City Manager's recommendation of underwriters for the Series 2026 Refunding Bonds. Applicable Area Citywide Is this a "Residents Right to Know" item. Is this item related to a G.O. Bond pursuant to City Code Section 2-117? Project? a`O No Was this Agenda Item initially requested by a lobbyist which, as defined in Code Sec. 2-481, includes a principal engaged in lobbying? No If so, specify the name of lobbyist(s) and principal(s): Department Finance Sponsor(s) 151 of 1677 Co-sponsor(s) Condensed Title Approve Selection of Underwriting Services, Resort Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2026. FN Previous Action (For City Clerk Use Only) 152 of 1677 pfm January 26, 2026 Memorandum To: City of Miami Beach, Florida From: PFM Financial Advisors LLC RE: Resort Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2026 — Plan of Finance PFM Financial Advisors LLC ("PFM"), serving in our capacity as financial advisor to the City of Miami Beach, Florida (the "City"), has worked with the Administration to develop a plan of finance for the issuance of Resort Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds, Series 2026 (the"Series 2026 Bonds"). The purpose of this memorandum is to describe the plan of finance and provide the findings that result in a recommendation to move forward with the proposed financing structure and method of sale. Purpose & Structure Series 2026 Bonds will be issued to provide for a refunding of the Resort Tax Revenue Bonds, Series 2015 (the "Series 2015 Bonds") for debt service savings. The Series 2015 Bonds are currently callable. The Series 2026 Bonds will be issued with a final maturity no longer than the bonds being refinanced, which is September 1, 2045. Closing is anticipated to occur as early as June 2026. Principal will be paid on an annual basis beginning September 1, 2026, with interest paid semi- annually every March and September, commencing September 1, 2026. Security & Ratincs The Series 2015 Bonds are the only outstanding obligations of the City that are secured by a pledge of and lien upon the resort tax revenues. The resort tax revenues are the proceeds of a municipal tax imposed, levied, and collected on the rent of every occupancy of a room in any hotel, motel, rooming house or apartment house in the City, and the total sales price of all food, beverages, alcoholic beverages, and wine sold at retail of any restaurant in the City. The Series 2015A Bonds currently have ratings assigned by two of the three major rating agencies: Aa3 by Moody's and AA- by S&P. We anticipate that the Series 2026 Bonds will maintain the same ratings. Method of Sale In the municipal bond market, some issuers have strong preferences for either a negotiated or competitive sale approach, and oftentimes issuers achieve very successful results from either alternative. Ultimately, the decision in favor of either method may be influenced by a combination of broader policy and financial objectives, issuer -specific characteristics, and market conditions. There are numerous considerations in establishing a method of sale for any bond issue. Factors supporting one sale methodology versus another are summarized in the table provided as Exhibit A. The items listed in the table should be viewed as indicators of the most effective approach given a set of circumstances. Issuers may find characteristics for a specific set of 153 of 1677 1 of 4 circumstances that fall in both columns. Florida State Statutes' indicate that revenue bonds shall be sold by competitive sale, absent findings for reasons for a negotiated sale. In our view a negotiated sale for the Series 2026 Bonds is the appropriate method of sale for the following reasons: • Infrequency to Market and Market Awareness — It has been nearty a decade since the City has issued resort tax -backed debt, which is more nuanced compared to traditional revenue -backed bond offerings (e.g., sales tax bonds). A team of underwriters can serve to pre -market investors about the unique security structure and promote the transaction to generate interest in the offering. • Credit Quality and Pledged Revenues — While the Series 2026 Bonds are anticipated to maintain strong Aa3/AA- ratings, the underlying revenue stream might be viewed as cyclical. Resort taxes can be sensitive to tourism levels, which are heavily influenced by travel trends, economic conditions, and natural disasters like tropical storms and hurricanes. As such, the bonds may benefit from greater pre -marketing activity to proactively speak to investors about the strength and resiliency of the City's tourism and market the credit more widely to potential investors. • Investors — Using a negotiated sales approach would allow local and Florida -based retail investors to purchase the bonds during the primary offering, which would be consistent with the City of Miami Beach's prior practices for publicly offered debt. Underwriter Selection The City has a pool of underwriters and, at its sole discretion, may select one or more firms to serve as senior manager or co -manager from the underwriting pool for each of its bond financings. The process to select firms to serve as a senior or co -manager for a particular issue involves a review of work previously assigned to the various firms during the tens of the pool, experience in and commitment to Florida municipal finance, the capability of a firm to senior manage large and/or complex credit structures, the size of the bond issue to be sold, and the various markets that the firm has access to for marketing and distribution. Utilizing a rotating underwriter pool can also promote fairness and competition among firms. The firms listed below are recommended for the Series 2026 Bonds: • Senior Manager: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC • Co -Managers: Jefferies LLC: Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. Provided in Exhibit B is a summary of the underwriting history among the firms in the City's underwriter pool since 2015. Conclusion PFM recommends that the City proceed with the Series 2026 Bonds to refund the Series 2015 Bonds for debt service savings. At present time, the fact pattern surrounding the issuance of the Series 2026 Bonds are such that a negotiated sale is warranted. This recommendation is based on the considerations described above. Please feel free to contact us should you have any questions or comments regarding the recommendations outlined in this memorandum. 'SS 218 385 154 of 1677 2 of Exhibit A Attributes Competitive Sale Negotiated Sale kw Type of Organization Broad -based, general-purpose government Special-purpose enterprise, independent authority Frequency of Issuance Regular borrower in public market New or infrequent issuer of debt MarketAwareness Active secondary market with wide investor base Little or no institutional base, but growing dealer interest Croft Qualft Rating 'AA' or better 'A- category or lower Pledged Revenues General taxes to o'ect supported revenues Security Structure Conventional resolution and cash flow; rate covenant and coverage Unusual or weak covenants: subordinated debt Trend Stable Declining or under stress Market Conditions Interest Rates Stable, predictable market Volatile or declining market Demand Strong investor demand, good liquidity, light forward calendar Oversold market, heavy supply; coupon, structure or maturity requirements not favored in current market Dom sbucmrs Tax Status Tax-exempt, no concerns Taxable Debt Instrument Traditional serial and term. full- coupon bontls Aggressive use of innovative bond structuring, derivative products, swaps, or variable-nde debt instruments Use of Underwrders Broad market participation Ability to select "best qualified banker and direct business to local or regional firms Investors Process blind to ultimate investors Sale can be managed to achieve wide distribution or targeted allotments; can give priority to retail/ local investors Pre -Marketing Limited need for pre -marketing Speck pre -sale activity to educate investors Flexibildy in Timing Less flexibility necessary Greater flexibility in timing Fine Timing Structure Limited options given to ladders Unlimited ability to fine-tune Cant Gross Spread Reflected in winning (lowest TIC) bid. Generally dependent on supply and demand. Spreads are negotiated within a range of comparable transactions and issuer standards. Interest Rate Highest market price for commodity offered on day of sale Best match of product with specific investor demand Preparodon Resolution1stuctu , CredittSecurily features fairly standard, allowing Issuer o determine preference for managing Professional banking support and more direct marketing input in balancing security for investor vs. flexibility for issuer Disclosure Issuer relies on own program disclosure Underwriterscounsel assists in the preparation of official statement 3 of 155 of 1677 « « � ■ £ : } ® ! §! ®! § §§ • § !;! . . .� m