Authorize revenue bonds in an amount sufficient to provide not more than $41 million to finance City fleet maintenance facility improvements and related costs
The City of Portland ordains.
Section 1. The Council finds:
- The City is authorized to issue revenue bonds for a public purpose under ORS 287A.150 and related statutes (the Act). Revenue bonds issued under the Act may be payable from all or any portion of the revenue of the City, as defined in ORS 287A.001(17). ORS 287A.001(17) defines revenue to mean all fees, tolls, excise taxes, assessments, property taxes and other taxes, rates, charges, rentals and other income or receipts derived by a public body or to which a public body is entitled. The City is also authorized to issue revenue bonds to refund revenue bonds pursuant to ORS 287A.360 to 287A.375.
- The City may authorize revenue bonds under the Act by nonemergency ordinance. The City may not sell the revenue bonds under the Act until the period for referral of the nonemergency ordinance authorizing the revenue bonds has expired. If a nonemergency ordinance authorizing the revenue bonds is referred, the City may not sell the revenue bonds unless the voters approve the revenue bonds.
- The City has identified a need to finance City fleet maintenance facility improvements, including but not limited to a maintenance garage, office, parts area, electric vehicle charging stations and other related costs (the Projects) and has determined that there is a need for revenue bonds in an amount sufficient to provide not more than $41 million to finance the Projects plus additional amounts sufficient to pay costs related to the bonds, and that the Projects serve a public purpose.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:
- Revenue Bonds Authorized. The City hereby authorizes the issuance of revenue bonds pursuant to the Act in an amount sufficient to provide not more than $41 million for costs related to the Projects, plus additional amounts sufficient to pay capitalized interest, accrued interest on any interim financing and estimated costs related to the revenue bonds authorized by this Section 1.a. The principal amount of revenue bonds to be sold pursuant to this Section 1.a is estimated not to exceed $43.9 million.
- Refunding Bonds Authorized. If all or any portion of the revenue bonds authorized by Section 1.a are issued to provide interim financing for the Projects, the City may issue revenue bonds to refund those interim financing bonds and pay associated costs pursuant to ORS 287A.360 to 287A.375. The revenue bonds that are authorized by this Section 1.b may be issued in amounts that are sufficient to refund any interim financing that is obtained under Section 1.a, plus additional amounts sufficient to pay the estimated costs related to issuing the refunding bonds authorized by this Section 1.b.
- Security and Use of Bond Proceeds. The revenue bonds authorized by Sections 1.a and 1.b of this Ordinance (the Bonds) shall be secured by the full faith and credit and available general funds of the City. Proceeds of the Bonds may be spent only to pay costs related to the Projects and costs related to issuing, paying and refunding the Bonds.
- No Additional Taxes Authorized. No Bonds shall be general obligations of the City and neither the authorization nor the issuance of any Bonds shall authorize the City to levy any additional taxes.
- Procedure. No Bonds may be sold and no purchase agreement for any Bonds may be executed until the period of referral of this nonemergency ordinance has expired and this ordinance takes effect. If this ordinance is referred, the City may not sell the Bonds unless the voters approve this ordinance.
- Delegation. After this ordinance takes effect the City Administrator, Chief Financial Officer, City Treasurer, Debt Manager, or the person designated by the City Administrator to act as an Authorized Officer under this ordinance (any of whom is referred to in this ordinance as an "Authorized Officer") may, on behalf of the City and without further action by the Council:
- Issue the Bonds in one or more series, which may be sold at different times and in combination with other series of revenue bonds authorized by the Council.
- Issue one or more series of the Bonds to provide interim financing for the Projects, enter into lines of credit or similar documents which permit the City to draw Bond proceeds over time, and issue short-term or long-term Bonds to refund the Bonds that provide interim financing for the Projects.
- Issue one or more series of the Bonds to provide long-term financing for the Projects.
- Participate in the preparation of, authorize the distribution of, and deem final preliminary and final official statements or other disclosure documents for each series of the Bonds.
- Subject to the limits in this ordinance, establish the final principal amounts, maturity schedules, interest rates, sale prices, redemption terms, payment terms and dates, record dates and other terms for each series of the Bonds, and either publish a notice of sale, receive bids and award the sale of each series to the bidder complying with the notice and offering the most favorable terms to the City, or select one or more underwriters or lenders and negotiate the sale of any series with those underwriters or lenders, and execute and deliver bond purchase agreements with those underwriters or lenders in connection with such sales.
- Undertake to provide continuing disclosure for any series of the Bonds in accordance with Rule 15c2-12 of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Finalize the terms of, execute, and deliver bond declarations or other documents that describe the terms of each series of the Bonds. The bond declarations or other documents may also contain covenants for the benefit of the owners and any credit enhancement providers.
- Appoint and enter into agreements with service providers for the Bonds.
- Issue any qualifying series of Bonds as "tax-exempt bonds" bearing interest that is excludable from gross income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (the Code) and enter into covenants for the benefit of the owners of those series to maintain the excludability of interest on those series from gross income under the Code.
- Issue any qualifying series of Bonds as "tax credit bonds," "federal subsidy bonds" or other obligations that are eligible for federal tax credits, federal interest rate subsidies or other federal benefits, and enter into any covenants and take any actions that are required to qualify for those federal benefits.
- Issue any series of Bonds as "taxable bonds" bearing interest that is includable in gross income under the Code.
- Apply for and purchase municipal bond insurance or obtain other forms of credit enhancement for any series of Bonds, enter into agreements with the providers of credit enhancement, and execute and deliver related documents.
- Execute any documents and take any other action in connection with the Bonds that the Authorized Officer finds will be advantageous to the City.
Official Record (Efiles)
An ordinance when passed by the Council shall be signed by the Auditor. It shall be carefully filed and preserved
in the custody of the Auditor (City Charter Chapter 2 Article 1 Section 2-122)
Passed by Council
Auditor of the City of Portland
Simone Rede
Impact Statement
Purpose of Proposed Legislation and Background Information
The proposed legislation authorizes the City to issue revenue bonds in an amount up to $41 million for costs related to improvements to the City's fleet maintenance facility, plus an additional amount of $1.9 million for estimated financing and issuance costs (the Bonds).
Improvements to be funded with proceeds of the Bonds include, but are not limited to, a maintenance garage, office, parts area, electric vehicle charging stations and other related costs (the Projects). The total Project cost is currently estimated at $57 million with the funding plan that includes approximately $14.6 million of Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) grant funds, roughly $2 million of Fleet Division cash resources, and the Bonds. The Bonds currently are planned to be issued in Spring 2026. The proposed financing is being done in conformance with debt limitations established in the City's Debt Management Policy (FIN 2.12).
The ordinance delegates to the Authorized Officer (as defined in the ordinance) certain tasks necessary to issue the Bonds including selecting underwriters; establishing the final principal amounts, maturity schedules, payment terms and dates, and other terms related to the sale of the Bonds, as well as appointing and entering into agreements with service providers for the Bonds; and executing documents on behalf of the City.
If the Ordinance is approved by Council after the second reading, a 30-day referral period begins. No Bonds may be sold and no purchase agreement for any Bonds may be executed until the referral period has expired and the Ordinance takes effect. If the Ordinance is referred, no Bonds may be sold unless voters approved the Ordinance.
Financial and Budgetary Impacts
Annual debt service, which is projected to begin in FY 2026-27, is estimated to be approximately $3.3 million per year based on current financial planning assumptions, including an interest rate of five percent, a 20-year amortization schedule, and the aforementioned PCEF and Fleet cash contributions. Actual annual debt service requirements will depend on market conditions and interest rates at the time the Bonds are issued.
With the issuance of the Bonds, the Cutter Garage will have approximately $7 million of ongoing costs, including debt service and operating/maintenance costs. Costs will be allocated through rates included in interagency agreements, which are paid by bureaus based on their expected use of Project amenities. Portland Police Bureau, Portland Parks and Recreation, and the Portland Water Bureau will account for roughly 50 percent of ongoing payments in aggregate. The Portland Bureau of Transportation will pay about 40 percent of total ongoing debt service and operating costs, however a portion of these costs relate to the Bureau of Environmental Services and are covered under a cooperative work agreement between those bureaus. The remainder will be spread across most of the City's remaining bureaus that utilize City fleet operations.
Economic and Real Estate Development Impacts
Not applicable.
Community Impacts and Community Involvement
This is an administrative action taken to authorize the issuance of the Bonds, the proceeds of which will be used to finance the Projects. There is no community impact or involvement anticipated.
100% Renewable Goal
The Projects funded by the Bonds will allow the City to make meaningful progress on the goals outlined in City Council Resolution 37289, which established the City's 100% Renewable Goal, via increased electrification of the City's fleet and movement off an energy-intensive industrial operation to a facility that has been designed with energy efficiency in mind.
City Fleet has the largest municipal fleet in the state and has designed a "path to net zero" that will reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2050. To support this goal, City Fleet must have a primary maintenance garage that can handle the electrical needs of the City's fleet operation from both an electrical capacity and power quality standpoint. City Fleet's existing facility (Kerby Garage) is unable to support this electrification transition given its outdated and obsolete electrical system and due to its irremediable small size and inefficient physical layout.
Investment in other building systems related to energy efficiency, such as windows, doors, and the mechanical system, are also not warranted at the Kerby Garage as the 1922 facility is generally unsuitable for modern fleet maintenance needs. The Cutter Garage, to which CityFleet will move when it vacates Kerby, is being designed to a LEED Silver rating, will meet Energy Trust Efficiency Guidelines, and with Construction Waste Prevention measures are also being employed will be eligible for Salmon-Safe and Oregon DEQ EcoBiz Certification.
Economic and Real Estate Development Analysis
Analysis provided by Prosper Portland
An Economic and Real Estate Development Impact Analysis was not submitted for this proposed action. Pursuant to City Council Resolution 37664, Prosper Portland staff has reviewed the action and agree that it does not require an Economic and Real Estate Development Impact Analysis.
Financial and Budget Analysis
Analysis provided by City Budget Office
The ordinance authorizes up to $43.9 million in revenue bonds to finance improvements to the City's fleet maintenance facility. Annual debt service is estimated at approximately $3.3 million beginning in FY 2026-27, based on a 20-year repayment at a 5% interest rate. Actual annual debt service requirements will depend on market conditions and interest rates at the time the Bonds are issued. Debt service and operating costs (about $7 million total annually) will be recovered through internal service rates charged to City bureaus based on their expected use of project amenities, with no new tax levies.
Document History
Document number: 2025-404
President's referral: Finance Committee