Matters ▸ Attachment
11.17.16 Mayor's GLX BOA presentation — File 202364
Delivering on SomerVision:
GLX
Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone
November 17, 2016
Agenda
1. Why we’re here
2. What’s in front of you
3. How GLX affects our financial outlook
4. Timeline & next steps
2
1. Why we’re here
3
Delivering on SomerVision:
3 key commitments
GLX
Zoning
Infrastructure
4
We’ve been fighting for the GLX for
decades
5
GLX
Fiscal sustainability
• Grows tax base: additional $261
million in property tax revenue over
30 years (updated)
• Shifts tax burden to commercial
sector
Social equity
• Expands rapid transit access to 85% of
Somerville
• Creates jobs & improves access to
employment opportunities
• Creates affordable housing
• Reduces residential share of tax burden
Public health and safety
• Environmental justice: reduces daily
vehicle miles traveled by over
25,000 reduces air pollutants
caused by vehicle emissions
• Mitigates flood hazard
Environmental sustainability
• Reduces daily vehicle miles traveled
by over 25,000 reduces GHG
emissions
• Reduces climate change vulnerability
6
Project funding gap
• In 2015, MassDOT discovered that the cost of the GLX had
grown to almost $3 billion.
• After value engineering, the estimated project cost was
reduced to $2.3 billion.
• The state, however, had only secured funding in the amount
of $2.15 billion.
• The state made clear that it could not continue the project
without municipal contributions.
• In May, the City submitted a letter to MassDOT committing to
seek approval from the Board of Aldermen to provide $50
million to help cover the project funding gap.
7
2. What’s in front of you
8
Six items
a. Project Participation Agreement
b. Home Rule petition
c. Appropriation language
d. Side letter agreements (3)
9
a. Project Participation Agreement
(PPA)
• Establishes
– Terms for the City to contribute $50 million to
help fill the project funding gap for the GLX
– Scenarios under which the City will be reimbursed
for some or all of its contribution
• Subject to approval by the BOA
• Executed by Mayor Curtatone, MassDOT
Secretary Pollack, and MBTA Acting General
Manager Shortsleeve
10
a. PPA: the Trust
• MassDOT will create the Green Line Extension
Project Somerville Participation Expendable Trust
(the “Trust”) to hold funds contributed by the City
• The Trust will ensure our contribution is only spent
on the GLX project
11
a. PPA: payment schedule
• Assuming construction starts by March 1,
2018, the City will pay 5 equal installments of
$10m:
– March 1, 2018
– November 1, 2019
– November 1, 2020
– November 1, 2021
– November 1, 2022
12
a. PPA: delayed project payment
schedule
• If the start of construction occurs between
March 1, 2018 and June 30, 2018: the City’s
first contribution is due 30 days after the start
of construction, and each annual payment is
due one year thereafter
• If the start of construction occurs after June
30, 2018, the City’s first contribution is due
November 1, 2018, and each annual payment
is due one year thereafter
13
a. PPA: alternative funding mechanism
• If the state does not approve enabling
legislation by December 31, 2017:
– The state will borrow $50 million
– The City will repay the state’s principal and
interest costs through 30 annual payments of
$3,069,000, to be paid on March 1 of each year
beginning in 2018
14
a. PPA: consequence of failure to pay
• If the City fails to make a scheduled payment
within 90 days of the due date:
– The State will reduce the City’s Local Aid by no
more than $3 million per year per missed
payment until the contribution is satisfied
– Excludes Chapter 70 funding for schools
15
a. PPA: reimbursement scenario 1
• If the total project cost is less than $2.3
billion at project closeout
– Any savings flow to Somerville and Cambridge up
to their respective contribution amounts
– 2/3 of the savings flow to Somerville and 1/3 to
Cambridge
16
a. PPA: reimbursement scenario 2
• If the project is canceled before construction
starts OR construction starts (triggering the
City’s obligation to pay) but the MBTA does
not begin service on the line within 10 years
of the start of construction:
– All City contributions will be reimbursed within 6
months
17
b. Home Rule petition
• Would enable the City to borrow to contribute
to the GLX project
– Under state law, municipalities are not allowed to
borrow to contribute to state projects
• Would afford the City more favorable
borrowing terms
• Subject to approval by the BOA, the State
Legislature, and the Governor
18
b. Home Rule petition:
favorable borrowing terms
• Purpose: to better align debt payments with
expected increased revenue generated from
development associated with the project
• Allows the City the flexibility to borrow short
term for up to 10 years & long term for 30
years
– Standard borrowing terms allow the City to
borrow short term for only 2 years. The City is
then required to pay principal for the length of the
borrowing term.
19
c. Appropriation language
• Authorizes the City to borrow and appropriate
$50 million to the GLX project
– Subject to state approval of enabling legislation
• Subject to approval by 2/3 vote of the BOA
20
d. Side letter agreements: scope
• Establishes the essential terms of an Amended
and Restated MOU to be executed by the City,
MassDOT, and MBTA regarding the GLX
– Allows us to update two previous agreements dated
April 10, 2015 and July 26, 2012
– MBTA agrees to reimburse the City for completing
certain traffic and pedestrian improvements
– City agrees to grant easements on certain City‐owned
property and to road closures to facilitate
construction
• Parties aim to complete MOU by December 23,
2016
21
d. Side letter agreements: policy
• Conveys MassDOT Secretary Pollack’s:
– Support of enabling legislation
– Continued support of statewide policy regarding
municipal contributions to state infrastructure
projects
22
d. Side letter agreements: Drainage
Interconnection Agreement letter
• Establishes the essential terms of an
agreement allowing Somerville to connect to
stormwater drainage facilities constructed as
part of the GLX
• Parties aim to formalize Interconnection
Agreement by March 1, 2017
23
d. Side letter agreements: Drainage
Interconnection Agreement letter
• The benefits of this agreement
cannot be understated.
• MWRA currently allows the
City to send stormwater flows
to Deer Island, but this is not a
safe or sustainable solution.
We need a viable outfall for
separated storm drainage.
• The GLX drainage system
creates an exceptional
opportunity to address this
need.
• Alternatives would be
exponentially more expensive
and disruptive.
24
d. Side letter agreements: Drainage
Interconnection Agreement letter
The bottom line: our
legacy flooding issues will
not be solved unless we
find a viable outfall for our
stormwater. The
Interconnection
Agreement provides an
extraordinary opportunity
to address this need.
25
3. How GLX affects our
financial outlook
26
Capital & infrastructure project
categorization
27
Recurring
Underway
Critical
Unscheduled
Streets & sidewalks
Somerville High
School**
GLX
Other major building
projects
ADA ramps, sidewalks,
& signals
West Branch Library
USQ utility*
and streetscape
Major field & park
improvements
Building improvements
(including ADA)
Winter Hill schoolyard
& field
New public
safety building
Other major
infrastructure
projects* (Winter Hill,
Davis Square, etc.)
Benches & barrels
Building Assessment II
E3 relocation
Redbridge connection*
(Interconnection
Agreement)
Vehicle replacement
Nunziato stormwater*
and field
Boynton
infrastructure*
Street trees
Water & sewer
improvements*
*All or a portion of these projects will be paid for through the Water & Sewer
Enterprise Funds; **Debt exclusion
Long‐range forecast scenarios
Scenario
Description
Recurring
Investments
Underway
Projects
GLX & Other
Critical
Investments
USQ DIF
Borrowing
Developer
Contributions
(Estimated)
1a
With GLX & no
mitigation
Yes
Yes
All
No
No
1b
GLX & USQ DIF
Yes
Yes
All
Yes
No
1c
GLX & USQ DIF
+ developer
contributions
Yes
Yes
All
Yes
Yes
2
Without GLX
Yes
Yes
USQ utility
only
No
No
28
Financial model key assumptions
• Revenue projections assume:
– Flat valuation increase based on 20‐year average (3%
per year)
+ Additional 1% valuation increase in GLX walksheds
– Known anticipated development
– Going to the levy limit every year
• Cost projections assume:
– For the GLX, borrowing short term for 5 years and
long term for 30 years
– 5% interest rate for all long‐term borrowing
29
$100,000,000
$120,000,000
$140,000,000
$160,000,000
$180,000,000
$200,000,000
$220,000,000
$240,000,000
$260,000,000
$280,000,000
FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27
With GLX
Without GLX
Projected annual property tax revenue
30
Source: City of Somerville Assessor’s Office analysis
GLX contributes $140
million in cumulative
property tax revenue
potential over 10 years
Projected annual new growth
31
Source: City of Somerville Assessor’s Office analysis
$24M additional new growth over 10 years with GLX
$0
$2,000,000
$4,000,000
$6,000,000
$8,000,000
$10,000,000
$12,000,000
FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27
With GLX
Without GLX
Commercial property tax share
32
$78M additional commercial property tax over 10 years with GLX
Source: City of Somerville Assessor’s Office analysis
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
FY17
FY18
FY19
FY20
FY21
FY22
FY23
FY24
FY25
FY26
FY27
With GLX
Without GLX
Annual operating budget
surplus or deficit
33
Source: City of Somerville Finance Office analysis
‐$10,000,000
‐$5,000,000
$0
$5,000,000
$10,000,000
$15,000,000
$20,000,000
$25,000,000
$30,000,000
$35,000,000
FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 FY20 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27
With GLX
Without GLX
Cumulative operating budget surplus
FY17‐FY27
34
$(17,173,395.51)
$134,449,620
‐$50,000,000
$0
$50,000,000
$100,000,000
$150,000,000
Without GLX
With GLX, no mitigation
Source: City of Somerville Finance Office analysis
Mitigation opportunities
• Several critical items are not reflected in these
numbers but could dramatically improve our
financial outlook
– A USQ DIF
– Developer contributions
– Sale of USQ assets
– Additional grants, including MassWorks
– Public‐private partnerships
35
Cumulative operating budget surplus
FY17‐FY27
36
‐$17,173,396
$134,449,620
$139,788,769
$153,060,769
‐$50,000,000
$0
$50,000,000
$100,000,000
$150,000,000
$200,000,000
Without GLX
With GLX & no
mitigation
With GLX & DIF With GLX & DIF +
developer
contributions
Source: City of Somerville Finance Office analysis
Bottom line projections
• While the City will take on more debt with GLX
and other critical projects, these investments
will pay off:
– Pie expands by $140 million over 10 years ($261
million over 30 years according to a study
commissioned by MAPC)
– Generate $134 million in cumulative budget
surplus over 10 years with no mitigation
37
Financial return on GLX
• This budget surplus GLX gives us greater
capacity to:
– Invest in other identified community needs and
priorities
– Slow the growth in taxes
– Mitigate SHS debt service
38
What this means for taxes
• Bonding $50 million for the GLX will not in itself increase
taxes
• This may seem counterintuitive, but it comes down to
the fact that we have to pay for the GLX within our
budget and the taxes that support it
• Our ability to increase our budget is limited by Prop 2 ½
plus new growth
• We have to think about how the GLX fits within our
budget, rather than how the GLX increases our budget.
• This requires making prudent financial decisions and
tradeoffs in the short term which will yield long‐term
payoffs.
39
What this means for taxpayers
• In response to requests
for information on the
cost of the GLX for
taxpayers:
– With interest, the GLX will
cost the City $103 million
over 35 years
– This translates to $5 of the
tax bill for an average two‐
family household in FY19,
$34 in FY23, and $141 in
FY27
– Analysis is based on
conservative assumptions
and does not reflect
mitigating factors such as
developer contributions
40
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
2027
Fiscal Year
Share of Tax Bill Devoted to GLX
Debt Service, Average Two‐
Family with No Mitigation
Source: City of Somerville Finance Office analysis
Remember…
• Our interest rates will likely be lower. We’re
currently borrowing at just over 3%.
– If we borrow at 4%, the total cost of the GLX will
be $92 million rather than $103 million.
• We are aiming to capture half of our GLX
contribution from developers.
41
Nest egg growth
42
Source: RKG, Green Line Assessment Study, 2016, Figure 1‐1.
New CIP framework
• All of the scenarios we discussed above assumed
continued investment in our recurring and
underway capital and infrastructure projects.
• For the unscheduled projects – which are
identified community needs and priorities – the
City will determine on an annual basis which to
pursue based on excess budget capacity and
appropriate timing.
• We will establish a CIP Advisory Committee to
provide citywide input on our annual capital &
infrastructure investments.
43
GLX updated timeline
Date
Action
September 2016
MassDOT Board/FMCB approves initiation of procurement process;
Cambridge City Council votes to approve local financing
October 2016
Phase 1 of MassDOT procurement process (LOI) begins;
MassDOT hiring project team
November 2016
Administration submits bond authorization request (with full
presentation); BOA deliberation
December 2016
BOA deliberation and vote (by 12/8)
MassDOT initiates phase 2 of procurement process (RFQ)
Spring 2017
MassDOT initiates phase 3 of procurement process (RFP)
Late 2017 –
early 2018
MassDOT selects construction team
Spring 2018
MassDOT issues Notice to Proceed (NTP); construction begins
2022
All stations complete
44
Next steps
11/17/16 update
• GLX
– Administration submits RKG GLX report to BOA
(10/27/16). Complete
– Administration presents on GLX & submits Project
Participation Agreement, bond authorization,
home rule petition, and side letter agreements to
BOA (11/10/16). Complete
– Administration presents on GLX (11/17/16)
– BOA votes on GLX bond authorization and home
rule petition (MassDOT requiring this vote by
12/8/16)
45
Next steps, cont’d
• Zoning
– USQ
• Administration presents on USQ zoning; public hearing (10/18/16)
Complete
• BOA deliberation on USQ zoning
– Overhaul
• Administration releases public review draft of zoning overhaul
(dependent on USQ zoning schedule)
• Administration submits zoning overhaul to BOA (dependent on USQ
zoning schedule)
• DIF
– Administration submits request for DIF consultant (10/27/16).
Complete; request in Finance
– Administration submits DIF materials to BOA, presents on DIF,
and holds public hearing (early 2017)
– BOA deliberation on USQ DIF
46
Next steps, cont’d
• Infrastructure
– Administration presents on USQ utility work & submits
bond authorization request (early 2017)
– BOA deliberation on USQ utility bond authorization
request
• SHS
– MSBA Board votes on SHS (2/15/17)
– Administration submits bond authorization request
(2/23/17)
– BOA deliberation on SHS bond authorization request
• Capital Investment Plan
– Administration submits complete list of underway,
recurring, critical, and unscheduled projects (November
2016)
– Form CIP Advisory Committee (early 2017)
47
What we covered tonight
1. Why we’re here
2. What’s in front of you
3. How GLX affects our financial outlook
4. Timeline & next steps
48
Delivering on SomerVision:
3 key commitments
GLX
Zoning
Infrastructure
49
Ideal timeline
50
Calendar Year
2016
2017
2018
2019
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar Q2 Q3 Q4
Q1
Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3
Q4
GLX
RKG study
submission
PPA, appropriation language, and
home rule petition request & BOA
deliberation
1st annual
payment
2nd annual
payment
MassDOT procurement process
Construction (through 2022)
USQ infrastructure
(phase 1)
Bond authorization request &
BOA deliberation
Bid; construction (through 2019)
DIF
Consultant request & BOA
deliberation
Analysis & application
DIF request;
public hearing;
BOA deliberation;
MOBD review
USQ zoning
Public hearing
BOA deliberation
Zoning overhaul
Dependent on USQ zoning schedule
SHS
Ballot vote
MSBA Board vote; bond
authorization request;
BOA deliberation
Construction (through 2022)
CIP
Capital &
infrastructure
project list
submission
CIP Advisory
Committee
formation