HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolutions - 2013.10.02 - 21043REPORT (MISC #13254) October 2, 2013
BY: Human Reso.urces Committee, John Scott, Chairperson
IN RE: RESOLUTION APPROVING THE 2013 SUPERSEDING OAKLAND COUNTY RETIREE
MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE TRUSTEES
DESCRIBED THEREIN, ESTABLISHING THE 2013 SUPERSEDING OAKLAND COUNTY
RETIREMENT MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
To the Finance Committee and Oakland County Board of Commissioners
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
The Human Resources Committee, having reviewed the above referenced resolution on
September 25, 2013, reports with the recommendation the resolution be adopted_
Chairperson, on behalf of the Human Resources Committee, I move the acceptance of the
foregoing report
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE
HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with idliteW6tt absent,
MISCELLANEOUS RESOLUTION #13254 October 2, 2013
BY: FINANCE COMMITTEE - Thomas Middleton, Chairperson
IN RE: RESOLUTION APPROVING THE 2013 SUPERSEDING OAKLAND COUNTY RETIREE
MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE TRUSTEES
DESCRIBED THEREIN, ESTABLISHING THE 2013 SUPERSEDING OAKLAND COUNTY RETIREE
MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST
TO THE OAKLAND COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen:
WHEREAS, the Oakland County VEBA (the "VEBA Trust") is a trust established by the Oakland
County VEBA Trust Agreement effective as of October 1, 2000 between the County and the Trustees
described therein (or their successors, the "VEBA Trustees"), as amended, for the purposes of (i)
accumulating the funds needed to pay for Retiree Medical Benefits and (ii) receiving contributions for that
purpose from the County; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to an enabling ordinance enacted by the Oakland County Board of
Commissioners on June 14, 2007 (the "Funding Ordinance") authorizing an alternate funding mechanism
for the County to amortize its estimated unfunded accrued actuarial liabilities for Retiree Medical Benefits
for certain retirees and certain active employees of the County, and their eligible dependents, as of
October 1, 2006 (the "Designated Liabilities') over a period ending April 1, 2027 (the "Funding Period");
and
WHEREAS, the County established an intermediate trust (the "Intermediate Trust") to irrevocably
receive a certain amount of the net proceeds (the "Funding Proceeds') from the sale by the 2007 Oakland
County Retiree Medical Benefits Funding Trust (the "Funding Trust") of its Taxable Certificates of
Participation, Series 2007 (the "Certificates") and to hold, invest and distribute to the Intermediate Trust
(defined below) assets, all in accordance with such trust agreement, as it may be amended in accordance
with its terms; and
WHEREAS, the County has authorized and entered into the 2007 Oakland County Retiree
Medical Benefits Contract (the "Contract") with the Funding Trust to assist it in exercising its essential
governmental function of providing post-retirement health benefits for its eligible employees, their
spouses and eligible dependents and in satisfying its contractual obligations to provide Retiree Medical
Benefits by issuing and selling the Certificates and the County has made Contract Payments to the
Funding Trust pursuant to the Contract in order to satisfy its obligations to the Funding Trust; and
WHEREAS, the Funding Trust provides:
In the event that any health care benefits plan, program or arrangement becomes
effective during the period that any Certificates are outstanding with the effect of
supplanting and superseding the County's obligations to pay for all of the costs of
providing retiree medical benefits (the Optional Prepayment Trigger), the Intermediate
Trust will have fulfilled its designated purpose, and then (I) all, or the applicable portion
(as the case may be), of the then existing assets of the Intermediate Trust, to the extent
no longer needed to pay future costs of providing County retiree medical benefits, shall
be deemed Surplus Intermediate Trust Assets, and (ii) if the County, at its option and in
its sole discretion, gives written notice to the Trustee, with a copy to the Trustees of the
Intermediate Trust, of the County's irrevocable election to optionally redeem all or a
portion (to the extent of the available Surplus Intermediate Trust Assets) of the then
outstanding principal amount of the Certificates through an Optional Prepayment as
defined in the Contract, then the Intermediate Trust shall (A) transfer all or a portion (as
the case may be) of the available Surplus Intermediate Trust Assets to the Trustee as
such optional prepayment for and on behalf of the County and (B) promptly give written
notice thereof to the County.
WHEREAS, effective October 9, 2012, the Michigan legislature enacted an amendment to Public
Act No. 34 of the Public Acts of Michigan of 2001, as amended ("Act 34") into law. Said Act, as amended,
FINANCE COMMITTEE VOTE:
Motion carried unanimously on a roll call vote with Crawford absent.
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provided the County the power to take various actions in connection with refunding of the County's
existing contractual obligations under the Contract including establishing a new grantor trust to implement
the covering of the County's retirees health care liability which was the first step in permitting the County
to put in effect a new health care benefits "plan, program or arrangement" (the "Superseding Plan") which
will have the effect of supplanting and superseding the County's obligations under the Contract; and
WHEREAS, the County Board of Commissioners has adopted a resolution authorizing the County
to issue refunding bonds (the "Refunding Bonds") for the purpose of refunding, as used in Public Act No.
329 of the Public Acts of Michigan of 2012, the existing obligations under the Contract which the County
either has, or shortly will, issue which either is or will be the second step in implementing the Superseding
Plan; and
WHEREAS, the County, as permitted by Act 34, wishes to create a new grantor trust which will
thereafter enter into a new contract (the "Superseding Contract") with the County under which
Superseding Contract, the County will be obligated to the new grantor trust to do the following:
A. Pay to the new grantor trust on April 1, 2014, an amount based on the
September 30, 2013 actuarial report received by the County from its actuary so that,
based on the actuarial assumptions contained therein, as of April 1, 2014 the
VEBA Trust will be fully funded with no retiree medical benefits ("RMB") unfunded
actuarial accrued liability ("UAAL").
B. In ail future years, after April 1,2014, transfer the actuarially required
contribution ("ARC") as determined by the actuary to be made to the VEBA Trust no
later than eighteen months after the September 30th for which the actuarial report
applies; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the County to create a new irrevocable grantor trust which is an
integral part of the County (the "Superseding Trust") to receive and hold in trust the amounts described
above, which must may be paid to it by the County as required in the Superseding Contract between the
County and the Superseding Trust to be created.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF THE
COUNTY OF OAKLAND, MICHIGAN, AS FOLLOWS:
1. There is hereby created the 2013 Superseding Oakland County Retiree Medical Benefits
Trust (the "Superseding Trust").
2. The 2013 Superseding Oakland County Retiree Medical Benefits Trust Agreement
attached hereto as Appendix A (the "Superseding Trust Agreement") is hereby approved.
3. The initial Trustees of the Superseding Trust shall be the following persons;
The Oakland County Executive or his or her Designee
The Oakland County Treasurer or his or her Designee
The Chairperson of the Oakland County Board of
Commissioners or his or her Designee
The Oakland County Corporation Counsel or his or
her Designee
The Oakland County Human Resource Director or his or her
Designee
4. All withdrawals from the Superseding Trust's funds shall be made in accordance with the
provisions of the Superseding Trust Agreement.
5. The Oakland County Executive or any Deputy County Executive, acting on behalf of the
County Executive, or any one or more of them, and each of them is, at any time hereafter and without
further action by or authority or direction from the Board of Commissioners of the County, authorized to
execute (by manual or facsimile signature) and deliver the Superseding Trust Agreement in substantially
the form presented at this meeting, including such changes in or additions to such form (including, but not
limited to, completing any blanks therein) as the officials executing the same may determine to be
necessary or advisable, and that the execution of the Superseding Trust Agreement by such officials on
behalf of this County shall be conclusive evidence of their determination in that respect.
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6. The Oakland County Executive or any Deputy County Executive, acting on behalf of the
County Executive, or any one or more of them, and each of them is, at any time hereafter and without
further action by or authority or direction from the Board of Commissioners of the County, authorized to
execute and deliver or cause to be executed and delivered all such other and further agreements,
requests, statements, instruments and documents and to do or cause to be done all such other and
further acts and things as any such official, attorney or agent may determine to be necessary or advisable
under or in connection with the Superseding Trust Agreement or this resolution, and that the execution by
any such official, attorney or agent of any such agreement, request, statement, instrument or document or
the doing of any such act or thing shall be conclusive evidence of his/her or their determination in that
respect.
7. This resolution shall take immediate effect upon its adoption and the signature of the
Oakland County Executive indicating his approval.
Chairperson, on behalf of the Finance Committee, I move the adoption of the foregoing
resolution.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
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2013 SUPERSEDING OAKLAND COUNTY RETIREE
MEDICAL BENEFITS TRUST AGREEMENT
This Trust Agreement is made, effective as of October 3, 2013, by and between
the County of Oakland, Michigan (the "County" or the "Grantor") and the Trustees
described in Section 2 below, or their successors. The word "Section" means a section
of this Agreement. As used herein, capitalized terms are either defined here or in the
referenced underlying documents.
RECITALS:
WHEREAS, the Oakland County VEBA (the "VEBA Trust") is a trust established
by the Oakland County VEBA Trust Agreement effective as of October 1, 2000 between
the County and the Trustees described therein (or their successors, the "VEBA
Trustees"), as amended, for the purposes of (i) accumulating the funds needed to pay
for Retiree Medical Benefits and (ii) receiving contributions for that purpose from the
County;
WHEREAS, pursuant to an enabling ordinance enacted by the Oakland County
Board of Commissioners on June 14, 2007 (the "Funding Ordinance') authorizing an
alternate funding mechanism for the County to amortize its estimated unfunded accrued
actuarial liabilities for Retiree Medical Benefits for certain retirees and certain active
employees of the County, and their eligible dependents, as of October 1, 2006 (the
"Designated Liabilities") over a period ending April 1, 2027 (the "Funding Period");
WHEREAS, the County established an intermediate trust (the "Intermediate
Trust") to irrevocably receive a certain amount of the net proceeds from the sale by the
2007 Oakland County Retiree Medical Benefits Funding Trust (the "Funding Trust") of
its Taxable Certificates of Participation, Series 2007 (the "Certificates") and to hold,
invest and distribute to the Intermediate Trust (defined below) assets, all in accordance
with such trust agreement, as it may be amended in accordance with its terms;
WHEREAS, the County has authorized and entered into the 2007 Oakland
County Retiree Medical Benefits Contract (the "Contract") with the Funding Trust to
assist it in exercising its essential governmental function of providing post-retirement
health benefits for its eligible employees, their spouses and eligible dependents and in
satisfying its contractual obligations to provide Retiree Medical Benefits by issuing and
selling the Certificates and the County has made Contract Payments to the Funding
Trust pursuant to the Contract in order to satisfy its obligations to the Funding Trust;
WHEREAS, the Funding Trust provides:
In the event that any health care benefits plan, program or
arrangement becomes effective during the period that any
Certificates are outstanding with the effect of supplanting and
superseding the County's obligations to pay for all of the costs of
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providing retiree medical benefits (the Optional Prepayment Trigger),
the Intermediate Trust will have fulfilled its designated purpose, and
•then (i) all, or the applicable portion (as the case may be), of the then
existing assets of the Intermediate Trust, to •the extent no longer
needed to pay future costs of providing County retiree medical
benefits, shall be deemed Surplus Intermediate Trust Assets, and (ii)
if the County, at its option and in its sole discretion, gives written
notice to the Trustee, with a copy to the Trustees of the Intermediate
Trust, of the County's irrevocable election to optionally redeem all or
a portion (to the extent of the available Surplus Intermediate Trust
Assets) of the then outstanding principal amount of the Certificates
through an Optional Prepayment as defined in the Contract, then the
intermediate Trust shall (A) transfer all or a portion (as the case may
be) of the available Surplus Intermediate Trust Assets to the Trustee
as such optional prepayment for and on behalf of the County and (B)
promptly give written notice thereof to the County.
WHEREAS, effective October 9, 2012, the Michigan legislature enacted an
amendment to Public Act No. 34 of the Public Acts of Michigan of 2001, as amended
("Act 34") into law. Said Act, as amended, provided the County the power to take
various actions in connection with refunding of the County's existing contractual
obligations under the Contract including establishing a new grantor trust to implement
the covering of the County's retirees health care liability which was the first step in
permitting the County to put in effect a new health care benefits "plan, program or
arrangement' (the "Superseding Plan") which will have the effect of supplanting and
superseding the County's obligations under the Contract;
WHEREAS, the County Board of Commissioners has adopted a resolution
authorizing the County to issue refunding bonds (the "Refunding Bonds") for the
purpose of refunding, as used in Public Act No. 329 of the Public Acts of Michigan of
2012, the existing obligations under the Contract which the County either has, or shortly
will, issue which either is or will be the second step in implementing the Superseding
Plan;
WHEREAS, the County, as permitted by Act 34, wishes to create a new grantor
trust which will thereafter enter into a new contract (the "Superseding Contract") with
the County under which Superseding Contract, the County will be obligated to the new
grantor trust to do the following:
A. Pay to the new grantor trust on April 1, 2014, an amount based on the
September 30, 2013 actuarial report received by the County from its
actuary so that, based on the actuarial assumptions contained therein, as
of April 1, 2014 the VEBA Trust will be fully funded with no retiree medical
benefits ("RMB") unfunded actuarial accrued liability ("UAAL").
B. In all future years, after April 1, 2014, transfer the actuarially required
contribution ("ARC") as determined by the actuary to be made to the
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VEBA Trust no later than eighteen months after the September 30 th for
which the actuarial report applies; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the County to create a new irrevocable grantor trust
which is an integral part of the County (the "Superseding Trust") to receive and hold in
trust the amounts described above, which must may be paid to it by the County as
required in the Superseding Contract between the County and the Superseding Trust to
be created.
NOW, THEREFORE, the County and the Superseding Trustees agree as
follows:
1 Establishment and Name of the Superseding Trust, The County, as Grantor,
hereby establishes, and the Superseding Trustees hereby accept, the 2013
Superseding Oakland County Retiree Medical Benefits Trust Agreement, which
shall be known as the "Superseding Trust", for the purpose of contracting with
the County in a way which when taken with other actions to be taken by the
County in the future (including entering into the Superseding Contract) will result,
at the conclusion of these steps, in placing in effect the Superseding Plan which
will have the effect of supplanting and superseding the County's obligations
under the Contract.
The Superseding Trust is intended to be a trust governed by Subpart E of Part I
of Subchapter J of Chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code"), and the Treasury Department regulations promulgated thereunder,
under which the County is treated as the owner of the Superseding Trust for U.S.
federal income tax purposes (the "Grantor Trust").
2. Trustees. The provisions of this Section 2 shall govern the identification and
appointment of the initial Superseding Trustees, the appointment of successor
Superseding Trustees, the resignation of the Superseding Trustees, and the
duties of a successor Superseding Trustee with respect to the Superseding
Trust, The term "Superseding Trustees" means all persons or entities who
occupy the office of Superseding Trustee under this Agreement, while such
persons or entities occupy such office, whether one or more persons or entities
occupy the office of Superseding Trustees at the same time or times, and
includes any successor Superseding Trustee or Trustees.
(a) The Trustees of the Superseding Trust shall be the following persons:
1. The Oakland County Executive or his or her Designee;
2. The Oakland County Treasurer or his or her Designee;
e. The Chairperson of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners
or his or her Designee:
4. The Oakland County Corporation Counsel or his or her Designee;
5. The Oakland County Human Resource Director or his or her
Designee.
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The foregoing persons shall, upon each of them signing an acceptance of trust,
be the initial Trustees of the Superseding Trust (the "Superseding Trustees").
(b) The County's Board of Commissioners has the power to remove and
appoint any of the Superseding Trustees.
(c) The term of office of each of the Superseding Trustees shall be the same
term of office as they serve in the position described under subparagraph
(a) above.
(d) The term of office of any Designee of the person holding the offices
described under subparagraph (a) above, shall cease at the time the
person holding such office shall cease to hold such office.
(e) At the request of the County, upon removal or resignation of any of the
Superseding Trustees at any time other than due to their death, disability
or when their term of office expires, such Superseding Trustee shall file a
final account with the County within thirty (30) days of written request
therefor, as to any funds or expenses they were solely responsible for or
entitled to reimbursement. Such Superseding Trustee shall cooperate with
the County as to the appointment of a successor Superseding Trustee,
including any documentation requested by any investment advisor to this
Trust.
If, for any reason, all of the Superseding Trustees under this Agreement
die or cannot or will not act as Superseding Trustees, and if no successor
Superseding Trustees are designated under this Section 2, or are
designated but unwilling to act as Superseding Trustees, then successor
Superseding Trustees shall be named by order of a court of competent
jurisdiction.
(g) The appointment of a successor Superseding Trustee shall be effective
when such Superseding Trustee signs an acceptance of trust. Notice of
the acceptance of trust shall be given to the County.
(h) Each successor Superseding Trustee shall have the identical powers,
rights, duties and obligations as the initial Superseding Trustees named in
this Agreement.
3. Contributions to the Superseding Trust. The County, as Grantor, shall cause
the payments to be made to the Superseding Trust in accordance with the
Superseding Contract. The Superseding Trustees shall receive such
contributions made to them from the County and shall hold such funds as a
separate trust designated as the Superseding Trust, and shall hold and
administer such funds, invest and reinvest such funds, and make distributions
from such funds only in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and the
Superseding Contract. The Superseding Trustees shall receive, hold, invest and
administer as part of the Superseding Trust, subject to the terms of this
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Agreement, all income earned by the corpus of the Superseding Trust (and all
losses in the value of the corpus of the Superseding Trust shall be charged to the
corpus of the Superseding Trust), but no other contributions to the Superseding
Trust from any source other than the County or on behalf of its employees shall
be made to or accepted by the Superseding Trustees.
4. Permitted Uses of Assets of the Superseding Trust.
(a) No part of the Superseding Trust's corpus or income shall be used for, or
diverted to, purposes other than (i) to be distributed to the VEBA Trust at
times and in amounts in accordance with the provisions of the
Superseding Contract, (ii) to pay the reasonable administrative expenses
of the Superseding Trust and (iii) to payments to the holders of the
Refunding Bonds. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Superseding Trust
corpus or income may be distributed to the VEBA Trust to pay any part of
the required payment thereto for an annual required contribution or to pay
the "normal costs" to provide retiree health care benefits as may be
identified in a future actuarial valuation report. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, the Superseding Trust corpus or income may be used to pay
the employer provided contribution to individual retiree health savings
accounts established in compliance with Code §223 for active employees
of the County who were hired after December 31, 2005 and are not
otherwise eligible for benefits provided by the VEBA.
(b) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the preceding sentence, the
Superseding Trustees may distribute money to holders of the Refunding
Bonds or pay the VEBA Trust from such assets as they have. Further,
upon receipt of either a private letter ruling issued by the Internal Revenue
Service ("PLR") or an opinion of outside legal counsel for the County that
the Surplus Superseding Trust Assets may be used to repay any interest
expense on said outstanding debt without adversely affecting this Trust
being treated as a Code §115 exempt trust as providing an essential
governmental function, as that term is used therein. Nothing contained
herein shall preclude or prevent the County from using the surplus
Superseding Trust Assets to pay any fees, taxes or otherwise future, but
currently unanticipated expenses, required to be paid by the County as an
employer under federal law, including but not limited to the Patient
Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
(c) No participants (or their eligible beneficiaries) in the applicable County-
sponsored retiree medical plans shall have a preferred claim on, or any
beneficial ownership interest in, any Superseding Trust assets, except to
the extent that the assets of the Superseding Trust have been distributed
to the VEBA Trust for the payment of the Retiree Medical Benefits that
said participants or their eligible beneficiaries are otherwise entitled.
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5. Powers and Duties of Superseding Trustees.
(a) Immediately upon receipt by the Superseding Trustees of payments made
by the County in accordance with the Superseding Contract, the
Superseding Trustees shall issue a notice to the VEBA Trust that such
funds have been received.
(b) The Superseding Trustees shall have the entire care and custody of all
assets of the Superseding Trust. The Superseding Trustees shall have the
power to do everything permitted under this Agreement which the
Superseding Trustees in good faith deem advisable, without necessity of
any judicial authorization or approval,
(c) If more than two Superseding Trustees are empowered to participate in
the decision to exercise or not exercise any fiduciary power granted by
this Agreement or by law, a majority of such Superseding Trustees shall
be empowered to make such decision; provided, however, if a majority of
the Superseding Trustees have delegated the power to make such
decision to one or more Superseding Trustees or one or more other
persons, then such decision shall be made pursuant to such delegation. If
two Superseding Trustees are empowered to participate in the decision to
exercise or not exercise any fiduciary power granted by this Agreement,
then such Superseding Trustees shall make such decisions unanimously;
provided, however, that if such Superseding Trustees unanimously
delegated the power to make such decisions to one Superseding Trustee
or one or more other persons, such decisions shall be made pursuant to
such delegation. The powers of the Superseding Trustees under this
Agreement shall be in addition to those powers granted to a Trustee by
law and may be exercised even after termination of the Superseding Trust
under this Agreement until actual distribution of all trust assets.
(d) The Superseding Trustees shall make distributions from the Superseding
Trust's assets in any calendar year only in accordance with the
Superseding Contract to the VEBA Trust, which is the primary beneficiary
of the Superseding Trust, which transfers shall be made as provided in the
Superseding Contract.
(e) The Superseding Trustees shall keep accurate, detailed records of all
Superseding Trust investments, receipts, distributions and other
transactions, including such specific records as shall be agreed upon in
writing among the County and the Superseding Trustees. Within thirty (30)
days following the close of each County fiscal year (October 1 -
September 30), the Superseding Trustees shall deliver to the County a
written account of their administration of the Superseding Trust during
such fiscal year setting forth all investments, receipts, distributions and
other transactions concerning the Superseding Trust.
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(f) The Superseding Trustees shall have no liability for any action pursuant to
a direction, request or approval given by the County which is
contemplated by, and in conformity with, the terms of this Agreement and
given in writing by the County.
(g) If the Superseding Trustees undertake or defend any litigation arising in
connection with the Superseding Trust, the County agrees to indemnify
the Superseding Trustees against their costs, expenses and liabilities
(including, without limitation, reasonable and actual attorneys' fees and
expenses incurred) relating thereto and to be primarily liable for such
payments; provided, however, that the County shall not indemnify the
Superseding Trustees for any litigation arising from any Superseding
Trustee's actions that are determine by a court of competent jurisdiction to
be fraudulent, in bad faith, illegal or grossly negligent.
(h) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the Superseding
Trustees shall invest and reinvest the assets of the Superseding Trust
subject to the terms, conditions, limitations and restrictions imposed by the
State of Michigan on the investments of public employee retirement
systems by 1965 P.A. 314, MCL §§38.1132 et seq., the Public Employees
Retirement System Investment Act, as now or hereafter amended, made
applicable to public employee health care funds through 1999 PA, 149,
MCL. §§38.1211 et seq., the Public Employee Health Care Fund
Investment Act, as now or hereafter' amended, and specifically, MCL
§38.1214. in exercising their discretionary authority with respect to the
management of the Trust Fund, the Superseding Trustees shall exercise
the care, skill, prudence and diligence under circumstances then
prevailing, that a prudent person, acting in a similar capacity and familiar
with those matters would use in the conduct of a similar enterprise with
similar aims, as further described in MCL §38.1133(3), and shall not
engage in the transactions prohibited by law and as described in MCL
§§38.1133(6) and (9). This shall include diversifying the assets of the
Superseding Trust so as to minimize the risk of large losses, unless under
the circumstances it appears prudent not to do so. This standard shall not
be applied to investments in isolation, but rather in the context of the
Superseding Trust's overall portfolio and as part of the overall investment
strategy, which shall incorporate risk and return objectives reasonably
suited to the purposes of the Superseding Trust. Subject to the foregoing,
the Superseding Trustees shall have the following rights, powers and
duties with respect to the assets of the Superseding Trust (the "Trust
Fund"):
(i) to retain manage, improve, repair, operate and control all property,
real or personal, at any time comprising part of the Trust Fund;
(ii) to manage, sell, contract to sell, grant options to purchase, convey,
exchange, partition, lease for any term (even though such term
commences in the future or may extend beyond the duration of the
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Superseding Trust), and otherwise dispose of the Trust Fund from
time to time and in such manner, for such consideration, and upon
such terms and conditions as the Superseding Trustees in their
discretion shall determine;
(iii) to retain all or any part of the Trust Fund (without regard to the
proportion that any one asset or class of assets may bear to the
whole) in the form in which such assets were received or acquired
by the Superseding Trustees;
(iv) to hold all or part of the Trust Fund in cash or in bank accounts
without the necessity of investing the same;
(v) to vote any corporate stock either in person or by proxy for any
purpose; to exercise or sell any stock subscription or conversion
right; to participate in voting trusts; to consent to, take any action in
connection with, and receive and retain any securities resulting
from, any merger, consolidation, reorganization, readjustment of
the financial structure, liquidation; sale, lease or other organization
the securities of which may constitute a portion of the Trust Fund;
(vi) to keep property in the name of a nominee with or without
disclosure of any fiduciary relationship; to have evidence of
ownership of any security maintained in the records of a Federal
Reserve Bank under the Federal Reserve Book Entry System; to
deposit funds in any bank or trust company; to carry in the name of
the Superseding Trustees or the nominee or nominees or the
Superseding Trustees and with or without the designation of
fiduciary capacity, or to hold in bearer form, securities or other
property which are required or permitted to be registered; and to
cause any securities to be held by a depository corporation of
which an Superseding Trustee shall be a member or by an agent
under a safekeeping contract; provided, however, that the books
and records of the Superseding Trustee shall at all times show that
such investments are part of the Trust Fund;
to loan all or any part of the Trust Fund at any time and upon such
terms as to payment security or otherwise; to assume such
obligations or to give such guarantees; to borrow money, and to
lease, mortgage, pledge, grant a security interest in, or otherwise
encumber the Trust fund or any part thereof, as the Superseding
Trustees determine;
(viii) to take any action with respect to conserving or realizing upon the
value of any property in the Trust Fund; to collect, pay, contest,
compromise or abandon demands of or against the Trust Fund;
(ix) to litigate, defend, compromise, settle, abandon, or submit to
arbitration on such terms as the Superseding Trustees reasonably
determine, any claims in favor of or against the Superseding Trust
or the Trust Fund;
(x) to employ such agents, experts, investment fiduciaries, counsel and
other persons (any of whom may also be employed or represent
the County) deemed by the Superseding Trustees to be necessary
or proper for the administration of the Superseding Trust: to rely
and act on information and advice furnished by such agents,
experts, investment fiduciaries, counsel, and other persons; and to
pay their reasonable expenses and compensation for services to
the Superseding Trust from the Trust Fund;
(xi) to transfer to an investment fiduciary (as defined in MCL
§38.1132(c)(1)) the authority and accompanying duty to direct the
investment and management of all or a portion of the Trust Fund,
provided that such an investment fiduciary shall acknowledge in
writing fiduciary status with respect to the Trust Fund; and
(xii) to make, execute, and deliver, any and all such instruments in
writing as shall be necessary or proper to carry out any power,
right, duty or obligation of the Superseding Trustees or any
disposition whatsoever of the Trust Fund and to perform any and all
acts which in the judgment of the Superseding Trustees are
necessary or desirable for the proper and advantageous
administration and distribution of the Trust Fund.
6. Compensation and Expenses.
(a) The Superseding Trustees shall not be separately compensated for their
services as Superseding Trustees hereunder. The Superseding Trustees
shall be reimbursed for all reasonable costs, expenses, charges and
liabilities incurred or paid in connection with the performance of their
duties administering the Superseding Trust, including fees and expenses
of counsel or any other agents hired by the Superseding Trustees, and the
Superseding Trustees shall not be liable therefore individually. The
Superseding Trustees have discretion to pay such expenses or be
reimbursed for such expenses from the Trust Fund, without obtaining
judicial authorization or approval.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision in this Agreement to the contrary, no
Superseding Trustee shall be entitled to any fees or expenses claimed to
be owing because such Superseding Trustee is resigning, being removed,
or is no longer serving as an Superseding Trustee for any other reason;
provided, however, that any Superseding Trustee shall be eligible to
receive all pension and any other retiree benefits to which he or she is
entitled by virtue of their employment by the County.
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(c) To the extent the Trust Fund proves insufficient or the Superseding
Trustees determine that the payment of administrative expenses for a
given period would inhibit the payment of amounts required by the
Superseding Contract to be paid to the VEBA Trust, the reasonable costs,
expenses, charges and liabilities incurred on paid in connection with
administering the Superseding Trust shall be paid by the County.
7. Amendment or Termination of the Superseding Trust. This Agreement and
the Superseding Trust are irrevocable.
(a) The County, in its sole and absolute discretion, may amend this
Agreement upon written notice to the Superseding Trustees.
(b) The Superseding Trust may be terminated by the County, but only in the
following limited circumstances:
(I)
Circumstances have occurred which have resulted in supplanting
and superseding the County's obligations to provide retirees health
care benefits to its retired employees, by another health care
benefit program that is not sponsored by the County, and the
remaining assets have thereby been deemed Surplus Superseding
Trust assets. Surplus Superseding Trust assets may be used to
make any payments of principal of or interest on the Refunding
Bonds. If, after such payments, the Trust Fund of the Superseding
Trust has not been depleted, the County may terminate the
Superseding Trust and any part of the Trust Fund of the
Superseding Trust still remaining will then revert to the County.
(ii) If all the assets of the Superseding Trust have been distributed in
accordance with Superseding Contract, and the Superseding Trust
no longer has any assets, the County may then terminate the
Superseding Trust acting on its own, after certification of that fact to
the Superseding Trustees.
8. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be construed under the laws of the State
of Michigan. Any provision of this Agreement prohibited by law shall be
ineffective to the extent of any such prohibition, without invalidating the remaining
provisions of this Agreement.
9. Rights of Participants. The County's participation in the Superseding Trust shall
not give any retiree (or his or her eligible beneficiaries), entitlement to medical
benefits under a County-sponsored retiree medical plan, any right or claim to any
benefit under any plan sponsored by the County beyond what they are entitled to
under the terms of such plan.
10. Third Party Reliance. Third Parties may rely on the representation of the
Superseding Trustees relating to any authority granted to them under this
Agreement, and such third parties shall not be obligated to inquire whether such
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Superseding Trustee may act or is properly exercising such power, and are not
bound to assure the proper application of assets paid or delivered to such
Superseding Trustee; provided, however, that this Section 10 shall not apply to
any person who claims to be, but is not, an Superseding Trustee pursuant to this
Agreement.
11. Addresses for Notices. All notices and other communications provided for
hereunder shall be in writing unless otherwise stated herein mailed, sent or
delivered:
If to the County, at
County of Oakland, Michigan
If to the Superseding Trust or the Superseding Trustees, at
or to such other address as such person may specify to the other person and
shall be effective (i) if given by mail, three business days after such
communication is deposited in the mails with first class postage prepaid or (ii) if
given by any other means, when delivered at the address specified in or pursuant
to this Section.
12. Tax Status of the Superseding Trust; Opinions of Counsel or Internal
Revenue Service Ruling.
(a) Unless the County receives an opinion of counsel experienced in such
matters that:
(i)
The Superseding Trust will be treated as a grantor trust under
Subpart E, Part I of Subchapter J of Chapter 1 of the Code which is
treated as wholly owned by the County for U.S. federal income tax
purposes, and, accordingly the Superseding Trust will not be
subject to U.S. federal income tax, and/or
the income of the Superseding Trust from the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement will constitute gross income
described in Code § 115, such that the Superseding Trust will not
be subject to U.S. federal income tax with respect to any income
derived from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
and/or
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the Superseding Trust is treated as an integral part of the County
such that the Superseding Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal
income tax in respect of any income derived from the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement,
then, and in such event, the County shall submit the Superseding Trust to
the Internal Revenue Service for one or more private letter rulings or other
administrative determinations that: (A) the Superseding Trust will be
treated as a grantor trust under Subpart, E, Part I of Subchapter J of
Chapter 1 of the Code which is treated as wholly owned by the. County for
U.S. federal income tax purposes, and, accordingly the Superseding Trust
will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax, (B) the income of the
Superseding Trust from the transactions contemplated by this Agreement
will-constitute gross income described in Code § 115, such that the
Superseding Trust will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax in respect
of any income derived from the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, and/or (C) the Superseding Trust is treated as an integral part
of the County such that the Superseding Trust will not be subject to U.S.
federal income tax in respect of any income derived from the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement. References to any "tax" also include any
interest or penalties thereon.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the contrary, in
the event the County submits the Superseding Trust to the Internal
Revenue Service for one or more private letter rulings or other
administrative determinations in accordance with this Section, and the
Internal Revenue Service does not provide a favorable private letter ruling
or other administrative determination (or in the County's sole and absolute
discretion, the internal Revenue Service conditions the favorable
determination(s) on significant required trust modification(s) unacceptable
to the County), then the assets of the Superseding Trust shall promptly be
distributed by the Trustees to the VEBA Trust, to be held in a segregated
account within the VEBA Trust, and the Superseding Trust and this
Agreement shall terminate.
(c) If the County receives a favorable Internal Revenue Service private letter
ruling or other administrative determination, the Superseding Trust will be
operated in accordance with its terms.
13. Action by County. Wherever in this Agreement the County is required or
permitted to take action, such action shall be taken by a resolution adopted by
the Oakland County Board of Commissioners,
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the County and the Trustees have caused this Agreement,
which constitutes an irrevocable grantor trust agreement, to be executed effective as of
the date first written above.
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THE COUNTY OF OAKLAND, MICHIGAN
By:
Its:
TRUSTEES OF THE 2013 SUPERSEDING OAKLAND COUNTY RETIREE MEDICAL
BENEFITS TRUST AGREEMENT
By:
Oakland County Executive or Designee
Oakland County Treasurer or Designee
Chairperson of the Oakland County Board of Commissioners or Designee
Oakland County Corporation Counsel or Designee
Oakland County Human Resource Director or Designee
By:
By:
By:
By:
Las si 0-oal(248
13
Resolution #13254 October 2, 2013
Moved by Hoffman Supported by Zack the resolutions (with fiscal notes attached) on the amended
Consent Agenda be adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted),
AYES: Dwyer, Gershenson, Gingell, Gosselin, Hatchett, Hoffman, Jackson, Long, Matis,
McGillivray, Middleton, Runestad, Scott, Spisz, Taub, Weipert, Woodward, Zack, Bosnic,
Crawford, (20)
NAYS: None, (0)
A sufficient majority having voted in favor, the resolutions (with fiscal notes attached) on the amended
Consent Agenda be adopted (with accompanying reports being accepted).
STATE OF MICHIGAN)
COUNTY OF OAKLAND)
I, Lisa Brown, Clerk of the County of Oakland, do hereby certify that the foregoing resolution is a true and
accurate copy of a resolution adopted by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners on October 2,
2013, with the original record thereof now remaining in my office.
In Testimony Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the seal of the County of Oakland at
Pontiac, Michigan this 2 nd day of October 2013,
Lisa Brown, Oakland County