Bonds

RFPs

Bidding Closed

Tax-Exempt Direct Loan

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Summary

Total Loan Amount

$250,000,000

Type of Servicing

Private Loan

Bids Due

12/08/2023 at 5:00 PM ET

Sector

County / City / Town

State

Massachusetts

RFPs Listing Date

11/13/2023

Deadline for Clarifications

11/27/2023 at 2:00 PM ET

Award Date

01/17/2024

Project Description

The City of Boston, Massachusetts (the “City”), acting by and through its Chief Financial Officer and Collector-Treasurer, is soliciting proposal statements (“Responses” or “Proposals”) from qualified firms (“Firms” or “Respondents”) interested in providing a tax-exempt direct loan to the City for new money purposes. To evidence the loan the City will provide a bond substantially in the form attached to the form of Bond Purchase Agreement attached hereto as Appendix A. Representations and warranties of the City will be as outlined in the attached Bond Purchase Agreement.

The City does not intend to request a rating for this loan nor to provide any updated disclosure regarding the City or its financial condition. See Part VIII below for available information regarding the City.

The City is a regular issuer of long-term debt, with total outstanding general obligation debt as of November 1, 2023, equal to approximately $1.59 billion. The City’s also has approximately $110.0 million of outstanding Lease Purchase Obligations as of ‎November 9, 2023.‎ The City issues its debt pursuant to applicable laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts (“Massachusetts” or the “Commonwealth”), including, in particular, Chapter 643 of the Acts of 1983, as amended (the “Bond Procedure Act”). Interest on the loan will be exempt from gross income for federal income tax purposes and Massachusetts personal income tax, as described in the proposed form of bond counsel opinion attached to the form of Bond Purchase Agreement.

Other than this current transaction, the City does not anticipate any additional borrowings in FY2024, but it may engage in a variety of other transactions, including, for example, interim financing programs, taxable financings, credit-enhanced financings, refinancings, or other forms of debt financing.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the City reserves the right to reject any and all Responses, to waive any minor informalities in a Response, to request clarification of information, and to affect any agreement deemed by the City to be in its best interest with one or more Firms. All Responses and their contents will become the property of the City. The City will not reimburse Firms for any costs associated with the preparation or submittal of any Response or for any travel and/or per diem incurred in any presentations of such Responses. 

Nothing in this RFP, the Responses, nor in the City’s acceptance of any Response in whole or in part shall obligate the City to complete negotiations with any Firm. The City reserves the right to end, in its sole discretion, negotiations with a Firm at any time up to the consummation of the transactions arising from this RFP.

Submission Requirements

Please see the attached PDF for complete Submission requirements and Bid Form 


All Respondents must submit one electronic copy of their Response in “.PDF” file format to each of the Primary Contacts as indicated in Section IV by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time by the Response Deadline of December 8, 2023.

NOTE: Responses or any parts thereof received by PFM Financial Advisors after the time and date stated above will be rejected as non-responsive to the RFP.

Questions regarding the RFP should be delivered in the manner specified under the heading “Questions,” in Section VI, below.

The RFP Evaluation committee will use the Responses to this RFP to evaluate the proposals of Firms based on their responses to Section X and Section XI below.

Respondents are advised that the City is a public entity and its records, including statements submitted in response to RFPs, are public records unless specifically exempted under M.G.L. Chapter 4, §7, clause twenty-six.

Participants

Municipal Advisor
PFM
PFM

Joseph Dabreo

(617) 502-5653

dabreoj@pfm.com

PFM
PFM

Andrew Estrada

(617) 502-5659

estradaa@pfm.com

Questions & Clarifications

Is a bidder required to bid for the entire $250 million?
Can we bid maturity by maturity up to a certain par amount?
Can we bid pro rata across a number of maturities?
Why has the City elected to do a private direct purchase RFP – and not issue public bonds like it has done recently?
Why has the City elected to do a bank deal vs a public bond offering?
Is a PDR covenant (at least for tranche #2) a possibility?
Does the City have additional private placements other than the Series 2019B GO Refunding Bond with State Street?
CIP indicates $2Bn in GO issuances planned from FY24‐28. Please provide a schedule of annual GO issuance plans over this period.
In a default scenario, would all GO debt be repaid on a pro‐rata basis?