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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 04-07-2026; 8-k - Resolution Authorizing Loan to Orange Grove Fire District for Fire Station Improvements as Part of FY 2025-26 Spring Financing and Approval of Budget Amendment #8-A 1 ORD-2026-008 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: April 7, 2026 Action Agenda Item No. 8-k SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing Loan to Orange Grove Fire District for Fire Station Improvements as Part of FY 2025-26 Spring Financing and Approval of Budget Amendment #8-A DEPARTMENT: Finance and Administrative Services ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Resolution Gary Donaldson, 919-245-2453 Promissory Note Bob Jessup, 919-933-9891 Bond Request Revision Letter Year-To-Date Budget Summary PURPOSE: To approve a resolution authorizing a loan to the Orange Grove Fire District in the amount of $1.7 million for capital improvements to Fire Station #2 and approve Budget Amendment #8-A. The County will in turn include the loan amount in its FY 2025-26 Spring Financing amount. BACKGROUND: Orange Grove Fire District, Inc. (OGFD) has requested financial assistance to support renovations and upgrades to Rocky Ridge Fire Station #2 within the Orange Grove Fire District. The project will convert the existing facility from a garage structure into a fully functioning fire station with living quarters, office space, and kitchen facilities to support long-term emergency service delivery in the district. The estimated project cost is approximately $1.7 million. To facilitate the project, staff proposes that Orange County provide a loan in the amount of $1,700,000 to OGFD. The loan will be evidenced by a promissory note and repaid through annual payments of principal and interest due each January 15 beginning in 2027, with final maturity no later than January 15, 2047. Schedule I of the Promissory Note references the OGFD debt service schedule through final maturity. It is important to note that the debt service schedule uses a planning rate of 5%. (Note: The 5% planning rate is subject to the final bond pricing rate. The final interest rate will be updated in the signed Promissory Note.) OGFD Annual Tax Levy The Fire District has adjusted its tax rate from 5.81 cents to 7.00 cents per $100 of assessed valuation beginning in FY 2025-26 to ensure sufficient revenues to cover operating costs and the required annual debt service payments to the County. 2 Under the proposed structure, the Fire District will reimburse the County annually for the full amount of debt service. If the Fire Department fails to make the required payment, the County will have the authority to offset overdue amounts from district tax distributions or other funds payable to the department, and per the promissory note can impose a 5% penalty on the amount due. County Recourse for Annual OGFD Repayment The County provides annual property tax revenues to OGFD in four equal quarterly payments each fiscal year based on their district tax levy. The OGFD debt service repayment date will be set for January 15 every fiscal year which coincides with peak tax collections for OGFD. If debt service payment is not received by January 15, the County will deduct and apply, through a right of set-off, an amount from the fourth quarter (March) property tax distribution to OGFD sufficient to satisfy the annual debt service requirement. The OGFD repayment will be recorded in the County's Debt Service Fund. FINANCIAL IMPACT: Because the Fire District will provide annual payments equal to the debt service obligation, the borrowing will not create a net General Fund tax burden for the County. The OGFD FY 2025-26 annual tax levy is projected to generate $1,133,337 for operating and maintenance expenses and the proposed debt service requirement (See draft debt service schedule). Budget Amendment #8-A increases authorization in the County Capital Fund by $1,700,000 and creates the following project ordinance: Orange Grove Fire Station #2 ($1,700,000) - Project# 17200 Revenues for this project: Current FY 2025-26 FY 2025-26 FY 2025-26 Amendment Revised Alternative Financing $0 $1,700,000 $1,700,000 Total Project Funding $0 $1,700,000 $1,700,000 Appropriated for this project: Current FY 2025-26 FY 2025-26 FY 2025-26 Amendment Revised Project Expenditures $0 $1,700,000 $1,700,000 Total Costs $0 $1,700,000 $1,700,000 ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports: • GOAL 6: DIVERSE AND VIBRANT ECONOMY RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board adopt the attached resolution authorizing Orange County to make a $1,700,000 loan to Orange Grove Fire District, approve the Promissory Note and Budget Amendment #8-A in substantially the form presented, and authorize the County Manager and Chief Financial Officer to take all actions necessary to implement the loan. 3 RES-2026-024 Resolution authorizing loan to Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Department Whereas, Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Department, Inc., has requested that the County loan the Department $1,700,000 to allow the Department to complete an addition and upgrades to its Rocky Ridge fire station #2, Be it resolved by the Board of Commissioners of Orange County, North Carolina, that the County agrees to make the loan, that the loan will be evidenced by a promissory note in substantially the form of Exhibit A, and that the County Manager and Chief Financial Officer are authorized and directed to take all actions necessary or appropriate to put the loan into effect. The County's funding of the loan in exchange for a signed promissory note shall be conclusive evidence of the County's approval of the final form of the note. 4 July 2026 Promissory Note For value received,Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.,a North Carolina nonprofit corporation, hereby promises to pay to the order of Orange County, North Carolina, the principal sum of One Million Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,700,000), together with interest on the unpaid principal balance at the annual rate of %, to be calculated on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months. Payments of principal and interest are due as described in Schedule I. Each annual payment is due on or before January 15 of each year, commencing January 15, 2027, and continuing annually thereafter until the principal and all accrued interest are paid in full. If not sooner paid, all outstanding principal and all accrued interest are due on January 15, 2047. If any payment is not received by the Lender within fifteen days after its due date, the Borrower shall pay a late charge equal to five percent (5%) of the overdue amount. This late charge is in addition to all other rights and remedies available to the Lender under this Note or applicable law. If any payment due under this Note is not made within thirty days of its due date, the Lender shall have the right to offset and withhold from any fire district taxes or other funds payable by the Lender to the Borrower an amount equal to all amounts overdue, including principal and interest and any applicable late charges, until all amounts due are satisfied in full. The Borrower may prepay the outstanding principal balance of this Note at any time, in whole or in part,but if in part (a) the prepayment must be in the minimum amount of$10,000, (b) the Borrower may make only one prepayment in any calendar month, and (c) prepayments will be applied first to interest due on this Note, and then to installments of principal in inverse order of their due dates. The Lender will prepare and deliver a substitute Schedule I upon each prepayment. No prepayment affects the Borrower's obligation to make future payments when due. The parties intend that North Carolina law will govern this Note and all matters of its interpretation. [Signature on the following page.] 5 Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Department, Inc. 6800 Orange Grove Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278 By: Daniel Snipes Board President Attest: Name/title This instrument has been preaudited in the manner required by The Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act. Gary Donaldson Finance Officer Orange County, North Carolina [Promissory note for $1,700,000 in favor of Orange County, North Carolina, Dated July , 2026] 6 Schedule I - Payment Schedule Principal of this Note is payable on dates and amounts as shown below.Interest is payable on the dates shown below, at the annual rate of %, calculated on the basis of a 360-day year consisting of twelve 30-day months (subject to prepayment as described above). The table below shows the estimated interest payments. Payments to the Lender must be delivered not later than the payable date and paid by check delivered to the Lender at Orange County, Attn: Finance Office, Post Office Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278, or in such other manner as the Borrower and Lender may agree from time to time. [This table shows estimated debt service at the planning rate of 5.00% and is subject to final bond pricing, among othermatters, the final interestrate the date the County funds the loan.] Date Principal ($) Interest ($) Total Payment ($) 1/15/2027 0 65,166.67 65,166.67 1/15/2028 85,000 85,000.00 170,000.00 1/15/2029 85,000 80,750.00 165,750.00 01/15/2030 85,000 76,500.00 161,500.00 01/15/2031 85,000 72,250.00 157,250.00 01/15/2032 85,000 68,000.00 153,000.00 01/15/2033 85,000 63,750.00 148,750.00 01/15/2034 85,000 59,500.00 144,500.00 01/15/2035 85,000 55,250.00 140,250.00 01/15/2036 85,000 51,000.00 136,000.00 7 01/15/2037 85,000 46,750.00 131,750.00 01/15/2038 85,000 42,500.00 127,500.00 01/15/2039 85,000 38,250.00 123,250.00 01/15/2040 85,000 34,000.00 119,000.00 01/15/2041 85,000 29,750.00 114,750.00 01/15/2042 85,000 25,500.00 110,500.00 01/15/2043 85,000 21,250.00 106,250.00 01/15/2044 85,000 17,000.00 102,000.00 01/15/2045 85,000 12,750.00 97,750.00 01/15/2046 85,000 8,500.00 93,500.00 01/15/2047 85,000 4,250.00 89,250.00 8 ,,pNGE 6 F. 'FJRE OEP[.' Orange Grove Volunteer Fire Department March 17th, 2026 Mr, Travis Myren Orange County Manager PO Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 Dear Mr. Travis Myren, We are requesting to be included in the upcoming County bond issuance process that the County handles for capital projects. We will be transforming our Rocky Ridge fire station # 2 from a garage building into a fully functioning fire station to include living quarters, office space and kitchen. This renovation will provide well for the future for our community's service area. The renovations and upgrades to the station are estimated to be 1.7 million to complete the addition and upgrades to this fire station. We are requesting 1.7 million to cover the cost with a payback period up to 20 years and potentially be able to repay some earlier if funding becomes available. We have already incorporated this type of payment into our budget planning and used some funding to complete designing and are now ready to move into the next phases of construction etc. We plan on starting construction in the summer of 2026 and hopefully complete the project before the summer 2027. After our bid opening on March 12t", Central Builders of Mebane Inc was our lowest bidder, and the board has agreed to move forward into a contract.The department's reserve funds will be used for any contingencies or overruns. We don't expect to ask for any additional funds to cover the renovation. The board approved the project by vote of our Board of Directors on Oct 6th, 2025. Since the bid opening and the cost increase has occurred the board of directors have approved the 200,000 increase in funding request to the County bond process. If we need to meet with you to discuss this request, please do not hesitate to contact us directly. Thank you for your continuous support of our department and the citizens of Orange Grove. Sincerely, � 11 ielni�-es Board President cc: Chief Ricky Baker 6800 Orange Grove Rd Hillsborough, NC 27278 1919 967-5858 9 Year-To-Date Budget Summary Fiscal Year 2025-26 Fund Budget Summary County Capital Original Budget Revenue $36,635,068 Interfund Transfer Revenue $1,400,000 Fund Balance Appropiation $0 Total Original Budget $38,035,068 Additional Revenue Received Through Budget Amendment#8-A (April 7th) Grant Funds $1,227,368 Non Grant Funds $1,775,928 Additional Interfund Transfer Revenue $290,954 Additional Fund Balance Appropriation Total Amended Budget $41,329,318 Dollar Change in 2025-26 Approved Budget $3,294,250 Change in 2025-26 Approved Budget 1 8.66%