Services

Capital Projects

FA is available to work with you and your constituents with your Capital Project Planning as well as provide support in the following areas:

  • Develop financial planning for capital projects
  • Prepare financial impact reports of proposed capital project on local taxpayers and users
  • Assist with debt service budget planning
  • Prepare applications for exclusion of debt from Constitutional Debt Limit

Debt Financing

The idea of issuing obligations in the Municipal Market can be intimidating and time consuming – let FA guide you through the process step by step. FA will provide the following services:

  • Analyze the needs of the issuer and advise on debt structure, timing, method and amount of the sale as they relate to Federal, State and Local Regulations and Laws
  • Prepare debt repayment maturity schedules
  • Apply for municipal bond ratings
  • Prepare rating presentations
  • Apply for municipal bond insurance
  • Assist with the preparation of the Official Statement and Notice of Sale
  • Prepare and file bond debt statement with the Office of the State Comptroller
  • Arrange for legal advertisement of bond sale
  • Recommend award to the bank or underwriter
  • Coordinate closing arrangements
  • Coordinate payment of maturing notes
  • Diligent monitoring of refunding opportunities of existing debt
  • Advise on Energy Performance Contract Lease Financings

Credit Ratings

  • Advice on when to obtain a rating
  • Submitting credit rating application
  • Coordinate and participate in rating calls for both rating requests and surveillance purposes
  • Prepare rating presentations and conduct coaching of participating in formal presentation
  • Accompany client to New York for presentations
  • Make site visits to rating agencies

Post Issuance Secondary Market Disclosure

FA can serve as your Dissemination Agent for your secondary market disclosure requirements. FA will ensure that you meet these important filing requirements that allow issuers to continue to access the municipal market:

  • Preparation and filing of annual secondary market disclosure documents
  • Preparation and filing of Material Event Notices

Sewer Exclusions

  • Prepare and submit applications to the Office of the State Comptroller for an exclusion allowing the municipality to exclude sewer debt from the constitutional debt limit

State Aid Advisory Services For New York State School Districts

FA's State Aid Advisors are some of the most experienced professional building aid specialists in New York. They are ready to help with:

  • Prepare Pre-vote aid projections – team approach with architect and/or construction manager
  • Calculate maximum cost allowances and bond percentages
  • Interpret State Education Department (SED) output reports
  • Review periodic reports from SED to maximize aid
  • Prepare and submit to School District's:
    • SA-139 Request for Building Project Data
    • FP-FI Request for Financial Information
    • SA-135 Bond Anticipation Note Schedule
    • SA-132 Bond Amortization Schedule
    • SA-24 Building Aid Estimate
    • SA-19 Building Aid requests for BOCES Project
  • Prepare building aid recalibration waiver applications

Capital Project Accounting Services For New York State School Districts

FA's Accounting Department can help you every step of the way. They are ready to work with you on:

  • Analyze of Contract Schedule of Value
  • Assist the School District with the setup of a capital project accounting, filing system, and tracking of project expenditures per authorization and per building / State Education Department project number
  • Tracking of contract change order and State Education Department approval
  • Analyze maximum cost allowance for each project within an authorization
  • Update project budget status per authorization and/or per building / project number (upon request) 
  • Prepare the Final Building Project Report for each State Education Department project number as required by the State Education Department, and forward to the School District for submission
  • Analyze expenditure reports (upon request)
  • Assist with the completion of the ST-3 Capital Fund
  • Provide assistance with all forms necessary to ensure the proper receipt of New York State building aid
  • Work directly with the architect and construction management firms to ensure the capital project funds stay with-in the authorization and per project as originally designed
    • Assist Architect with preparation of FP-F Form
  • Report to the Board of Education with periodic capital project budget status updates (upon request)
  • EXCEL (Expanding our Children's Education and Learning) allocations:
    • Assist School District with the application and requisition of EXCEL funds
    • Analysis of projects utilizing EXCEL funds in-order to meet the EXCEL eligibility requirements
    • Proper reporting of EXCEL funds per project in the Final Building Project Reports to minimize any loss of EXCEL funds
  • Provide additional services as requested by School District

Capital Project Administration Water and Sewer Projects

FA's goal for Municipalities with NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) funding and/or USDA-Rural Development (RD) funding is to help them through the process from start to finish. FA will make sure a smooth transition occurs from short-term to long-term financing, working with the Team to ensure project goals are met and the lowest cost is obtained for users/taxpayers.

NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) – Drinking and Clean Water Projects

  • Meet with Local officials, Agency Representatives, Engineer, Bond Counsel, and Local Counsel to coordinate funding and project initiatives
  • Assist/complete with the Short Term (ST) and Long Term (LT) financing application
  • Review project budget, time line and cash flow needs to recommend amount to borrow (BAN) prior to closing short term, if applicable
  • Coordinate and review loan and related closing documents (Exhibits)
  • Review the Project Finance Agreement (PFA)
  • Prepare proposed repayment schedules for budgeting purposes
  • Complete and submit EFC Cost Summary Requests and Supplemental Certificate of Determination of cost documentation as needed for cash flow
  • Track expenses by expense category and prepare a monthly financial report to the Municipality
  • Assist with MWBE requirements
  • Attend necessary meetings as requested
  • Complete and submit sewer exclusion to OSC on behalf of the municipality if applicable
  • Work with EFC staff, Engineer and Municipality on the appropriate filing of cost documentation, amendments and change orders in an effective manner to utilize all appropriate funding sources available to meet the cash flow needs of the municipality

USDA – Rural Development (RD) – Rural Utilities Program (Water & Sewer) and Community Facilities Program

  • Meet with Local Officials, Agency Representatives, Engineer, Bond Counsel and Local Counsel to coordinate funding and project initiatives
  • Assist and/or complete funding items and forms for USDA-RD application financing
  • Review project budget, time line and cash flow to recommend amount to borrow
  • Arrange for borrowing and pay-off of Bond Anticipation Notes for the RD loan portion
  • Advise on when a principal payment is due and how much to budget
  • Complete Form E's and tabulation sheets monthly
  • Advise when a single audit needs to be completed in the fiscal year that more than $500K has been spent
  • Attend necessary meetings as requested
  • Complete and submit sewer exclusion to OSC on behalf of the municipality if applicable
  • Work with RD staff, Engineer and Municipality to make sure RD forms, amendments and change orders are received and approved by RD in a timely manner
  • Prepare required maturity schedules for long term financing

Fiscal Advisors Internet Resource Guide & Posting Services

FA's website and electronic announcement services gets your Official Statement in front of more investors. FA's website is visited regularly by underwriters and banks looking for issues to bid on. We welcome you to visit FA's website at www.fiscaladvisors.com to see what we offer for marketing of issues:

  • Resource Guide to industry specific Internet links assisting in the financial and professional development of municipal organization
  • Forward Sale Calendar includes ALL note and bond issues and respective pertinent information handled by FA
  • Posting Services include Sale Results, Official Statements, Notices of Sale and financial statements
  • Past Sales Calendar archives all FA note and bond sales for one year past the original sale date
  • Electronic Notices offer FA clients & underwriters the opportunity to automatically receive electronically any or all of the New Issue Announcements, Technical Paper Publications and New York State Building Aid Updates
  • Technical Papers house publications written by industry professionals in an effort to educate and support the field of municipal financing
  • About Us lists the biographical information of FA professional staff with an email link to each professional
  • FA Services is a directory of the expert services FA provides to the municipal finance industry
  • Contact FA offers a user friendly guide showing the location of FA's office locations