EBSA
Notices
Notice of Proposed Individual Exemption Involving The Alaska Laborers-Construction Industry Apprenticeship Training Trust (the Plan), Located in Seattle, WA
[ 8/28/2009]
[ PDF]
FR Doc E9-20737
[Federal Register: August 28, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 166)]
[Notices]
[Page 44396-44400]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28au09-80]
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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employee Benefits Security Administration
[Application No. L-11482]
Notice of Proposed Individual Exemption Involving The Alaska
Laborers-Construction Industry Apprenticeship Training Trust (the
Plan), Located in Seattle, WA
AGENCY: Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of
Labor.
ACTION: Notice of proposed individual exemption.
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SUMMARY: This document contains a notice of pendency before the
Department of Labor (the Department) of
[[Page 44397]]
a proposed exemption which, if granted, would permit the purchase by
the Plan of certain unimproved real property (the Property) from the
Alaska Construction & General Laborers 942 Business Association, Inc.
(the Building Association), an entity owned by Local 942, Laborers
International Union of North America (Local 942), a party in interest
with respect to the Plan. If granted, the exemption would affect
participants and beneficiaries of and fiduciaries with respect to the
Plan.
DATES: Effective Date: If granted, this proposed exemption will be
effective on the date the grant notice is published in the Federal
Register.
DATES: Written comments and requests for a public hearing should be
received by the Department on or before October 27, 2009.
ADDRESSES: All written comments and requests for a public hearing
(preferably, three copies) should be sent to the Office of Exemption
Determinations, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Room N-5700,
U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC
20210, Attention: Application No. L-11482. Interested persons are also
invited to submit comments and/or hearing requests to the Department by
facsimile to (202) 219-0204 or by electronic mail to Broady.Jan@dol.gov
by the end of the scheduled comment period. The application pertaining
to the proposed exemption and the comments received will be available
for public inspection in the Public Disclosure Room of the Employee
Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-
1513, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jan D. Broady, Office of Exemption
Determinations, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S.
Department of Labor, telephone (202) 693-8556. (This is not a toll-free
number.)
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is hereby given of the pendency
before the Department of a proposed exemption from certain prohibited
transaction restrictions of section 406 of the Employee Retirement
Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act or ERISA). If granted, the
exemption would permit the Plan to purchase the subject Property from
Local 942, a party in interest with respect to the Plan. The proposed
exemption has been requested in an application filed on behalf of the
Plan pursuant to section 408(a) of the Act and in accordance with the
procedures set forth in 29 CFR Part 2570, Subpart B (55 FR 32836,
32847, August 10, 1990). Accordingly, this proposed exemption is being
issued solely by the Department.
Summary of Facts and Representations
1. The Plan is an apprenticeship and training plan that is
organized as a multi-employer Taft-Hartley Trust Fund. The Plan was
established in October 1967, pursuant to an original Agreement and
Declaration of Trust (the Trust Agreement), between labor and employer
representatives of the construction industry in the State of Alaska.
The Plan was created to provide classroom instruction and outside
training classes and to simulate work experience needed at construction
sites and on-the-job training for members and apprentices of Local 942
and Local 341 of the Laborers International Union of North America
(Local 341).\1\ Although the Plan has a physical presence in Fairbanks,
Alaska and Anchorage, Alaska, it maintains its legal address in
Seattle, Washington.
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\1\ Local 942 and Local 341 are collectively referred to herein
as the ``Unions.''
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2. The Plan is sponsored by the Unions and the Associated General
Contractors for the State of Alaska (the AGC), an employer organization
representing most of the contributing employers to the Plan. The AGC
serves as the collective bargaining agent on behalf of the employers in
Alaska. Besides the Unions and the AGC, independent employers
contribute to the Plan, though these employers may not be AGC members.
3. The Plan is administered by an eight member Board of Trustees
(the Trustees), four of whom are appointed by the AGC and four of whom
are appointed by the Unions. The Trustees have ultimate fiduciary,
operational and investment discretion over the assets of the Plan. The
Trustees appointed by the AGC are Derald Schoon, John Minder, Michael
Brady, and Roxanna Horschel. The Trustees appointed by the Unions are
Dan Simien and Tim Sharp (who represent Local 942), and Ron McPheters
and Joey Merrick (who represent Local 341). The Trustees administer the
Plan and certain training facilities described herein with the
assistance of Les Lauinger, the Plan's Training Coordinator. As of June
30, 2008, the Plan had total net assets of $5,742,204. As of October 3,
2008, the Plan had approximately 2,000 participants.
4. The Building Association is an Alaska corporation that was
incorporated by and on behalf of Local 942 to hold title to real
property solely on behalf of Local 942. The Building Association is
located at 2740 Davis Road, Fairbanks, Alaska. Other than serving as a
Plan sponsor, Local 341 has no other relationship to the Building
Association or to Local 942.
5. Among the assets of the Building Association is the Property,
consisting of approximately .642 acres of undeveloped land. The
Property is located at 2740 Davis Road, Fairbanks, Alaska and it is
legally described as ``the East half of Lot 2, Block 16 [of the
Laborers Training Center Subdivision], facing the corner of Ada Street
and Twenty-First Avenue.'' The Property is adjacent to the Fairbanks
Training School building (the Training Facility), which is currently
owned and operated by the Plan for training purposes. The Property is
also adjacent to real property (referred to as ``Lots 1A and 1B of
Block 16'') owned and used exclusively by the Building Association to
conduct its business operations.
The Property represents a portion of vacant land that was
originally purchased by the Building Association from the Keith Briggs
Trust, an unrelated party, on June 20, 1997 for $112,500 (the Briggs
Property). Of the purchase price paid for the Briggs Property, the
Building Association made a $50,000 cash payment and it financed the
remaining balance of $62,500 in two annual installments that occurred
on the first and second anniversary dates of the closing date at 8%
interest per annum.
6. On January 9, 2003, the Department gave final authorization to
the Plan pursuant to the requirements of Prohibited Transaction
Exemption 96-62 (61 FR 39988, July 31, 1996, as amended by 67 FR 44622,
July 3, 2002), a class exemption permitting certain authorized
transactions between plans and parties in interest. The Department's
authorization (Final Authorization Number 2003-01E) allowed the Plan to
purchase approximately 27,907 square feet of the Briggs Property,
including the western half of Lot 2 of Block 16 from the Building
Association for $42,000. The property acquired constitutes the site of
the Training Facility and it contains approximately 4,400 square feet
of classroom and office space, including vacant land for at least 30
parking spaces next to the building. The Training Facility has been
owned and occupied entirely by the Plan since 2003.
7. In 2004 and 2005, the Trustees determined that the Plan needed
additional vacant land adjacent to the
[[Page 44398]]
Training Facility.\2\ An initial Earnest Money Receipt and Agreement
(the Initial Agreement) was executed in December 2005 between Mr.
Lauinger, the Plan's Training Coordinator and Mr. Sharp, on behalf of
the Building Association. Under the terms of the Initial Agreement, the
Plan deposited $28,000 in the Client Trust Account held on behalf of
the Plan by the law firm Jermain, Dunnagan and Owens, P.C. (JDO) of
Anchorage, Alaska. JDO, the Plan's legal counsel, is a party in
interest with respect to the Plan because it is a service provider. JDO
has also submitted this exemption request on behalf of the Plan.
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\2\ According to the Trust Agreement, any action taken by the
Trustees must be performed by ``unit'' vote. As a result of this
procedure, any decision to purchase the Property was made by such
unit or group vote, which consisted of one vote by the Union
Trustees and one vote by the Employer Trustees. Although Trustees
Tim Sharp and Dan Simien, who are Union Trustees representing Local
942, ``voted'' within their Trustee group for purposes of obtaining
a majority, their individual votes did not matter because the Union
Trustees were only entitled to exercise one vote. Similarly, the
Trustees for Local 341 voted within their Trustee group.
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Under the terms of the Initial Agreement, the eastern one-half
portion of Lot 1 of Block 16, which faces the corner of Ada and Davis
Streets and consists of approximately 67,000 square feet of space,
would be acquired by the Plan from the Building Association. Therefore,
it was understood that the Plan would need to obtain an administrative
exemption from the Department in order for this transaction to proceed.
The Building Association was also willing to refrain from selling or
marketing this tract of property until the Plan had received an
administrative exemption from the Department. If the proposed exemption
was not approved by the Department, the Initial Agreement would
terminate and no sale would be consummated. Although the Initial
Agreement required that the exemption be obtained within a reasonable
period of time, no specific date was indicated.
8. Subsequently, the Trustees determined that it would not be
prudent for the Plan to purchase the entire eastern half of Lot 1 of
Block 16. Instead, the Plan would purchase only half of the parcel or
approximately 27,907 square feet of land. As a result, and at full cost
to Local 942 and the Building Association, the land and lots were
replatted to show the Property as the ``East half of Lot 2 as an
extension of Lot 2 of Block 16, of the Laborers Training Trust
Subdivision.''
In November 2007, a Revised and Final Earnest Money Receipt and
Agreement (the Revised Agreement) was executed between Mr. Sharp for
the Building Association and Mr. Lauinger on behalf of the Plan. Under
the Revised Agreement, the amount of the Plan's earnest money was
reduced to $26,500. In addition, the parties executed an addendum to
allow the Building Association and Local 942 a right of first refusal
if the Plan decided to resell the vacant lot. As with the Initial
Agreement, the primary condition of the Revised Agreement required the
Department's approval of both transactions.\3\ The Plan has received no
interest on its earnest money under either the Initial Agreement or the
Revised Agreement, nor has it paid any servicing or administrative fees
to JDO.\4\ Nevertheless, given the amount of time that has elapsed
since such funds have been held in the Client Trust Account, JDO has
agreed to compensate the Plan for all back interest at the time the
proposed transaction is consummated.\5\ Such interest amount will be
determined by the independent fiduciary for the Plan, as discussed in
Representation 12.
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\3\ The right of first refusal has not been included in the
scope of this exemption request. If the Plan ever decides to resell
the Property to the Building Association and Local 942, the
applicants will request an administrative exemption from the
Department.
\4\ According JDO, the Client Trust Account is an ``Interest On
Lawyer Trust Account'' or ``IOLTA'' that is established by a law
firm to hold funds for a client that is separate from the firm's
other accounts or any other client accounts. The Professional Rules
of Responsibility and the Alaska Bar Association rules, require for
an IOLTA that all interest payments earned by the firm accounts or
the Client Trust Accounts be turned over to the state Bar
Association.
\5\ The Department is expressing no opinion herein on whether
the decision by JDO to recommend that the Plan deposit its earnest
money in a non-interest bearing account, has violated the provisions
of section 404(a) of the Act. In pertinent part, section 404(a) of
the Act requires, among other things, that a fiduciary of a plan act
prudently, solely in the interest of the plan's participants and
beneficiaries, and for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits
to participants and beneficiaries when making investment decisions
on behalf of a plan.
In addition, the Department wishes to point out that to the
extent JDO has received any direct or indirect benefit by
recommending that the Plan's earnest money be placed in a Client
Trust Account rather than in an interest-bearing escrow account with
an unrelated party, such action would violate section 406(a)(1)(D)
and section 406(b)(1) and (b)(2) of the Act.
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9. The Plan proposes to purchase the Property from the Building
Association. The Plan will acquire the Property for the lesser of
$62,791 or the fair market value of such Property at the time of the
transaction, as determined by a qualified, independent appraiser. The
Plan will pay the consideration in cash and it will not be required to
pay any real estate commissions, fees or other expenses in connection
with the transaction. Accordingly, an administrative exemption is
requested from the Department.
Further, the proposed transaction will be consummated only after a
qualified, independent fiduciary, acting on behalf of the Plan,
negotiates the relevant terms and conditions of such transaction and
determines that proceeding with the transaction is in the best
interests of the Plan and its participants and beneficiaries. The
independent fiduciary will monitor the proposed transaction on behalf
of the Plan to ensure compliance with the agreed upon terms.
10. The Trustees seek this exemption so that the Plan will own real
property that is adjacent to the Training Facility and it will give the
Plan more direct road access. The Property will be used by the Plan to
store training equipment and provide a place to conduct outdoor
training classes. Also, due to the distances involved, it is
represented that the Training Facility needs to operate independently
from an Anchorage training facility and have sufficient physical space
and training capabilities to hold classes for members and apprentices
living in Northern Alaska. In the past, large and specialized classes
needed for certification required that residents from Fairbanks fly to
Anchorage and find temporary housing to take training classes, at
considerable expense.
11. The Property has been appraised by Chris Guinn, MAI, SRA, SR/
WA, a qualified, independent appraiser affiliated with the real
appraisal firm of Street, Guinn & Associates, located in Fairbanks,
Alaska. Mr. Guinn certifies in an appraisal report dated September 23,
2008 that he has no present or prospective interest in the Property nor
any personal interest or bias with respect to the parties involved and
that he has received no income, at any time, from the Building
Association or from any other parties in interest.
Mr. Guinn represents that he has been a real estate professional in
interior Alaska for over 25 years and has a Master's degree in business
administration. He states that he maintains several professional
affiliations as a member of the Appraisal Institute and the Greater
Fairbanks Board of Realtors, among other things. He explains that he
has owned Street Guinn & Associates since 1986, and during this time he
has acted as an independent professional fee appraiser specializing in
condemnation, rural and commercial income property. Further, Mr. Guinn
states that he has participated in numerous arbitration
[[Page 44399]]
issues, not only as the appraiser of record, but also as a chairman of
a panel charged with the resolution of such matters.
Using the Sales Comparison Approach to valuation, Mr. Guinn has
placed the fair market value of a fee simple interest in the Property
at $70,000, as of September 10, 2008. Thus, the Property represents
less than 1.3% of the Plan's assets. Mr. Guinn also physically
inspected the Property. He explains that his estimate of the fair
market value of the Property is as a ``stand-alone property'' and he
concludes that the Plan will be engaging in an arm's length
transaction. Mr. Guinn will update his appraisal on the date the
purchase transaction is consummated.
12. Washington Capital Management, Inc. (WCM) of Seattle,
Washington will serve as the independent fiduciary for the Plan with
respect to the proposed transaction. Specifically, Cory Carlson,
Director of Equity Real Estate of WCM and Mel Morgan, MAI and Vice
President of WCM have prepared the representations required of the
independent fiduciary. WCM has been a registered investment adviser for
over 31 years. As a real estate investment manager, WCM has handled
real estate investments for many Taft-Hartley multiemployer plans,
including the Alaska Laborers-Employers Retirement Trust. As of
September 30, 2008, WCM had $3.3 billion under management, in both
separate accounts and commingled open ended portfolio strategies for
stocks, bonds, mortgages or real estate equity. WCM is also a
``Qualified Professional Asset Manager'' and it has six offices,
including an office in Anchorage, Alaska and a staff of 55 employees.
WCM states that it has received no income, at any time, from the
parties in interest involved in the proposed transaction and has no
other relationships with these parties.
WCM represents that it understands and accepts the duties,
responsibilities and liabilities in acting as a fiduciary with respect
to the Plan. In this regard, WCM states that it has a compliance
department which reviews all ongoing actions for compliance with ERISA
duties and responsibilities. In addition, WCM states that it has a
``corporate culture'' and an ``individual value system'' which is
attentive to the intent and obligations of ERISA and the resulting
rules.
Based on Mr. Guinn's appraisal of the Property, WCM concludes that
the purchase price of $62,791 is acceptable and it does not exceed the
$70,000 fair market value price that would be expected in an arm's
length transaction. WCM also states that the acquisition of the
Property would provide certain non-monetary benefits to the Plan
because it would allow the Plan to expand its training operations.
Since the purchase price is so low, WCM does not believe the
acquisition of the Property would affect the Plan's liquidity needs.
WCM notes that two of the biggest risks to the Plan in acquiring a
vacant parcel of industrial land, such as the Property, are
environmental liability and depreciation. However, it states that it
has been informed that there are no environmental concerns with the
Property and that it has held value. Therefore, the proposed purchase
transaction, according to WCM, would be in the best interests of the
Plan and its participants and beneficiaries.
In addition, WCM has addressed the amount of the earnest money
given by the Plan to secure the Property and the appropriateness of
JDO's placing such funds in the law firm's Client Trust Account instead
of in an interest-bearing account maintained on behalf of the Plan by
an unrelated party. With respect to the amount of the earnest money,
WCM states that the $26,500 deposit, though substantial, is not unusual
considering the $62,791 purchase price for the Property. WCM explains
that earnest money deposits are negotiated to encourage the timely
completion of a transaction and to provide sufficient funds to cover
damages if a dispute arises. When the total price is small, WCM further
explains that the deposits tend to be a larger percentage. Thus, the
deposit amount is within a market standard range, according to WCM.
With respect to the issue of whether the earnest money was
appropriately deposited, WCM states that although the earning of
interest varies according to regional and local practices, it would
recommend that the Plan's earnest money be placed in an interest-
bearing escrow account, particularly for future long-term transactions
involving the Plan. WCM also notes that the amount of potential
interest earned by the Plan would have been relatively small. Using one
month CD rates published by the Federal Reserve, WCM has initially
determined that the Plan's earnest money deposit of $26,500 would have
earned $3,840 between December 2004 and April 2009. WCM will update
this calculation on the date the proposed transaction is consummated.
In addition to the foregoing duties, WCM will monitor the purchase
transaction on behalf of the Plan. Further, WCM will ensure compliance
with all agreed upon terms and conditions.
13. In summary, it is represented that the proposed transaction
will satisfy the statutory criteria for an exemption under section
408(a) of the Act because:
(a) The terms and conditions of the proposed transaction will be no
less favorable to the Plan than those which the Plan would receive in
an arm's length transaction with an unrelated party.
(b) The purchase of the Property will be a one-time transaction for
cash.
(c) The Plan will not pay any real estate commissions, fees, or
other similar expenses to any party as a result of the proposed
transaction.
(d) The Plan will purchase the Property from the Building
Association for the lesser of (1) $62,791 or (2) the fair market value
of the Property as determined on the date of such transaction by a
qualified, independent appraiser.
(e) The proposed transaction will be consummated only after an
independent fiduciary (1) determines that proceeding with the
transaction is in the best interests of the Plan and its participants
and beneficiaries and (2) negotiates the relevant terms and conditions
of such transaction.
(f) The independent fiduciary has calculated and will calculate to
the date of sale, using the applicable certificate of deposit rate in
effect, the amount of interest owed to the Plan based upon its earnest
money deposit for the Property.
(g) On the date of the transaction, the Plan's legal counsel will
pay all interest owed the Plan resulting from counsel's placement of
the Plan's earnest money deposit for the Property in a non-interest
bearing account.
(h) The independent fiduciary will monitor the proposed transaction
on behalf of the Plan to ensure compliance with the agreed upon terms.
Notice to Interested Persons
The Trustees will provide notice of the proposed exemption to
interested persons within 30 days of the publication of the notice of
proposed exemption in the Federal Register. The interested persons to
whom the Trustees would provide notice would include, but would not be
limited to, Plan participants, Union members, and all active laborers
reported to the Plan on contribution remittance reports filed with the
Plan's Trust Administration Office. Such notice will be provided to
interested persons by first-class mail and will include a copy of the
notice of proposed exemption as published in the Federal Register as
well as a supplemental statement, as required pursuant to 29 CFR
2570.43(b)(2). The supplemental statement will inform
[[Page 44400]]
interested persons of their right to comment on and/or to request a
hearing. Comments and requests for a hearing with respect to the
proposed exemption are due within 60 days of the publication of this
pendency notice in the Federal Register.
General Information
The attention of interested persons is directed to the following:
(1) The fact that a transaction is the subject of an exemption
under section 408(a) of the Act does not relieve a fiduciary or other
party in interest from certain other provisions of the Act, including
any prohibited transaction provisions to which the exemption does not
apply and the general fiduciary responsibility provisions of section
404 of the Act, which require, among other things, a fiduciary to
discharge his or her duties respecting the plan solely in the interest
of the participants and beneficiaries of the plan and in a prudent
fashion in accordance with section 404(a)(1)(B) of the Act;
(2) The proposed exemption, if granted, will not extend to any
transaction prohibited under section 406(b)(3);
(3) Before an exemption can be granted under section 408(a) of the
Act, the Department must find that the exemption is administratively
feasible, in the interest of the plan and of its participants and
beneficiaries and protective of the rights of participants and
beneficiaries of the plan;
(4) The proposed exemption, if granted, will be supplemental to,
and not in derogation of, any other provisions of the Act, including
statutory or administrative exemptions. Furthermore, the fact that a
transaction is subject to an administrative or statutory exemption is
not dispositive of whether the transaction is in fact a prohibited
transaction; and
(5) This proposed exemption, if granted, is subject to the express
condition that the facts and representations set forth in the notice of
proposed exemption accurately describe, where relevant, the material
terms of the transaction that will be consummated if this exemption is
granted.
Written Comments and Hearing Requests
All interested persons are invited to submit written comments or
requests for a hearing on the pending exemption to the address above,
within the time frame set forth above, after the publication of this
proposed exemption in the Federal Register. All comments will be made a
part of the record. Comments received will be available for public
inspection with the referenced applications at the address set forth
above.
Proposed Exemption
Based on the facts and representations set forth in the
application, the Department is considering granting an exemption under
the authority of section 408(a) of the Act and in accordance with the
procedures set forth in 29 CFR Part 2570, Subpart B (55 FR 32836,
32847, August 10, 1990). If the exemption is granted, the restrictions
of sections 406(a), 406(b)(1) and (b)(2) of the Act shall not apply to
the purchase by the Plan of certain unimproved real property (the
Property) from the Alaska Construction & General Laborers 942 Building
Association, Inc. (the Building Association), an entity owned by Local
942, Laborers International Union of North America, a party in interest
with respect to the Plan, provided that the following conditions are
satisfied:
(a) The terms and conditions of the proposed transaction are no
less favorable to the Plan than those which the Plan would receive in
an arm's length transaction with an unrelated party.
(b) The purchase of the Property is a one-time transaction for
cash.
(c) The Plan does not pay any real estate commissions, fees, or
other similar expenses to any party as a result of the proposed
transaction.
(d) The Plan purchases the Property from the Building Association
for the lesser of (1) $62,791 or (2) the fair market value of the
Property as determined on the date of such transaction by a qualified,
independent appraiser.
(e) The proposed transaction is consummated only after an
independent fiduciary (1) determines that proceeding with the
transaction is in the best interests of the Plan and its participants
and beneficiaries and (2) negotiates the relevant terms and conditions
of such transaction.
(f) The independent fiduciary calculates, on the date of the
transaction (using the applicable certificate of deposit rate in
effect), the amount of interest owed to the Plan based upon its earnest
money deposit for the Property.
(g) On the date of the transaction, the Plan's legal counsel pays
all interest owed the Plan resulting from counsel's placement of the
Plan's earnest money deposit for the Property in a non-interest bearing
account.
(h) The independent fiduciary monitors the proposed transaction on
behalf of the Plan to ensure compliance with the agreed upon terms.
The availability of this proposed exemption is subject to the
express condition that the material facts and representations contained
in the application for exemption are true and complete and accurately
describe all material terms of the Covered Transactions.
Signed at Washington, DC, this 24th day of August 2009.
Ivan L. Strasfeld,
Director of Exemption Determinations, Employee Benefits Security
Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.
[FR Doc. E9-20737 Filed 8-27-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-P
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