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BACKGROUND <br />California Government Code Section 53646 provides for the City Council to adopt an <br />annual investment policy. The proposed investment policy for FY 2022/23 and the <br />adopting resolution are attached. <br />DISCUSSION <br />Aside from being legally required, an investment policy is important because it provides <br />the framework for a prudent investment program and helps fulfill the City's fiduciary <br />responsibilities. Specifically, a formal investment policy is necessary to identify investment <br />objectives, define risk tolerance, assign responsibility, and establish control over the <br />investment process. Safekeeping of cash and investments is one of the most important <br />responsibilities of the City Council, City Manager, and the Director of Finance. A well- <br />developed investment policy serves as a working document that directs the investment <br />activities of the staff and protects the government from potential losses stemming from <br />unsuitable investment practices. <br />Staff annually reviews and follows the California Debt and Investment Advisory <br />Commission's Local Agency Investment Guidelines. The 2022 Local Agency Investment <br />Guidelines states no approved changes to the local agency investment related codes. <br />Therefore, no updates to the City's current policy are required. <br />Investment Strategy <br />The overall strategy of the investment program is to earn a market rate of return, while <br />maintaining sufficient liquidity to meet operating cash requirements. This is accomplished <br />by maintaining a portfolio of allowable investment instruments that have acceptable credit <br />quality standards with maturities matching expected cash needs. The City does not <br />actively trade securities in the open market, instead utilizing a conservative approach, <br />which is described as "buy and hold", and means that once a security is purchased, it is <br />held until maturity. <br />Allowable Investment Instruments <br />The California Government Code restricts the type of investments that can be made by a <br />municipal government, and the City's investment policy further restricts the type of <br />investment instruments that are allowed. The California Government Code also restricts <br />the maturities of investments to no more than five years and restricts the percentage of <br />certain investment instruments in the portfolio. The City's investment policy mirrors those <br />same restrictions. <br />The following table summarizes the investments allowed by the California Government <br />Code, and of those, the investments allowed by the recommended City investment policy. <br />It also lists the value of each category in the current portfolio as of April 30, 2022. <br />Page 2 of 4 <br />