HomeMy WebLinkAbout(0007) Capital_Asset_Policy_Eff_10-1-20_Redline.PDFCapital Assets Policy
L Authority
FORT WORTH.
The Fort Worth City Council is responsible for legislation, policy formulation, and overall
direction setting of the government. This includes the approval of financial policies which
establish and direct the operations of the City of Fort Worth. The City Manager is responsible
for carrying out the policy directives of the City Council and managing the day-to-day
operations of the executive departments, including the Financial Management Services
Department (FMS). This policy shall be administered on behalf of the City Manager by the
Chief Financial Officer/Director of Finance ("CFO").
II. Purpose
This policy defines and provides the guiding principles with respect to the financial
management of capital asset for the City of Fort Worth ("the City"). The objectives of this
policy are to ensure consistent capital asset practices in accordance with Generally Accepted
Accounting Principles (GAAP) and applicable regulatory agencies and to safeguard against
loss, unauthorized use, or misappropriation of assets. Controls are created to establish,
maintain, and enforce a sound system of operational procedures in accordance with industry
best practices and internal control objectives. These controls address the decentralized nature
of the processes associated with capital assets while also providing standards and minimally
acceptable practices for these activities.
III. Applicability and Scope
All employees of the City, including uniformed employees in positions who are responsible
for performing fiscal operations described herein, shall apply the principles of this policy.
This may include, but not be limited to, staff who purchase, receive, monitor or dispose of
capital assets. Further, this policy shall cover all funds and capital assets under the control
of the Mayor and City Council.
IV. Glossary
See definitions related to this policy provided in the Glossary for Financial Management
Policies.
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V. General Information
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The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) provides the following
authoritative definition of capital assets for state and local governments:
The term capital assets includes land, improvements to land, easements, buildings,
building improvements, vehicles, machinery, equipment, works of art and historical
treasures, infrastructure, and all other tangible or intangible assets that are used in
operations and that have initial useful lives extending beyond a single reporting
period.
Capital assets should be recorded at histerie original cost or, if the cost is not readily
determined, at estimated ht�ori ig nal cost. Cost shall include applicable ancillary costs
necessary to place the asset in its intended location and condition for use. All costs should
be documented, including methods and sources used to establish any estimated costs.
The City acquires capital assets in one of the following ways:
Purchased assets - The recording of purchased assets should be made on the basis
of actual costs, ineluding all excluding some ancillary costs;- based on
vendor invoice or other supporting documentation. *See Section VII-A for further
exylanation.
2. Constructed assets - DAll irect costs (including labor) associated with the
construction project should be included in determining the asset valuation. For
Community Facilities Agreements, City of Fort Worth inspection costs arewill no
longer -be capitalized as part of the proiect effective 06-01-2019 associated with
fund 30114 (CFA Developer)
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3. Donated assets — Capital assets acquired by donation should be valued based on the
acquisition value at the time of receipt and capitalize in accordance with the
threshold value for each asset category Please refer to the City of Fort Worth's
Donations Policy for ,guidance on acceptance of donations.
VI. Responsibility / Authority
City-wide Department responsibilities:
A. Serve as custodians of capital assets including land, land improvements, vehicles,
machinery and equipment (including rolling stock), that are assigned to their
departments.
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B. Ensure full departmental compliance with the established capital asset policy in order to
maintain adequate records of the City's capital assets.
C. Each department head must appoint a ,lepaFt..,ent designee a FxedCapital Assets
Coordinator that has knowledge and experience in capital purchasing and management
of project expenditures. Department Capital Assets Coordinator De,.aAme.,t ,le igaee
responsibilities include but are not limited to:
• Attend the required AM100 training provided by the City of Fort Worth.
• Perform a monthly review of the department's purchased, donated, and
constructed assets added into PeopleSoft Asset Management (PSAM) and
communicate with the Capital Assets Team regarding any discrepancies.
• Review and update the depat4 ,.en4's non finane:.,l asset inn matio in the
PSATsystem
• Identify capital asset transfers, impairments, and disposals, and provide the
Capital Assets Team documentation within 30 days of the occurrence.
• Identify all constructed assets in use, and provide the Capital Assets Team
documentation within six months or before the current fiscal year ends,
whichever comes first for capitalization within 30 days for , ayitaliz tion
(Refer to Section XIV).
• Review and update the department's non -financial asset information in the
PSAM system.
• Coordinate the department's review of the current capital asset register and
complete the Annual Asset Physical Inventory for Capital Assets.
FMS responsibilities:
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A. The Capital Asset Supe Team, Financial Services Manager, and Assistant
Finance Director over Accounting shall ensure that all capital assets belonging to the
City are properly identified and recorded in the PeopleSoft General Ledger module
and that the PSAM module is reconciled, at least monthly, to general ledger balances.
B. The Capital Asset Supervis eam is responsible for maintaining a current listing
of Capit^'Ei2k2a ^ gse4Capital Assets DesigneesCoordinators from all City
departments.
C. The Capital Asset Team must oversee the review of all transactions
related to capital assets at least monthly and update the PSAM system, as required,
upon validation of the transactions or corrections.
D. The Capital Asset Team, Financial Services Manager, and Assistant
Finance Director over Accounting are responsible for ensuring that journal entries
and monthly depreciation expense are properly recorded in the general ledger and
financial changes noted by the aepaFt.V.ent aesig eesFixed Asset —Capital Assets
Coordinators are recorded in the PSAM system.
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E. FMS is responsible to provide department representatives with the necessary
trainingsuMport in capital asset management to effectively fulfill their duties and
responsibilities under this policy.
VII. Asset Classification
The City categorizes capital assets into the following:
A. Land
Land includes all land parcels purchased or otherwise acquired by the City for
building sites, streets, right of way, permanent easement, recreation, future use, etc.
This does not include land held for resale, which is accounted for as inventory.
Land is frequently associated with some other asset (e.g., land under a building or
road). Land should always be treated and accounted for separately. The cost of the
land should include not only the acquisition price, but also the cost of initially
preparing land for its intended purpose, provided these preparations have an
indefinite useful life, like the land itself. The recorded cost of land includes (1) the
contract purchase price; (2) the costs of closing the transaction and obtaining title,
including commissions, options, legal fees, title search, insurance, and past due or
current taxes;
(-3) the _e_'_ of _ i,. ys; andAnd (43) the cost of preparing the land for its
particular use such as clearing and grading. If the land is purchased for the purpose
of constructing a building, all costs incurred up to the excavation for the new building
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should be considered land costs. Removal of an old building, clearing, grading and
filling are considered land costs because they are necessary to get the land in
condition for its intended purpose. Any proceeds obtained in the process of getting
the land ready for its intended use, such as salvage receipts on the demolition of the
old building or the sale of cleared timber, are treated as reductions in the price of the
land. Capitalization of land costs may include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Original contract price
• Brokers' commissions
• Legal fees for examining and recording title
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.tees-
• Cost of title guarantee insurance policies
Cost of real estate stuweys
• Cost of excavation, grading or filling of land and razing of an old building
• Payment of noncurrent taxes accrued on the land at date of purchase, if
payable by purchaser
*Excluded costs may include payroll charges, advertising_ process services, appraisal
fees, and surveys, as they typically are not able to be accurately and timely associated
with the land purchase at closing_
Improvements other than buildings (land improvements) isare used for permanent
(i.e., non -moveable) improvements, other than buildings, that add value to the land,
but do not have an indefinite useful life. Examples include, fences, retaining walls
and parking lots.
B. Buildings
• All permanent structures are included in the classification of buildings. The
costs of an improvement (or betterment) are normally added to the cost of the related
structure, rather than being treated as a -separate asset. The same- is true of restoration
costs following a capital asset impairment. Capitalization of costs related to
buildings include, but are not limited to, the following:
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• Original contract price of the asset acquired or cost of design and construction
• Expenses incurred in remodeling, reconditioning, or altering a purchased
building to make it available for the purpose for which it was acquired.
• Expenses incurred for the preparation of plans, specifications, blueprints, etc.
• Cost of building permits
• Payment of noncurrent taxes accrued on the building at date of purchase, if
payable by purchaser
• Architects' and engineers' fees for design and supervision
• Costs of temporary facilities used during the construction period
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C. Infrastructure
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Infrastructure assets are long-lived capital assets that normally are stationary in
nature and normally can be preserved for a significantly greater number of years than
most capital assets. Examples include roads, bridges, tunnels, drainage systems,
water and sewer systems, dams and lighting systems.
D. Machinery and equipment
This classification includes construction and maintenance equipment, office
equipment and furnishings, etc. above the capitalization threshold. Capitalization of
equipment costs mayinclude, but are not limited to, the following:
• Original contract or invoice cost
• Freight, acquisition fees, import duties, handling and storage costs
• Specific in -transit insurance charges
• Installation charges
0.
E. Vehicles
A motor vehicle is a self-propelled road vehicle that is used for the transportation of
passengers, or passengers and property. The capitalization amount includes the total
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purchase price less any applicable discounts and any ancillary payments required to
place the asset in its intended state of operation.
F. Intangible Assets
Intangible assets are those that lack physical substance, are non -financial in nature
and have an initial useful life extending beyond a single reporting period. Intangible
assets must be identifiable, meaning they are either capable of being separated by
means of sale, transfer, license or rent, or that they arise from contractual or other
legal rights.
Intangible assets acquired or developed by the City could include lieeHsec customized
software, internally generated software, works of a#sart and historical treasures.
Other —examples_
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VIII.
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-of intangible assets the City may own included asements, water rights, timber
patents and trademarks.
G. Construction Work in Progress CWIP
Construction work in progress represents capitalized costs related to a capital asset
that is not yet substantially ready to be placed in service. For construction work in
progress assets, no depreciation is recorded until the asset is placed in service. When
the asset is placed in service, the asset is reclassified to the correct category and
depreciation begins.
Capitalization
A. Capitalization Thresholds
1. Land must be capitalized regardless of the value or cost.
2. Buildings must be capitalized regardless of the cost.
Infrastructure must be capitalized when the useful life is 3 years or greater and
the cost is $100,000 or more.
4. Betterments and Improvements qualifying as a capital asset is defined as a single
item with a useful life of 2 years or greater with an acquisition cost of:
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Commented [MM7]: Currently we treated easements as
Land, not intangible asset.
We recognize permanent easement and right -of -way as
land : need to add under land.
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a. Building Improvements at $100,000 or more
b. Infrastructure Improvements at $100,000 or more
C. Machinery and Equipment Improvements at $25,000 or
more
5. Machinery and Equipment qualifying as a capital asset is defined as a single item
with an acquisition cost of $25,000 or more and has a useful life of 2 years or
greater. This includes items designed for off road.
6—Vehicles must be capitalized when the useful life is 4 years or greater, the cost is
6$5,000 or greater and it meets both of the following criteria:
•a_Self-propelled
•b. Primary use is on public streets and the unit is street legal
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Commented[MM2]: Building or facility improvement,
our current process treated as a capital when the project
total dollar amount is 100K or more.
Commented [MM3]: Proposed change to:
Betterments and Improvements qualifying as a capital asset
is defined as a single item with a useful life of 2 years or
greater with an acquisition cost of.
• Building Improvements at $100,000 or more
• Infrastructure Improvements at $100,000 or
More
• Machinery and Equipment Improvements at
$25,000 or more
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7. Intangible assets must be capitalized when the useful life is 3 years or greater and
the cost is $100,000 or more- with the exception of -works of art and historical
treasures, which are canalized regardless of life or cost.
B. Contributed or Donated Assets
Contributed or donated assets must be recorded at acquisition value. Refer to the
Donations Polic,, f�pitalization thresholds per category. Acquisition value is the
price that would be paid to acquire an asset with equivalent service potential in an
orderly market transaction at the acquisition date, or the amount at which -a liability
could be liquidated with the counterparty at the acquisition date. With regard to
donated land, an appraisal must be no older than five (5) years in order to be used to
determine a value for the land. If an appraisal is greater than five (5) years old or an
aUnraisal does not exist, then appropriate effort must be made to determine a
reasonable per acre value of the land in question. Work with Accounting to establish
the appropriate value..
IX. Betterments, Improvements and Repair and Maintenance
A. Betterments
A betterment materially renovates or enhances a previously capitalized asset without
introduction of a completely new unit. Alterations that change the physical structure of assets
(e.g., cutting new entry and exit openings or closing old ones; erecting new walls, windows
and partitions or removing old ones) but neither materially add value to the asset nor prolong
its useful expected life should be charged to maintenance expense. Examples of betterments
include:
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Enhancement of an old shingle roof through the addition of modern, fireproof
tiles
• "Major catch-up" repair to or rehabilitation of an existing neglected asset that
extends the useful life or substantially increases the value of the asset.
A betterment that meets the capitalization threshold in seetionSection VIII should be
capitalized.
B. Improvements
Improvements include additions of new components to previously capitalized assets that
either increase the assets' value, extend the useful life, increase the normal rate of output,
lower the operating cost, or increase the efficiency of the existing asset. Replacements of
components of existing capitalized assets with improved or superior
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_units, such that the value of the assets is increased, are also classified as improvements.
Examples include:
• Installation of an air condition system where there previously was none
• Installation of a crane on a truck that did not previously have one
• Removal of a major part or component of equipment and the substitution of
a new part or component that increases either the value or useful life
• Addition of a new wing on a building
• An improvement that meets the capitalization threshold in seetionSection VIII
should be capitalized.
C. Repair and Maintenance
Maintenance and repairs can be distinguished from betterments and improvements in that
maintenance and repairs are not intended to alter or change the asset or to increase the useful
life of the asset, -but -rather to -sustain -the asset -in -its -present condition. A cost will qualify
as maintenance if any of the following are true:
Recurs on an ongoing basis (scheduled maintenance) and keeps the asset in a
useable condition.
• Does not add substantially to the value of the asset (i.e., it does not meet the
requirements in seetionSection VIII to be capitalized).
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• Simply restores a capital asset to its former condition, addressing normal
wear and tear associated with the use of an asset.
• Facilitates asset utilization for its original useful life
Examples include:
• Painting and similar activities
• Engine overhaul in a vehicle
• Resurfacing a roof with similar materials
• Remodeling and rearrangement costs
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Expenditures attributable to repair and maintenance after the asset has been placed in service
will not be capitalized and will instead be charged to maintenance expense.
X. Depreciation
Depreciation is defined as a reduction in the value of an asset with the passage of time, due
in particular to wear and tear. Depreciation will be calculated and recorded monthly for the
City's depreciable assets in accordance with GAAP. FMS is responsible to record
depreciation on a monthly basis._
The City uses the straight-line method of depreciation and a full month of depreciation is
taken in the original month of acquisition or capitalization. To calculate depreciation expense
using the straight-line method:
Annual Depreciation = Cost — Salvage Value
Asset Useful life (in years)
Salvage value is an estimate of the amount that will be realized at the end of useful life of a
depreciable asset. The City may assume that salvage value will be insignificant and
therefore, will not use it in the depreciation calculation.
Asset must be depreciated according to the useful life guidelines established by the City.
These guidelines are summarized below:
• Buildings: 20 - 4050 years
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• Infrastructure: 20 - 60 years
• Machinery and Equipment: 2 - 20 years
• Vehicles; 4 --915 years
• Runways and Taxiways: 20 - 30 years
• Water and Sewer Equipment: 5 - 30 years
• Water and Sewer Infrastructure: 25 - 60 years
The following capital assets are not depreciated:
• Land
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• Intangible assets with indefinite useful lives
• Construction Work in Progress
XI. Retirement
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All capital assets that are sold, exchanged, traded in, donated, stolen, damaged beyond repair
or in any way removed from service and disposed of during the -current fiscal period should
be recorded as retirements in the PSAM system.
When retiring an asset, the Department that had custody of the asset must complete and
submit an Asset Retirement Form to the Capital Assets Team. The Asset Retirement Form
should be properly approved by the Department with e'l^^i^ signature and date on the
form.
XII. Impairment
A capital asset generally should be considered impaired if both (a) the decline in service
utility of the capital asset is large in n magnitude and (b) the event or change in circumstance
is outside the normal life cycle of the capital asset.
The Department ,,opaFtm en4 desig eer-:xoa Capital Assets Coordinator is responsible for
determining whether an asset should be classified as impaired. The Capital Asset team in
FMS is available to assist in the determination.
In order to determine impairment, one or more of the following conditions must apply:
• Evidence of physical damage (building damaged by fire or flood, restoration
efforts are needed to restore service utility)
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• Enactment or approval of laws or regulations or other changes in
environmental factors
• Technological development resulting in a change of the expected duration of
use of a Capital Asset
• A change in the manner or expected duration of use of a Capital Asset
• Construction stoppage (stoppage of construction of a building --due to lack of
funding)-)
If the asset is not impaired, the -Department aepa ft...eRt ��Capital Assets
Coordinator should re-evaluate the remaining useful life and salvage value (if any). All
impairment decisions should be comanmicatedoommtmicated to the FMS CapitM Assets
Suven,iser bv the Fixed Asset Coordinator, and4nust be
2pprevedshould be analyzed and estimated by the Department Capital Assets Coordinator,
and submit to the FMS Department Assistant Director or Director for final review
and approval.
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XIII. Transfers
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When an asset is exchanged between departments, the Capital Asset Team will transfer the
asset in the PSAM system. The Capital Asset Transfer Form shall be used to identify an
asset transfer between City departments. The transfer must be approved by both the
transferor and transferee departments before an asset is transferred.
XIV. Placed In Service Assets
When a capital improvement project is substantially completed and an asset is usedl�egrnse
be ased for its intended purpose, the F4xedCapital Assets Coordinator will provide the
Capital Asset In -Service form to the Capital Asset Team within six months or before the
current fiscal year ends, whichever comes first. —Tand4he Capital Asset Team will transfer
the pFejeet-cost of the asset from Construction Work in Progress (CWIP) to the appropriate
asset category in the PSAM system -when. —When the assetcauital improvement proiect is
ptA into closed, the F4xedCapital Assets Coordinator will provide the Capital Asset
Completion form to the Capital Asset Team, and the Capital Asset Team will transfer theany
remaining costs to the previously created asset.
XV. Physical Inventory
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Each department must perform an Annual Asset Physical Inventory. The department
designeeFixedCapital Assets Coordinator is responsible for verifying the accuracy of the
assets recorded in PSAM based on their physical observation of the department's assets.
Exclude lands, buildings, and infrastructures.
XVI. XVII—.Acquisition of Capital Assets
Capital assets shall be acquired by the City of Fort Worth, following all required federal,
state, and local purchasing requirements. —Assets acquired by the City shall be —budgeted
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and purchased only in capital project funds. No assets are to be acquired from
operating funds.
For additional information or questions concerning this policy, please contact the FMS Capital Asset
team at (817) 392-2460.
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