Item 7 – Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

Overview

 

The discussion and analysis below includes certain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, as described in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, that could cause our actual growth, results of operations, performance, financial position and business prospects and opportunities for this fiscal year and the periods that follow to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, those forward-looking statements.   Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements contained in this Form 10-K should be read in conjunction with our disclosure under the heading “FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS” on page 1.

 

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) is intended to help the reader understand the results of operations and our financial condition and should be read in conjunction with the accompanying financial statements and the notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The following sections focus on the key indicators reviewed by management in evaluating our financial condition and operating performance, including the following:

 

 

Our MD&A section includes the following items:

 

Our Business  – a general description of our business, our services and our business strategy.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates  – a discussion of our critical accounting policies that require critical judgments, assumptions and estimates.

 

Results of Operations  – an   analysis of our results of operations for the three fiscal years presented in our financial statements. We present our discussion in the MD&A in conjunction with the accompanying financial statements.

 

Liquidity, Capital Resources and Financial Position  – an analysis of our cash position and cash flows, as well as a discussion of our financial obligations.

 

Our Business

 

Pure Cycle Corporation is a Colorado corporation that provides wholesale water and wastewater services to customers of governmental entities and commercial and industrial customers and is in the process of providing finished lots to national home builders developing single family homes on its Sky Ranch land holdings.

 

Our utility services include water production, storage, treatment, bulk transmission to retail distribution systems, wastewater collection and treatment, irrigation water treatment and transmission, construction management, billing and collection and emergency response. Our land operations include developing finished lots for home builders and commercial users who develop homes and businesses on our Sky Ranch property.

 

Water and Wastewater Utilities

 

Our utility operations position us as a vertically integrated wholesale water and wastewater provider, which means we own or control substantially all assets necessary to provide wholesale water and wastewater services to our customers. This includes owning or controlling (i) water rights which we use to provide domestic, irrigation, and industrial water to our wholesale customers (we own surface water, groundwater, reclaimed water rights and storage rights), (ii) infrastructure (such as wells, diversion structures, pipelines, reservoirs and treatment facilities) required to withdraw, treat, store and deliver water, (iii) infrastructure required to collect, treat, store and reuse wastewater, and (iv) infrastructure required to treat and deliver reclaimed water for irrigation use.

 

 

We currently provide wholesale water and wastewater service predominately to two local governmental customers. Our wholesale domestic customers are the Rangeview District and Arapahoe County. We provide service to Rangeview District’s end-use customers pursuant to individual Lowry Service and Off-Lowry Service Agreements, serving 391 water connections and 157 wastewater connections located in southeastern metropolitan Denver. In addition to providing domestic water, we provide untreated water to industrial customers in the oil and gas industry located in our service areas and adjacent to our service areas for hydraulic fracturing. Oil and gas operators have leased approximately 135,000 acres within and adjacent to our service areas for the purpose of exploring oil and gas interests in the Niobrara and other formations, and this activity had led to increased water demands.

 

We plan to utilize our significant water assets along with our adjudicated reservoir sites to provide wholesale water and wastewater services to local governmental entities which in turn will provide residential/commercial water and wastewater services to communities along the eastern slope of Colorado in the area generally referred to as the Front Range. Principally, we target the I-70 corridor, which is located east of downtown Denver and south of Denver International Airport. This area is predominately undeveloped and is expected to experience substantial growth over the next 30 years. We also plan to continue to provide water service to commercial and industrial customers.

 

Land Development

 

Our land development services at Sky Ranch include development of up to 4,400 single-family and multi-family homes, and over 1.6 million square feet of commercial, retail, and light industrial development. Sky Ranch will develop in multiple phases over a number of years. Our first phase of 151 acres is platted for 506 detached single-family residential lots. We have entered into agreements with three national home builders for the sale of all 506 lots, development of which is anticipated to begin in early 2018, with model homes scheduled for construction in the fall of 2018. We expect to phase the development of our initial 506 lots beginning with delivery of approximately 150 lots in 2018, delivering an additional 100 lots in mid-2019 and the balance of the lots to each builder depending on home sales. We estimate that build out of our initial 506 lots will take between three and four years.

 

In June 2017, we entered into purchase and sale agreements (collectively, the “Purchase and Sale Contracts”) with three separate home builders pursuant to which we agreed to sell, and each builder agreed to purchase, a certain number (totaling 506) of single-family, detached residential lots at the Sky Ranch property. We will be developing finished lots for each of the three home builders (which are lots on which homes are ready to be built that include roads, curbs, wet and dry utilities, storm drains andother improvements). Each builder is required to purchase water and sewer taps for the lots from the Rangeview District, the cost of which depends on the size of the lot, the size of the house, and the amount of irrigated turf. Pursuant to the Off-Lowry Service Agreement, we will receive all of the water tap fees and wastewater tap fees and 90% of the monthly service fees and usage fees for wastewater services received by the Rangeview District from customers at Sky Ranch. We will also receive 98% of the usage fees for water services received by the Rangeview District from customers at Sky Ranch, after deduction, in most instances, of the royalty to the Land Board related to the use of the Rangeview Water Supply.

 

The closing of the transactions contemplated by each Purchase and Sale Contract is subject to customary closing conditions, including, among others, the builder’s completion to its satisfaction of a title review and other due diligence of the property, the accuracy of the representations and warranties made by us in the Purchase and Sale Contract, and a commitment by the title company to issue to the builder a title policy, subject to certain conditions. Within three business days of the execution of each Purchase and Sale Contract, each builder paid an earnest money deposit. Each builder had a 60-day due diligence period during which it had the right to terminate the Purchase and Sale Contract and receive a full refund of its earnest money deposit.  The initial due diligence period was extended; however, on November 10, 2017, each builder completed its due diligence period and agreed to continue with its respective Purchase and Sale Contract. Pursuant to certain Purchase and Sale Contracts, the builder is required to make an additional earnest money deposit or deposits after the due diligence period and/or final approval of the entitlements for the property. The earnest money deposit or deposits will be applied to the payment of the purchase price of the lots at closing in accordance with a specified takedown schedule or be paid to us in the event of certain defaults by a builder. Pursuant to each Purchase and Sale Contract, we must obtain final approval of the entitlements for the property by August 2018 (which date we may extend by six months).

 

We are obligated pursuant to the Purchase and Sale Contracts, or separate Lot Development Agreements (the “Lot Development Agreements” and, together with the Purchase and Sale Contracts, the “Builder Contracts”), to construct infrastructure and other improvements, such as roads, curbs and gutters, park amenities, sidewalks, street and traffic signs, water and sanitary sewer mains and stubs, storm water management facilities, and lot grading improvements for delivery of finished lots to each builder. Pursuant to the Builder Contracts, we must cause the Rangeview District to install and construct off-site infrastructure improvements ( i.e. , drainage and storm water retention ponds, a wastewater reclamation facility, and wholesale water facilities) for the provision of water and wastewater service to the property. In conjunction with our approvals with Arapahoe County for the Sky Ranch project, we and/or the Rangeview District and the Sky Ranch Districts are obligated to deposit into an account the anticipated costs to install and construct substantially all the off-site infrastructure improvements (which include drainage, wholesale water and wastewater, and entry roadway), which we estimate will be approximately $10.2 million.

 

We estimate the total capital required to develop lots in the first phase (506 lots) of Sky Ranch is approximately $27.8 million, and estimate lots sales to home builders to generate $35 million providing a margin on lots of approximately $7.2 million. Utility revenues are derived from tap fees (which vary depending on lot size, house size, and amount of irrigated turf) and usage fees (which are monthly water and wastewater fees). Our current Sky Ranch water tap fees are $26,650 (per SFE), and wastewater taps fees are $4,659 (per SFE).

 

We have begun design and preliminary engineering for our second phase which will include approximately 320 acres of residential development and 160 acres of commercial, retail, and industrial development along the Interstate-70 frontage. We expect to have multiple phases being developed concurrently and would expect the full development of the Sky Ranch project to occur over 10 – 14 years, depending on demand.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions about future events that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Future events and their effects cannot be determined with absolute certainty. Therefore, the determination of estimates requires the exercise of judgment. Actual results inevitably will differ from those estimates, and such differences may be material to the financial statements.

 

 

 

 

Tap and construction fees derived from agreements for which we own the infrastructure are recognized as revenue ratably over the estimated service life of the assets constructed with said fees. Although the cash is received up-front and most construction will be completed within one year of receipt of the proceeds, revenue recognition may occur over 30 years or more. Management is required to estimate the service life, and currently the service life is based on the estimated useful accounting life of the assets constructed with the tap fees. The useful accounting life of the asset is based on management’s estimation and may differ from the actual life of the asset or the actual service life of the tap due to a variety of factors. This is deemed a reasonable recognition life of the revenues because the depreciation of the assets constructed generating those revenues will therefore be matched with the revenues.

 

Monthly water usage fees, monthly wastewater service fees, and consulting fees are recognized in income each month as earned.

 

Pursuant to the O&G Lease and the Rangeview Lease, we received up-front payments which were recognized as other income on a straight-line basis over the initial term or extension of term, as applicable, of the leases. The up-front payments we received subsequent to year end pursuant to the Bison Lease will be recognized as other income on a straight-line basis over the initial term of the Bison Lease. 

 

Impairment of Water Assets and Other Long-Lived Assets

 

We review our long-lived assets for impairment whenever management believes events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. We measure recoverability of assets to be held and used by a comparison of the carrying amount of an asset to estimated future undiscounted net cash flows we expect to be generated by the eventual use of the asset. If such assets are considered to be impaired and therefore the costs of the assets deemed to be unrecoverable, the impairment to be recognized would be the amount by which the carrying amount of the assets exceeds the estimated fair value of the assets.

 

Our water assets will be utilized in the provision of water services which inevitably will encompass many housing and economic cycles. Our service capacities are quantitatively estimated based on an average single family home consuming approximately 0.2 acre feet of water per year. Average water deliveries are approximately 0.4 acre feet; however, approximately 50% or 0.2 acre feet are returned and available for reuse. Our water supplies are legally decreed to us through the water court. The water court decree allocates a specific amount of water (subject to continued beneficial use) which historically has not changed. Thus, individual housing and economic cycles typically do not have an impact on the number of connections we can serve with our supplies or the amount of water legally decreed to us relating to these supplies.

 

We report assets to be disposed of at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less costs to sell.

 

Our Water Rights – We determine the undiscounted cash flows for our Denver-based assets by estimating tap sales to potential new developments in our service areas and along the Front Range, using estimated future tap fees less estimated costs to provide water services, over an estimated development period. Actual new home development in our service areas and the Front Range, actual future tap fees, and actual future operating costs inevitably will vary significantly from our estimates, which could have a material impact on our financial statements as well as our results of operations. We performed an impairment analysis as of August 31, 2017, and determined there were no material changes and that our Denver-based assets are not impaired and their costs are deemed recoverable. Our impairment analysis is based on development occurring within areas in which we have agreements to provide water services utilizing water rights owned by us (e.g., Sky Ranch and the Lowry Range) as well as in surrounding areas, including the Front Range and the I-70 corridor. Our combined Rangeview Water Supply and Sky Ranch water assets have a carrying value of $34.6 million as of August 31, 2017. Based on the carrying value of our water rights, the long-term and uncertain nature of any development plans, current tap fees of $24,974 and estimated gross margins, we estimate that we would need to add approximately 2,300 new water connections (requiring 4% of our portfolio) to generate net revenues sufficient to recover the costs of our Rangeview Water Supply and Sky Ranch water. If tap fees increase 5%, we would need to add approximately 2,200 new water taps (requiring 3.8% of our portfolio) to recover the costs of our Rangeview Water Supply and Sky Ranch water. If tap fees decrease 5%, we would need to add approximately 2,400 new water taps (requiring 4.2% of our portfolio) to recover the costs of our Rangeview Water Supply and Sky Ranch water.

 

 

Although the timing of actual new home development throughout the Front Range will impact our estimated tap sale projections, it will not alter our water ownership, our service obligations to existing properties or the number of SFEs we can service.

 

Fair Value Estimates

 

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date in the principal or most advantageous market. We generally use a fair value hierarchy that has three levels of inputs, both observable and unobservable, with use of the lowest possible level of input to determine fair value. See Note 3 – Fair Value Measurements to the accompanying financial statements.

 

Share-based Compensation

 

We estimate the fair value of share-based payment awards made to key employees and directors on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. We then expense the fair value over the vesting period of the grant using a straight-line expense model. The fair value of share-based payments requires management to estimate/‌calculate various inputs such as the volatility of the underlying stock, the expected dividend rate, the estimated forfeiture rate and an estimated life of each option. We do not expect any forfeiture of option grants; therefore, the compensation expense has not been reduced for estimated forfeitures. These assumptions are based on historical trends and estimated future actions of option holders and may not be indicative of actual events which may have a material impact on our financial statements. For further details on share-based compensation expense, see Note 8 – Shareholders’ Equity to the accompanying financial statements.