Table of Contents
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-Q
☒
QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the quarterly period ended February 28, 2023
or
☐
TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from __________ to __________
Commission file number 000-08814
PURE CYCLE CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Colorado
84-0705083
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
34501 E. Quincy Avenue, Bldg. 65, Suite A, Watkins, CO
80137
(Address of principal executive offices)
(Zip Code)
(303) 292 – 3456
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Common Stock 1/3 of $.01 par value
PCYO
The NASDAQ Stock Market
(Title of each class)
(Trading Symbol(s))
(Name of each exchange on which registered)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☐
Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☒
Smaller reporting company ☒
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: 24,054,843 shares of 1/3 of $.01 par value common stock as of April 11, 2023.
INDEX TO FEBRUARY 28, 2023 FORM 10-Q
Page
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
4
Item 1. Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Balance Sheets: February 28, 2023 (unaudited) and August 31, 2022
Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited): For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022
5
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity (unaudited): For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022
6
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited): For the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022
7
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements
8
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
21
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
30
Item 4. Controls and Procedures
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
31
Item 6. Exhibits
SIGNATURES
32
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements that are not historical facts contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (Securities Act), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (Exchange Act). The words “anticipate,” “seek,” “project,” “future,” “likely,” “believe,” “may,” “should,” “could,” “will,” “estimate,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements relating to, among other things:
1
Forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. There are no assurances that any of our expectations will be realized and actual results could differ materially from those in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, without limitation:
2
We undertake no obligation, and disclaim any obligation, to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
3
PART I – FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1. Financial Statements
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except shares)
February 28, 2023
August 31, 2022
ASSETS:
(unaudited)
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
$
7,224
34,894
Investments in U.S. Treasury Bills
15,245
—
Trade accounts receivable, net
2,121
2,425
Income taxes receivable
1,610
Prepaid expenses and other assets
603
467
Total current assets
26,803
37,786
Restricted cash
2,331
2,328
Investments in water and water systems, net
58,368
58,763
Construction in progress
3,383
1,224
Single-family rental units
1,500
975
Land and mineral rights:
Held for development
8,082
6,773
Held for investment purposes
451
Other assets
2,485
2,463
Notes receivable – related parties, including accrued interest
Reimbursable public improvements and project management fees
20,609
17,208
Other
1,299
1,120
Operating leases - right of use assets
103
138
Total assets
125,414
129,229
LIABILITIES:
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
656
849
Accrued liabilities
1,201
2,029
Accrued liabilities – related parties
596
560
Income taxes payable
2,530
Deferred lot sale revenues
3,473
4,275
Deferred water sales revenues
533
570
Debt, current portion
10
Total current liabilities
6,469
10,823
Participating interests in export water supply
323
Debt, less current portion
3,945
3,950
Deferred tax liability, net
1,170
1,075
Lease obligations - operating leases, less current portion
25
62
Total liabilities
11,609
16,233
Commitments and contingencies
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Series B preferred shares: par value $0.001 per share, 25 million authorized; 432,513 issued and outstanding (liquidation preference of $432,513)
Common shares: par value 1/3 of $.01 per share, 40.0 million authorized; 24,054,843 and 23,980,645 outstanding, respectively
80
Additional paid-in capital
174,611
174,150
Accumulated deficit
(60,886)
(61,234)
Total shareholders’ equity
113,805
112,996
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
See accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited)
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
(In thousands, except share information)
February 28, 2022
Revenues:
Metered water usage from:
Municipal customers
83
69
204
180
Commercial customers
59
1,541
2,137
Wastewater treatment fees
78
64
141
119
Water and wastewater tap fees
994
913
1,144
1,174
Lot sales
1,391
1,629
1,904
4,574
Project management fees
123
200
131
448
Single-family rentals
26
56
34
Special facility projects and other
231
222
299
270
Total revenues
2,990
4,664
4,330
8,936
Expenses:
Water service operations
402
881
859
Wastewater service operations
116
99
254
228
Land development construction costs
188
295
331
826
Project management costs
74
46
146
Single-family rental costs
19
29
Depletion and depreciation
461
352
839
706
247
219
Total cost of revenues
1,401
1,507
2,727
2,891
General and administrative expenses
1,707
1,552
3,095
2,876
Depreciation
122
97
237
182
Operating (loss) income
(240)
1,508
(1,729)
2,987
Other income (expense):
Interest income - related party
263
525
510
888
Interest income - Investments
218
446
Oil and gas royalty income, net
67
110
183
207
Oil and gas lease income, net
48
38
96
Other, net
(1)
14
1,217
Interest expense, net
(47)
(13)
(97)
(21)
Income from operations before income taxes
279
2,194
568
4,185
Income tax expense
90
501
220
978
Net income
189
1,693
348
3,207
Earnings per common share - basic and diluted
Basic
0.01
0.07
0.13
Diluted
Weighted average common shares outstanding:
24,023,775
23,944,141
24,004,677
23,931,307
24,142,300
24,184,161
24,114,089
24,194,579
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY(unaudited)
Three Months Ended February 28, 2023
Preferred Stock
Common Stock
Additional
Accumulated
(in thousands, except shares)
Shares
Amount
Paid-in Capital
Deficit
Total
Balance at November 30, 2022
432,513
23,986,645
174,243
(61,075)
113,248
Restricted stock grants
50,000
Stock granted for services
18,198
Share-based compensation
89
Balance at February 28, 2023
24,054,843
Three Months Ended February 28, 2022
Balance at November 30, 2021
23,923,100
173,625
(69,339)
104,366
Stock option exercises
23,422
12,000
159
100
Balance at February 28, 2022
23,958,522
173,918
(67,646)
106,352
Six Months Ended February 28, 2023
Balance at August 31, 2022
23,980,645
56,000
111
170
Six Months Ended February 28, 2022
Balance at August 31, 2021
23,916,633
173,513
(70,853)
102,740
Stock options exercised
29,889
212
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash used by operating activities:
Depreciation and depletion
1,076
Share-based compensation expense
371
Trade accounts receivable
304
(506)
Deferred income taxes
95
(205)
Deferred water sales revenue
(37)
Prepaid expenses
(136)
(596)
Other assets and liabilities
(137)
Net activity for notes receivable - related party, other
(179)
(25)
Amortized discount on U.S. Treasury Bills
(245)
(802)
(792)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
(1,063)
(3,341)
Taxes payable / receivable
(4,140)
(4,076)
Additions to note receivable - related party, reimbursable public improvements
(3,401)
(8,169)
Land under development
(472)
Net cash used by operating activities
(7,856)
(13,685)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of U.S. Treasury Bills
(15,000)
Construction costs of single-family rentals
(1,579)
(142)
Investments in water and water systems
(1,613)
(463)
Investments in future development phases at Sky Ranch
(1,309)
(1,948)
Payments received on note receivable - related party, other
Purchase of property and equipment
(194)
Net cash used by investing activities
(19,695)
(2,249)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments to contingent liability holders
(111)
Payments on notes payable
(5)
Proceeds from option exercises
Proceeds from notes payable
1,000
Net cash (used) provided by financing activities
(116)
1,033
Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
(27,667)
(14,901)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash – beginning of period
37,222
22,444
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash – end of period
9,555
7,543
5,215
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION
Cash paid for income taxes
4,265
5,260
Cash paid for interest
98
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF NON-CASH INVESTING AND FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Change in reimbursable public improvements included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities
586
668
Issuance of stock for compensation
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
FEBRUARY 28, 2023
NOTE 1 – PRESENTATION OF INTERIM INFORMATION
The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared by Pure Cycle Corporation (Company or Pure Cycle) and include all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company as of and for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022. The August 31, 2022 balance sheet was derived from the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements.
Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) have been condensed or omitted. It is suggested the accompanying consolidated financial statements and notes be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2022 (2022 Annual Report) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on November 14, 2022. The results of operations for interim periods presented are not necessarily indicative of the operating results expected for the full fiscal year.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Estimates are used to account for certain items such as revenue recognition, dollar amount of reimbursable costs and collectability of reimbursable costs, costs of revenue for lot sales, share-based compensation, and the useful lives and recoverability of long-lived assets. Actual results could differ from those estimates and assumptions due to risks and uncertainties, including uncertainty in the current economic environment.
Reclassifications
The Company has reclassified certain prior year information to conform to the current year presentation.
NOTE 2 – INVESTMENTS
Management determines the appropriate classification of its investments in U.S. Treasury debt securities at the time of purchase and re-evaluates such determinations each reporting period.
U.S. Treasury debt securities are classified as held-to-maturity when the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold the securities to maturity. On February 28, 2023, the Company had $15.2 million of investments classified as held-to-maturity, which are comprised entirely of Treasury Bills with maturity dates in March 2023. On February 28, 2023, the Company had under $0.1 million in unamortized discount on Treasury Bills. Investments are being carried at amortized cost.
NOTE 3 – REIMBURSABLE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND NOTE RECEIVABLE FROM THE SKY RANCH CAB
The Sky Ranch Community Authority Board (Sky Ranch CAB) and the Company’s agreements with the Sky Ranch CAB are described in greater detail in Notes 5 and 15 to the 2022 Annual Report.
The notes receivable – related party, reimbursable public improvements is due to the Company from the Sky Ranch CAB and reports the balances owed by the Sky Ranch CAB to Pure Cycle for public improvements paid for by Pure Cycle which are reimbursable from the Sky Ranch CAB, project management fees related to the Company’s management of the construction of the public improvements, and interest accrued on the unpaid balances related to the ongoing development of the Sky Ranch master planned community. Pure Cycle has advanced funds to the Sky Ranch CAB for the cost of public improvements at Sky Ranch which are the ultimate responsibility of the Sky Ranch CAB. During the second quarter of fiscal 2021, the Company determined that repayment of those improvements was probable, along with the project management fees and interest on those costs. Upon that determination, Pure Cycle began recording the
reimbursable public improvements as a receivable from the Sky Ranch CAB (as opposed to the costs being expensed as land development construction costs) and began recognizing project management fee revenue and interest income on the entire note receivable from the Sky Ranch CAB. Prior to that date, payment was not deemed to be probable; therefore, Pure Cycle capitalized those costs as land under development and subsequently expensed the reimbursable public improvements and did not recognize any project management fees or interest income due to the uncertainty of collectability. During the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, Pure Cycle spent $1.7 million and $2.8 million on public improvements which are payable by the Sky Ranch CAB to Pure Cycle. Since Pure Cycle believes the amounts are probable of collection, they have been added to the note receivable from the Sky Ranch CAB. Additionally, for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, project management fees of $0.1 million and $0.1 million and interest income on the outstanding note receivable of $0.3 million and $0.5 million were also added to the note receivable. No payments were made on the note receivable during the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022. Pursuant to the agreements with the Sky Ranch CAB, any payments received are initially applied to interest.
During the three and six months ended February 28, 2022, the Company spent $2.7 million and $6.8 million on public improvements which are payable by the Sky Ranch CAB to the Company and added to the note receivable from the Sky Ranch CAB. Additionally, for the three and six months ended February 28, 2022, project management fees owed to the Company of $0.2 million and $0.4 million, and interest income on the outstanding note receivable of $0.5 million and $0.9 million were also added to the note receivable.
The following table summarizes the activity and balances associated with the note receivable from the Sky Ranch CAB:
Beginning balance
18,487
29,517
Additions
2,122
3,446
Payments received
Ending balance
32,963
24,794
3,401
8,169
The note receivable from the Sky Ranch CAB accrues interest at 6% per annum. Public improvements which are not probable of reimbursement at the time of being incurred are considered contract fulfillment costs and are recorded as land development construction costs as incurred. If public improvement costs are deemed probable of collection, the costs are recognized as notes receivable - related party. The Company assesses the collectability of the note receivable from the Sky Ranch CAB, which includes reimbursable public improvements, project management fees and the related interest income, at each reporting period. The Sky Ranch CAB has an obligation to repay the Company, but the ability of the Sky Ranch CAB to do so before the contractual termination dates is dependent upon the establishment of a tax base or other fee generating activities sufficient to fund reimbursable costs incurred.
NOTE 4 – REVENUES, FEES AND OTHER INCOME ITEMS
Water and wastewater tap fees, metered water usage and wastewater treatment fees, lot sales, and project management revenue
The Company’s revenue is primarily generated from sales of water and wastewater taps, metered water and wastewater usage, and the sale of lots to homebuilders. Detailed descriptions of the policies related to revenue recognition are included in Note 2 to the 2022 Annual Report.
The following describes significant components of revenue for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022.
Water and wastewater tap fees – During the three months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company sold a total of 35 and 27 water taps generating more than $0.8 million and less than $0.8 million in tap fee revenues. During the three months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company sold a total of 32 and 27 wastewater taps generating $0.2 million and $0.1 million in tap fee revenues.
9
During the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company sold a total of 39 and 36 water taps generating $1.0 million and just under $1.0 million in tap fee revenues. During the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company sold a total of 36 and 36 wastewater taps generating $0.2 million and $0.2 million in tap fee revenues. The water taps were all sold at Sky Ranch and Wild Pointe, and the wastewater taps were all sold at Sky Ranch.
Sale of finished lots – For the three months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $1.4 million and $1.6 million of lot sale revenue, which was recognized using the percent-of-completion method for the Company’s land development activities at the Sky Ranch master planned community. For the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $1.9 million and $4.6 million of lot sale revenue, which was recognized using the percent-of-completion method for the Company’s land development activities at the Sky Ranch master planned community. As of February 28, 2023, the first development phase (509 lots) is complete and the second development phase (850 lots) is being developed in four subphases, referred to as Phase 2A (229 lots), Phase 2B (211 lots), Phase 2C (204 lots) and Phase 2D (206 lots). As of February 28, 2023, Phase 2A is approximately 87% complete. After February 28, 2023, but before the filing of this Form 10Q, Pure Cycle began construction on Phase 2B, which is expected to take approximately one year to complete. Additionally, on March 8, 2023, and March 16, 2023, Pure Cycle and two of our homebuilding partners amended future lot sale agreements to increase the price of future Phase 2 lots and to reduce the number of lots being sold to those builders by a total of 19 lots which Pure Cycle will use in its single-family rental business.
Project management services – During the three months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $0.1 million and $0.2 million of project management revenue from the Sky Ranch CAB, a related party, for managing the Sky Ranch development project. During the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $0.1 million and $0.4 million of project management revenue from the Sky Ranch CAB, a related party, for managing the Sky Ranch development project.
Single-family rental revenue
In November 2021, the Company began renting single-family homes from lots it retained and constructed homes on, and began recognizing lease income related to these rental units. The Company generally rents its single-family properties under non-cancelable lease agreements with a term of one year. As of February 28, 2023, Pure Cycle has four single-family detached homes being rented. For the three months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company reported less than $0.1 million and less than $0.1 million of rental property revenues. For the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company reported less than $0.1 million and $0.1 million of rental property revenues. The Company has begun construction on 10 additional rental homes in Phase 2A, which the Company believes will be available for rent at various dates throughout fiscal 2023. At February 28, 2023, the Company had reserved 36 lots in Phases 2B, 2C and 2D of Sky Ranch for future rental units. On March 8, 2023, and March 16, 2023, Pure Cycle amended two homebuilder agreements to reserve an additional 19 lots in Phases 2B-D for use in its single-family rental segment. These additional units bring the total lots reserved for future rental use to 55, which when combined with the units already built and rented and the ten currently under construction will bring the total single-family rentals to 69 . The Company expects to take three to five years to build and rent all these units. Based on these projections the Company believes this could become a reportable operating segment in the future once its operations become material.
Special facility projects and other revenue
Pure Cycle receives fees from customers including municipalities and area water providers for contract operations services. These fees are recognized as earned, typically monthly, plus charges for additional work performed. Additionally, the Company performs certain construction activities at Sky Ranch. The activities performed include construction and maintenance services. The revenue for both types of services are invoiced and recognized as special facility projects revenue. For the three months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $0.2 million and $0.2 million of special facility projects and other revenue, an immaterial amount of which is from work performed for the Sky Ranch CAB, a related party. For the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company recognized $0.3 million and $0.3 million of special facility projects and other revenue, an immaterial amount of which is from work performed for the Sky Ranch CAB, a related party.
Deferred revenue
Changes and balances of the Company’s deferred revenue accounts by segment are as follows:
Water and Wastewater Resource Development
Land Development
552
3,889
4,441
Revenue recognized
(19)
(1,492)
(1,511)
Revenue deferred
-
4,006
271
2,831
3,102
(202)
(1,628)
(1,830)
370
439
1,203
1,642
4,845
(2,029)
(2,066)
1,227
410
1,995
2,405
(341)
(4,575)
(4,916)
3,783
4,153
The Company receives deposits or pre-payments from oil and gas operators to reserve water for use in future well drilling operations. When the operators use the water, the Company recognizes the revenue for these payments in the metered water usage from the commercial customers line on the statement of operations.
The Company recognizes lot sales over time as construction activities progress and not necessarily when payment is received. For example, the Company may receive milestone payments before revenue can be recognized (i.e., prior to the Company completing cumulative progress which faithfully represents the transfer of goods and services to the customer) which results in the Company recording deferred revenue. The Company recognizes this revenue into income as construction activities progress, measured based on costs incurred compared to total estimated costs of the project, which management believes is a faithful representation of the transfer of goods and services to the customer.
Revenue allocated to remaining performance obligations such as described above represents contracted revenue that has not yet been recognized, which includes unearned revenue and amounts that will be invoiced and recognized as revenue in future periods.
11
NOTE 5 – FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
Fair value accounting guidance includes a hierarchy that prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value. The hierarchy gives the highest priority to unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1 inputs) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3 inputs).
The carrying value for certain of the Company’s financial instruments (i.e., cash and cash equivalents, investments in U.S. Treasury Bills, restricted cash, accounts receivable, notes receivable from related parties, accounts payable, accrued liabilities, the SFR Note and the Lost Creek Note, each as defined in Note 7 below) materially approximate their fair value because of their short-term nature and generally negligible credit losses.
As of February 28, 2023 and August 31, 2022, the Company had no assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. As of August 31, 2022, the Company had one Level 3 liability, which was the contingent portion of the CAA.
There were no transfers between Level 1, 2 or 3 categories during the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 or 2022.
NOTE 6 – WATER, LAND AND OTHER FIXED ASSETS
The Company’s water rights and current water and wastewater service agreements, including capitalized terms not defined herein, are more fully described in Note 4 to the 2022 Annual Report.
Investment in Water and Water Systems
The Company’s Investments in water and water systems consist of the following costs and accumulated depreciation and depletion:
Costs
and Depletion
Rangeview water system
19,923
(2,451)
19,881
(2,099)
Rangeview water supply
14,931
(18)
14,809
(17)
Water supply – Other
7,612
(1,901)
(1,739)
Sky Ranch water rights and other costs
7,764
(1,387)
(1,280)
Sky Ranch pipeline
5,740
(1,080)
(984)
Lost Creek water supply
7,327
7,041
Fairgrounds water and water system
2,900
(1,459)
(1,415)
Wild Pointe service rights
1,632
(1,165)
(1,082)
Totals
67,829
(9,461)
67,379
(8,616)
Net investments in water and water systems
During the six months ended February 28, 2023, the Company acquired three deep water wells in the Lost Creek Designated Groundwater Basin for $0.3 million.
Construction in Progress
The construction in progress account represents costs incurred on various construction projects currently underway that as of the balance sheet date have not been completed and placed into service. The construction in progress account consists primarily of costs incurred related to the construction of 10 homes to be used in Pure Cycle’s single-family rental business and water facilities being constructed, which the Company anticipates will be placed in service during the next 12 months. During the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, the Company incurred $1.5 million and $2.7 million of costs related to construction of single-family rental units and water and wastewater construction projects. During the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, the Company capitalized $0.6 million and $0.6 million of costs as projects were completed and placed into service.
12
Single-Family Rental Homes
During the six months ended February 28, 2022, the Company completed construction of the first three units being utilized in its single-family rental business. The costs of the units are capitalized and when applicable are depreciated over periods not exceeding thirty-years, which is dependent on the asset type. All three units were placed in service and leased effective November 1, 2021.
During the year ended August 31, 2022, the Company contracted for construction of 11 additional rental homes to be used in the rental business. The Company began construction on one single-family detached unit in March 2022 which was completed in December 2022 and rented effective December 15, 2022. For the remaining 10 units, comprised of single-family detached houses and paired homes, construction began in the summer of 2022 with estimated completion dates in the third and fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. During the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, the Company incurred costs of $1.0 million and $2.0 million related to the construction of these 11 units. Costs for the 10 units still under construction are included in the construction in progress account as of February 28, 2023.
At February 28, 2023, the Company had reserved a total of 46 lots in Phase 2 (ten of which are in Phase 2A and under construction as of February 28, 2023) of Sky Ranch to build additional rental units. On March 8, 2023, and March 16, 2023, the Company amended two home builder agreements, which amendments included the Company retaining an additional 19 units in Phases 2B-D, which brings the total lots reserved in Phase 2 to 65 homes.
NOTE 7 – DEBT AND OTHER LONG-TERM OBLIGATIONS
As of February 28, 2023, the scheduled maturities of the Company’s loans are as follows:
Scheduled principal payments
Within 1 year
Year 2
Year 3
258
Year 4
1,329
Year 5
312
Thereafter
2,064
3,991
Deferred financing costs
(36)
Net
3,955
Less current maturities
(10)
Single-Family Rental Home Note Payable
On November 29, 2021, PCY Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered a Promissory Note (SFR Note) with its primary bank to reimburse amounts expended for the construction of the first three single-family rental units. The SFR Note has the following terms:
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The Company is working with its primary bank to provide similar financing for the rental units currently under construction. As of February 28, 2023, these loans have not been finalized.
Lost Creek Note
On June 28, 2022, the Company entered a loan with its primary bank to fund the acquisition of 370 acre-feet of water rights the Company acquired on June 27, 2022, in the Lost Creek Designated Groundwater Basin area of Colorado (Lost Creek Note). The Lost Creek Note has an original principal balance of $3.0 million, a ten-year maturity, monthly interest only payments averaging $12,000 per month for thirty-six months which began on July 28, 2022, twenty-four monthly principal and interest payments of $42,000 beginning on July 28, 2025, fifty-nine monthly principal and interest payments of $32,000 beginning on July 28, 2027, and a balloon payment of less than $0.8 million plus unpaid and accrued interest due on June 28, 2032. The Lost Creek Note has a thirty-year amortization period and a fixed per annum interest rate equal to 4.90%. The Lost Creek Note is secured by the Lost Creek Water rights acquired with the note and any fees derived from the use of the Lost Creek Water rights. The Lost Creek Note does not contain any financial covenants.
Working Capital Line of Credit
On January 31, 2022, the Company entered a Business Loan Agreement (Working Capital LOC) with its primary bank to provide a $5.0 million operating line of credit. The Working Capital LOC has a two-year maturity, monthly interest only payments if the line is drawn upon with unpaid principal and interest due at maturity, and a floating per annum interest rate equal to the Wall Street Journal Prime Rate plus 0.5% (8.25% as of February 28, 2023), which has a floor of 3.75%. In the event of default, the interest rate on the Working Capital LOC would be increased by an additional 2.0%. As of February 28, 2023, the Company has not drawn on the Working Capital LOC.
Letters of Credit
At February 28, 2023, the Company has four Irrevocable Letters of Credit (LOCs) outstanding. The LOCs are to guarantee the Company’s performance related to certain construction projects at Sky Ranch. The Company has the full intent and ability to perform on the contracts, after which, the LOC’s will expire at various dates from December 2023 through July 2024. As of February 28, 2023, these four LOCs totaled $2.3 million, which are secured by cash balances maintained in restricted cash accounts at the Company’s bank, renew annually at various dates and have a 1% annual fee.
Participating Interest in Export Water
Refer to Note 6 in the 2022 Annual Report for additional details regarding the “CAA.” The CAA, which was used to acquire the Company’s Rangeview Water Supply, included contractual payments when the Company sells “Export Water.” To reduce the long-term impacts of the CAA, in the past the Company has acquired portions of the obligation from the third-party holders. During the six months ended February 28, 2023, the Company acquired the remaining $0.9 million of total CAA interests (of which $0.3 million was reflected on the Company’s balance sheet and the remaining was deemed contingent and not reflected on the balance sheet) for $0.1 million in cash. The Company recorded a gain of $0.2 million on the acquisition which is included in other income.
NOTE 8 – EMPLOYEE STOCK PLANS
The Company reserved 1.6 million shares of common stock for issuance to employees and directors pursuant to the Company’s 2014 Equity Incentive Plan (2014 Equity Plan). As of February 28, 2023 and August 31, 2022, there were 838,755 shares and 912,953 shares available for grant under the 2014 Equity Plan. Prior to the effective date of the 2014 Equity Plan, the Company granted options and stock awards to eligible participants under its 2004 Incentive Plan (2004 Incentive Plan), which expired on April 11, 2014. No additional awards may be granted pursuant to the 2004 Incentive Plan.
The following table summarizes the combined stock option activity for the 2004 Incentive Plan and 2014 Equity Plan for the periods noted:
Number of Options
Weighted Average Exercise Price
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Approximate Aggregate Intrinsic Value (in thousands)
Outstanding at August 31, 2022
712,500
8.75
5.7
1,489
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited / Expired
Outstanding at February 28, 2023
5.0
0.9
Outstanding at August 31, 2021
714,500
7.80
6.1
5,107
105,000
13.37
Net settlement exercised
(58,167)
7.67
(3,333)
10.45
Outstanding at February 28, 2022
758,000
8.58
5.1
2,639
During the three and six months ended February 28, 2022, the Company had net settlement exercises of stock options, whereby the optionee did not pay cash for the options exercised but instead received the number of shares equal to the difference between the exercise price and the market price on the date of exercise. During the three months ended February 28, 2022, net settlement exercises resulted in 17,422 shares being issued and 21,578 options being cancelled in settlement of the shares issued. During the six months ended February 28, 2022, net settlement exercises resulted in 23,889 shares being issued and 28,278 options being cancelled in settlement of shares issued. During the three and six months ended February 28, 2022, the Company issued 6,000 stock options, with an exercise price of $5.66 per share, where the option holder used cash to exercise the options.
There were no options exercised during the three and six months ended February 28, 2023.
The following table summarizes the combined activity and value of non-vested options under the 2004 Equity Plan and 2014 Incentive Plan for the periods presented:
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested options outstanding at August 31, 2022
232,998
4.47
Vested
(101,998)
4.40
Forfeited
Non-vested options outstanding at February 28, 2023
131,000
4.54
Non-vested options outstanding at August 31, 2021
218,333
4.04
5.16
(87,002)
4.21
Non-vested options outstanding at February 28, 2022
All non-vested options are expected to vest.
On January 11, 2023, the Company’s six non-employee Board members were each granted 3,033 shares of unrestricted stock. The fair market value of the unrestricted shares for share-based compensation expense is equal to the closing price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant of $9.89. There is no vesting requirement for the unrestricted stock grants and the Company recognized the full expense of $0.2 million during the three months ended February 28, 2023. Additionally, on January 11, 2023, the Company’s board awarded an executive officer 50,000 shares of restricted stock. The shares vested 20% at the grant date, and 20% of the shares will vest on each anniversary of the grant date over four years. The shares are eligible to vote and participate in any dividend or stock splits approved by the Company
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On September 14, 2022, the Company issued certain employees 6,000 shares of restricted stock. These shares vested 20% at the September 14, 2022 grant date, and 20% vest each anniversary of the grant date for four years. The shares are eligible to vote and participate in any dividend or stock splits approved by the Company.
On January 12, 2022, the Company’s six non-employee Board members were each granted 2,000 shares of unrestricted stock. The fair market value of the unrestricted shares for share-based compensation expense is equal to the closing price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant of $13.23. There is no vesting requirement for the unrestricted stock grants and the Company recognized the full expense of $0.2 million during the three months ended February 28, 2022.
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, the Company recognized $0.4 million and $0.5 million of stock-based compensation expense. For the three and six months ended February 28, 2022, the Company recognized $0.3 million and $0.4 million of stock-based compensation expense. At February 28, 2023, the Company had unrecognized compensation expenses totaling $0.5 million relating to non-vested options that are expected to vest. The weighted-average period over which these options are expected to vest is approximately two years.
NOTE 9 – RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The Rangeview Metropolitan District
The Rangeview Metropolitan District (Rangeview District) and the Company’s agreements with the Rangeview District are described in greater detail in Note 15 to the 2022 Annual Report.
The Rangeview District and the Company have entered into two loan agreements. In 1995, the Company extended a loan to the Rangeview District for borrowings of up to $0.25 million, which is unsecured, and bears interest based on the prevailing prime rate plus 2% (9.0% at February 28, 2023). The maturity date of the loan is December 31, 2023, at which time it automatically renews through December 31, 2024. Beginning in January 2014, the Rangeview District and the Company entered into a funding agreement that allows the Company to continue to provide funding to the Rangeview District for day-to-day operations and accrue the funding into a note that bears interest at a rate of 8% per annum and remains in full force and effect for so long as the 2014 Amended and Restated Lease Agreement among the Rangeview District, the Company, and the State Board of Land Commissioners remains in effect. The February 28, 2023, balance in notes receivable - related parties, other totaled $1.3 million, which included borrowings of just under $1.2 million and accrued interest of less than $0.1 million. As of August 31, 2022, the principal and interest on both loan agreements totaled $1.1 million, which included $1.1 million of borrowings and less than $0.1 million of accrued interest. During the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company did not receive any interest or principal payments from the Rangeview District.
Additionally, the Company provides funding to the Rangeview District for the Rangeview District’s participation in the “Wise Partnership.” The WISE Partnership and capitalized terms related to WISE not defined herein are defined in the 2022 Annual Report. During the three months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company, through the Rangeview District, received metered water deliveries of 56 acre-feet and 245 acre-feet of WISE water, paying $0.1 million and $0.5 million for this water. During the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company, through the Rangeview District, received metered water deliveries of 111 acre-feet and 250 acre-feet of WISE water, paying $0.2 million and $0.5 million for this water. The cost of WISE water to the members is based on the water rates charged by Aurora Water and can be adjusted each January 1. As of January 1, 2022, WISE water was approximately $6.13 per thousand gallons and such rate remained in effect through calendar 2022. As of January 1, 2023, WISE water was approximately $6.48 per thousand gallons and such rate will remain in effect through calendar 2023.
Sky Ranch Community Authority Board
The Sky Ranch CAB and the Company’s agreements with the Sky Ranch CAB are described in greater detail in Note 15 to the 2022 Annual Report.
The Sky Ranch Districts and the Sky Ranch CAB are quasi-municipal corporations and political subdivisions of Colorado formed for the purpose of providing service to Sky Ranch. The Sky Ranch CAB was formed to, among other things, design, construct, finance, operate and maintain certain public improvements for the benefit of the property within the boundaries and/or service area of the Sky Ranch Districts. For the public improvements to be constructed and/or acquired, it is necessary for each Sky Ranch District, directly or
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through the Sky Ranch CAB, to be able to fund the improvements and pay its ongoing operations and maintenance expenses related to the provision of services that benefit the property. To fund these improvements, the Company and the Sky Ranch CAB entered into various funding agreements obligating the Company to advance funds to the Sky Ranch CAB for specified public improvements constructed from 2018 to 2023. All amounts owed under the agreements bear interest at a rate of 6% per annum. Any advances not paid or reimbursed by the Sky Ranch CAB by December 31, 2058 for the first phase and December 31, 2060 for the second phase shall be deemed forever discharged and satisfied in full.
As of February 28, 2023, the balance of the Company’s advances to the Sky Ranch CAB for improvements, including interest, net of reimbursements from the Sky Ranch CAB total $20.6 million. The advances have been used by the Sky Ranch CAB to pay for construction of public improvements. The Company submits specific costs for reimbursement to the Sky Ranch CAB that have been certified by an independent third-party. The Company anticipates providing additional funding of approximately $4.3 million for construction of public improvements to the Sky Ranch CAB during the remainder of fiscal 2023 related to Phase 2A and Phase 2B of the Sky Ranch development.
In fiscal 2022, through a competitive bidding process, the Sky Ranch CAB awarded the Company a contract to construct fencing around Phase 2A of the Sky Ranch Master Planned Community. The contracted bid price is $0.3 million, which is being recognized as revenue as the construction of the fence progresses. During the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, the Company recognized less than $0.1 million and $0.1 million of revenue related to this contract.
Nelson Pipeline Constructors LLC
Through a competitive bidding process, the Sky Ranch CAB awarded Nelson Pipeline Constructors, LLC (Nelson), a contract to construct the wet utility pipelines in Phase 2A of Sky Ranch. During the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Sky Ranch CAB paid Nelson $0.9 million and $8.1 million related to this contract. Nelson is majority owned by the chair of the Company’s board of directors.
NOTE 10 – SIGNIFICANT CUSTOMERS
The Company has significant customers in its operations. The table below presents the percentage of total revenue for the reported customers for the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022. For water and wastewater customers, the Company provides services on behalf of the Rangeview District for which the significant end users include all Sky Ranch homes in the aggregate combined with the Sky Ranch CAB and two oil & gas operators. The home builders at Sky Ranch account for lot purchase revenue but also for water and wastewater tap fee revenues.
% of Total Revenue Generated From:
Sky Ranch homes and Sky Ranch CAB in the aggregate
18
%
Challenger
17
Lennar
KB Home
Two and one oil & gas operators
Richmond
As of February 28, 2023, 49% of the trade accounts receivable balance is owed by KB Home related to their first milestone payment for Phase 2B, and 30% is owed by the Rangeview District for tap fees, water usage and wastewater treatment fees. The entire amount owed by KB Home and the Rangeview District were remitted to the Company after February 28, 2023.
NOTE 11 – ACCRUED LIABILITIES
Accrued compensation
1,325
Other operating payables
136
308
Property taxes
360
164
Operating lease obligation, current
77
76
Professional fees
115
WISE water
Rental deposits
Total accrued liabilities
Land development costs due to the Sky Ranch CAB
536
Due to Rangeview Metropolitan District
24
Total accrued liabilities - related parties
NOTE 12 – SEGMENT INFORMATION
The Company reports two operating segments which meet segment disclosure requirements, the water and wastewater resource development segment and the land development segment. The single-family rentals, although not currently material to operations and not a required segment disclosure, is presented within the operating segment information below for informational purposes.
The water and wastewater resource development segment includes providing water and wastewater services to customers, which water is provided by the Company using water rights owned or controlled by the Company, and developing, operating, and maintaining infrastructure to divert, treat and distribute that water and collect, treat and reuse reclaimed wastewater. The land development segment includes all activities necessary to develop and sell finished lots, which for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, was done exclusively at the Company’s Sky Ranch Master Planned Community. The single-family rental business includes the monthly rental fees received from the renters under the non-cancellable annual leases.
The tables below present the measure of profit and assets used to assess the performance of the two required segments and the single-family rentals that the Company believes will become a segment for the periods presented:
Water and wastewater resource development
Land development
Single-family rental
Total revenue
1,445
1,514
Cost of revenue
659
262
940
Total cost of revenue
Segment profit
325
1,252
1,589
2,809
1,829
810
341
1,155
1,162
1,647
1,488
22
3,157
2,239
2,035
1,382
477
1,888
2,221
Segment (loss) profit
1,558
27
1,603
3,880
5,022
1,306
872
2,185
2,012
1,868
4,150
6,045
The following table summarizes the Company’s total assets by segment. The assets consist of water rights and water and wastewater systems in the Company’s water and wastewater resource development segment; land, land development costs and deposits in the Company’s land development segment; and the cost of the homes in the single-family rental line. The Company’s other assets (Corporate) primarily consist of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, equipment, and related party notes receivables.
63,349
63,064
30,276
25,522
3,688
1,715
Corporate
28,101
38,928
NOTE 13 – EARNINGS PER SHARE
Earnings per share (EPS) is calculated by dividing net income attributable to common shareholders by the weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Certain outstanding options are excluded from the diluted EPS calculation because they are anti-dilutive (i.e., their assumed conversion into common stock would increase rather than decrease EPS). For the three months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company excluded 593,975 options and 517,980 options because their impact was anti-dilutive. For the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, the Company excluded 603,088 options and 494,728 options because their impact was anti-dilutive.
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)
Basic weighted average common shares
Effect of dilutive securities
118,525
240,020
109,412
263,272
Weighted average shares applicable to diluted earnings per share
Earnings per share - basic
Earnings per share - diluted
NOTE 14 – INCOME TAXES
The income tax provision for interim periods is determined using an estimate of the annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items. As of February 28, 2023, the Company is estimating an annual effective tax rate of approximately 25%. Each quarter, the estimate of the annual effective tax rate is updated, and if the estimated effective tax rate changes, a cumulative adjustment is made. There is a potential for volatility of the effective tax rate due to various factors.
The provision for income taxes is recorded at the end of each interim period based on the Company’s best estimate of its effective income tax rate expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year considering any items requiring discrete recognition. Income tax information for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022 is as follows:
Effective income tax rate
32.3
22.8
38.7
23.4
Income tax expense:
Current
161
712
125
1,183
Deferred
(71)
(211)
Income taxes paid:
Federal
3,471
910
4,360
State
794
900
1,810
The effective income tax rate for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, was impacted by adjustments related to reconciling items between the Company’s books and tax returns.
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In Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A), “we,” “us,” “our” and "Pure Cycle" refer to Pure Cycle Corporation and all entities owned or controlled by Pure Cycle Corporation. You should read the following discussion in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes, related MD&A and discussion of our business included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 31, 2022 (2022 Annual Report) filed with the United States (U.S.) Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the unaudited consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in this Form 10-Q. The results of operations reported and summarized below are not necessarily indicative of future operating results, and future results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements (refer to “Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this Form 10-Q; and Part I, Item 1A. “Risk Factors” in our 2022 Annual Report for further discussion).
We are a diversified water resource and land development company. At our core, we are a wholesale water and wastewater service provider, and we develop land we own into master planned communities. Our newest business is the development of single-family homes held for rental purposes within our master planned communities. Both the land development and single-family home rental lines of business generate customers and usage fees for our water and wastewater resource development business.
Recent Developments and Economic Conditions
The housing market experienced tremendous growth for several years through 2022. However, in the third quarter of 2022, the housing market deteriorated rapidly largely due to rising interest rates. This has continued through the date of this filing and shows signs of continuing throughout 2023. This deterioration was caused by multiple factors including; the war in Ukraine, which has impacted supplies of energy, food, fertilizer and fuel; increasing inflation; the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which continues to impact global markets; mortgage interest rates; inflation; disruptions in supply chains, distribution networks and consumer behavior; and the recent collapse of large banks, which will certainly impact the availability of lending and deposit rates. The United States Federal Reserve Board (Federal Reserve) remains aggressive in its actions to combat inflation, which is having a negative impact on the housing market due to rising mortgage rates. As a result, 30-year fixed mortgage rates continued to rise and have hit their highest levels in over 15 years further weakening demand in the housing market.
Despite this, we believe several long-term land development and housing market fundamental factors remain positive. For example, available lots and housing supply-demand remain imbalanced due to a decade-plus of underproduction of new homes in relation to population growth and low resale home inventory. While we remain confident in the long-term growth prospects for the industry given these and other factors, our future performance and strategies will depend significantly on the housing market which is impacted by the factors noted in the paragraph above. Like many other businesses, our contractors have experienced delays in receiving materials and parts, rising costs, and labor shortages. However, we have adjusted our purchases and operations in ways that we believe will reduce the impact these factors have on our construction and other activities. Specifically, we delayed the start of construction on Phase 2B for three months to avoid incurring development costs when market demand has declined, and to give our home builder partners additional time to absorb lots from Phase 2A. We believe our reasonably priced lots and the low inventory of entry level housing in the Denver market will help Sky Ranch navigate the changing market better than other surrounding and significantly higher priced communities. We continue to work closely with our home builder partners to provide affordable lots for entry level homes and to deliver those lots incrementally to minimize inventories for both the Company’s construction of lots and our home builders’ ownership of finished lots.
The Federal Reserve’s aggressive raising of the federal funds interest rate and other measures during calendar 2022 and the start of 2023 to moderate persistent U.S. inflation, and the further actions it has stated it intends to take, are expected to be an ongoing headwind for the housing market throughout 2023 as they have elevated mortgage loan interest rates and created macroeconomic uncertainty and volatility across financial markets. In addition, consumer demand for our homes, and our ability to grow our scale, revenues, and returns in fiscal 2023 could be materially and negatively affected by the above-described monetary policy impacts or other factors that curtail mortgage loan availability, employment or income growth or consumer confidence in the U.S. and Colorado markets. We continue to work proactively to mitigate these impacts working with our home builder partners on timing of investment and delivery of lots; however, the potential extent and effect of these factors on our business is uncertain, unpredictable, and outside our control, and our past performance should not be considered indicative of our future results.
Additionally, in March 2023, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank were closed and taken over by the FDIC, which created significant market disruption and uncertainty for those who bank with those institutions, and which raised significant concern regarding the stability of the banking system in the United States. We do not hold our cash at either of those banks and the banks we use are well capitalized and FDIC insured. If the banks and financial institutions at which we hold our cash enter receivership or become insolvent in the future in response to financial conditions affecting the banking system and financial markets, our ability to access our cash and cash equivalents may be threatened and such events could have a material adverse effect on our business and financial condition.
Our Business Strategy
For more than three decades we have accumulated a large portfolio of valuable water rights and land interests in Colorado. We have added an extensive network of wholesale water production, storage, treatment and distribution systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems that we use to serve domestic, commercial, and industrial water demands in the eastern Denver metropolitan region. Our primary land asset, Sky Ranch, is in one of the most active development areas in the Denver metropolitan region along the rapidly developing I-70 corridor, and we are developing lots at Sky Ranch for residential, commercial, retail, and light industrial uses. We also have launched a single-family rental business where we rent homes in Sky Ranch to families under annual lease agreements. We plan to expand this new line of business to more than 200 rental units over the next several years.
Although we report our results of operations through our water and wastewater resource development segment and our land development segment, we operate these segments as a cohesive business designed to provide a cost effective, sustainable, and value-added business enterprise.
Water and Wastewater
Water resources throughout the western United States and more prominently in Colorado are a scarce and valuable resource. Our portfolio of approximately 30,000 acre-feet of water is comprised of groundwater, designated basin groundwater, and surface water supplies. Our other significant water assets include 26,000 acre-feet of adjudicated reservoir sites, two wastewater reclamation facilities, water treatment facilities, potable and raw water storage facilities, wells and water production facilities, and roughly 50 miles of water distribution and wastewater collection lines. Our water supplies and wholesale facilities are in southeast Denver, an area which is limited in both water availability and infrastructure to produce, treat, store, and distribute water and wastewater. We believe this provides us with a unique competitive advantage in offering these services.
We provide wholesale water and wastewater service to local governments for both residential and commercial customers. The local governments we service include the Rangeview Metropolitan District (Rangeview District), Arapahoe County, the Sky Ranch Community Authority Board (Sky Ranch CAB), and the Elbert and Highway 86 Commercial Metropolitan District (Elbert 86 District). Our mission is to provide sustainable, reliable, high-quality water to our customers and collect, treat, and reuse wastewater using advance water treatment systems, which produce high quality reclaimed water we can reuse for outdoor irrigation and industrial demands. By using and reusing our water supplies, we proactively manage our valuable water rights in the water-scarce Denver, Colorado region which dramatically reduces the environmental impact of our water resource operations. We design, permit, construct, operate and maintain wholesale water and wastewater systems that we own or operate on behalf of governmental entities. We also design, permit, construct, operate, and maintain retail distribution and collection systems that we own or exclusively operate on behalf of our governmental customers. Additionally, we handle administrative functions, including meter reading, billing and collection of monthly water and wastewater revenues, regulatory water quality monitoring, sampling, testing, and reporting requirements to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Revenues for our water operations are dependent on us growing the number of customers we serve. If we are unable to add customers to our systems and sell taps to builders, our revenues could be negatively impacted. We currently are the developer of the Sky Ranch Master Planned Community which is the main driver of our tap sales. Additionally, prolonged periods of hot and dry weather generally cause increased water usage for watering lawns, washing cars, and keeping parks irrigated. Conversely, prolonged periods of dry weather could lead to drought restrictions and limited water availability. Despite our substantial water supply, customers may be required to cut back water usage under such drought restrictions which would negatively impact metered usage revenues. We have addressed some of this vulnerability by instituting minimum customer charges which are intended to cover fixed costs of operations under all likely weather conditions.
Our Land Development segment is primarily focused on developing the Sky Ranch Master Planned Community located along the booming I-70 corridor to provide residential, commercial, retail, and light industrial lots. Sky Ranch is zoned to include up to 3,200 single-family and multifamily homes, parks, open spaces, trails, recreational centers, and schools. Additionally, Sky Ranch is zoned to include over two million square feet of retail, commercial, and light industrial space, which is the equivalent of approximately 1,800 residential units, meaning the Sky Ranch community at build-out will include a total of roughly 5,000 residential and equivalent units. Our land development activities include the design, permitting, and construction of all the horizontal infrastructure, including, storm water, drainage, roads, curbs, sidewalks, parks, open space, trails, and other infrastructure to deliver “ready to build” finished lots to home builders and commercial customers. Our land development activities generate revenue from the sale of finished lots as well as construction revenues from activities where we construct infrastructure on behalf of others. Land development revenues come from our home builder customers under specific agreements for the delivery of finished lots. Additionally, pursuant to certain agreements with the Sky Ranch CAB and its related metropolitan districts, on their behalf we construct public infrastructure such as roads, curbs, storm water, drainage, sidewalks, parks, open space, trails etc., the costs of which are reimbursed to us by the Sky Ranch CAB through funds generated from property taxes, fees or the issuance of municipal bonds.
Our land development activities provide a strategic complement to our water and wastewater services because a significant component of any master planned community is providing high quality domestic water, irrigation water, and wastewater to the community. Having control over land and the water and wastewater services enables us to build infrastructure for potable water and irrigation distribution, wastewater and storm water collection, roads, parks, open spaces, and other investments efficiently and to manage delivery of these investments to match take-down commitments from our home builder customers without significant excess capacity in any of these investments.
We have been developing the Sky Ranch community since 2017. We are developing it in phases, which is anticipated to take approximately eight to ten more years until it is fully built out. In 2017, we began the initial development phase of Sky Ranch when we entered separate contracts with Richmond American Homes, Taylor Morrison, and KB Home, pursuant to which we sold a total of 505 single-family, detached residential lots at Sky Ranch. Pursuant to these agreements, we were obligated to construct infrastructure and other public improvements as well as wholesale infrastructure improvements (i.e., a wastewater reclamation facility and wholesale water facilities), all of which are complete as of February 28, 2023.
During our fiscal 2021, we began construction on the second development phase at Sky Ranch. For this phase, we entered into separate contracts with KB Home, Lennar Colorado, Melody (a DR Horton Company) and Challenger Homes to sell 804 single-family attached and detached residential lots at Sky Ranch, and we retained 46 lots for use in our single-family home rental segment. The second development phase will incorporate approximately 250 acres and is planned to be completed in four sub-phases (referred to as Phase 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D). Due to our strong performance in the first phase of the Sky Ranch project, we were able to realize an approximate 40% increase in our average lot prices. For example, we increased our sales price for a 50’ foot lot from $75,000 to $108,000 and added an escalation clause that increases the prices depending on timing of payments. The timing of cash flows includes certain milestone deliveries such as the completion of governmental approvals for final plats, installation of wet utilities, and final completion of lot deliveries.
In February 2021, we began construction on Phase 2A at Sky Ranch, which is platted for 229 residential lots. We have retained ten of these lots for use in our single-family rental business. As of February 28, 2023, we have received plats and substantially completed wet and dry utilities, roads, and sidewalks for Phase 2A, and are actively working on landscaping. Contracts with three of the four homebuilders include milestone payments as construction progresses, with the contract with the fourth homebuilder having one payment due at delivery of the finished lot (i.e. the transfer of the title). As of February 28, 2023, we have received all payments related to the sale of the 219 lots in Phase 2A which totaled $18.4 million. We recognize revenue earned under these contracts over time using the percentage of completion method to measure progress, which aligns the recognition of revenue with the requisite service period. During the three months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, due to the construction progress, we recognized $1.4 million and $1.6 million of lot sale revenue related to construction at Sky Ranch. During the six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022, due to the construction progress, we recognized $1.9 million and $4.3 million of lot sale revenue related to construction at Sky Ranch. Phase 1 of the Sky Ranch development is complete, and all revenue has been recognized. Phase 2A is approximately 87% complete, for which we have recognized $16.0 million of lot sales revenue since construction began on Phase 2A, with the remaining $2.4 million of revenue to be recognized over time as Phase 2A construction is completed. We expect the majority of this remaining revenue to be recognized before the end of our fiscal 2023.
23
Payments for lot sales and the related revenue for Phases 2B, 2C, and 2D will occur as construction of those phases occurs. Construction of Phase 2B is scheduled to begin in April 2023, which we, in consultation with our home builder partners, delayed the start of Phase 2B due to the slowing of the housing market in late 2022. On March 15, 2023, March 27, 2023, and April 12, 2023, we received $1.0 million, $1.9 million and $1.2 million, from the three home builders that are on the milestone payment terms, which was the first milestone payment for Phase 2B from these builders. We believe it will take approximately three more years to complete construction and sell the finished lots in all four subphases depending on the market conditions and permitting process.
In addition to the lot sales described above, from the start of development at Sky Ranch through February 28, 2023, we have received $19.5 million of water and wastewater tap fees from the homebuilders, which is for all 505 taps sold in Phase 1 and 149 of 219 taps sold in Phase 2A. The timing of tap sales is dependent on when homebuilders request building permits. Fees charged per water tap are dependent on lot sizes and average water usage across a broad range of housing product types including duplexes and townhomes. For Phase 2 in total, we estimate water and wastewater tap fees will exceed $20.0 million.
Single-Family Rentals
During our fiscal 2021, we launched a new line of business we are referring to as our single-family rental business. During Phase 1 of Sky Ranch, we retained ownership of four residential lots for use in this business. As of February 28, 2023, we have finished building four single-family homes on these lots which we own, maintain, and have leased to qualified renters under one-year lease terms. We intend to expand our single-family rentals in our second development phase of Sky Ranch by building and renting homes on lots we did not sell to our home builder partners. As of February 28, 2023, the total lots we reserved in Phase 2 was 46, 10 of which are in Phase 2A and are currently under construction, and we expect these homes to be ready for rental at various dates throughout our fiscal 2023. On March 8, 2023, and March 16, 2023, we amended two of the contracts with home builders whereby we retained an additional 7 lots in Phase 2B (bringing the total rental lots to 17 in Phase 2B), 4 lots in Phase 2C (bringing the total rental lots to 20 in Phase 2C), and 8 additional lots in Phase 2D (bringing the total rental lots to 18 in Phase 2D), which brings our total reserved rental lots to 65 in total for Phase 2, which when combined with Phase 1 provides a total of 69 rental units.
We capitalize the costs of the homes and when applicable depreciate the costs over periods not exceeding thirty-years. Lease income is recorded monthly as earned. We began recognizing monthly lease income for the first three rental units on November 1, 2021.
Results of Operations
Executive Summary
For the three months ended February 28, 2023, we generated net income of $0.2 million compared to $1.7 million for the comparable period in fiscal 2022. The decrease was primarily driven by decreased lot sale revenue being recognized using the percentage of completion method, which is based on progress of construction and declines in water sold to oil and gas operators. Due to the decline in the housing market and weather conditions resulting in a delay in planned landscape construction, we had lower revenue recognized in Phase 2A and did not begin Phase 2B as planned. The only phase being developed as of February 28, 2023, is Phase 2A, which is approximately 87% complete. We began construction activities on Phase 2B after February 28, 2023; therefore, no revenues have been recorded as of the date of this filing related to that subphase. Additionally, we had a reduction in water being used by oil and gas operators electing to drill wells in other counties due to lease deadlines and other factors outside our control.
For the six months ended February 28, 2023, we generated net income of $0.4 million compared to $3.2 million for the comparable period in fiscal 2022. The decrease was primarily driven by decreased lot sales being recognized under the percentage of completion method as described in the paragraph above and the decline in water sales to oil and gas operators. We also experienced a reduction in water being used by oil and gas operators electing to drill wells in other counties, outside our service area, due to lease deadlines and other factors outside our control. The items noted above were partially offset by one time income events related to additional land use payments received from oil and gas operators for future drilling purposes and interest income recognized on the note receivable from the Sky Ranch CAB.
The tables below present our consolidated results of operations for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 and 2022.
(In thousands, except for water deliveries and taps sold)
$ Change
% Change
Water and wastewater resource development revenue
(1,364)
(49)
Land development revenue:
(238)
(15)
(77)
(39)
(1,674)
Water and wastewater development cost of revenue
(42)
(4)
Land development cost of revenue
(79)
(23)
Single-family rental cost of revenue
375
(106)
(7)
General and administrative expense and depreciation
1,649
Operating income
(1,268)
(84)
Other income, net
519
686
(167)
(24)
Income taxes
(90)
(501)
(411)
(82)
(1,504)
(89)
Basic EPS
(0.06)
(86)
Diluted EPS
Water delivered (thousands of gallons)
10,647
137,898
(127,251)
(92)
Water taps sold
35
Wastewater taps sold
Water and wastewater resource revenue
(1,641)
Land development revenue
(2,670)
(58)
(317)
165
(4,606)
(52)
Water and wastewater resource cost of revenue
209
(395)
(45)
414
(164)
(6)
3,332
3,058
274
(1,258)
2,297
1,198
1,099
92
(220)
(978)
(758)
(78)
(2,859)
(0.12)
78,996
215,152
(136,156)
(63)
39
36
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, total revenue decreased as compared to the same periods in 2022, primarily due to less recognized lot sale revenue in Phase 2A and lower water usage revenues as oil and gas operators did not drill any wells in our service area. Lot sales are recognized using the percentage of completion method and due to the declining housing market, we slowed our construction activities which slows revenue recognition. Additionally, we delayed the start of Phase 2B due to the housing market, which resulted in no revenue being recognized on that phase for the six months ended February 28, 2023. Phase 2B began construction after February 28, 2023, and we will begin recognizing revenue on those activities in our third quarter of fiscal 2023. Additionally, on March 15, 2023, March 27, 2023, and April 12, 2023, we received $1.0 million, $1.9 million and $1.2 million, from the three home builders that are on the milestone payment terms, which was the first milestone payment for Phase 2B from these builders. These declines were coupled with lower water fees recognized due to less construction and less initial seeding irrigation water used in our service area.
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, costs of revenue decreased as compared to 2022, primarily due to declines in lot sales and lower water sold to oil and gas operators which decreases our costs. Additionally, since our Sky Ranch water and wastewater systems are new, the systems are not operating at full capacity currently, which impacts the productivity of the infrastructure as the facilities are designed to operate at full capacity. Until our facilities are operating at full capacity, costs are expected to remain volatile and will not necessarily increase and decrease with the related revenues.
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, general and administrative expenses increased as compared to 2022 due to increased headcount attributable to increased operations requiring more employees, higher depreciation charges as we continue to invest in long-term assets for use in all our business segments, and continued increases in general operating expenses such as insurance and professional fees.
For the six months ended February 28, 2023, other income, net increased due to interest income recorded on the note receivable from the Sky Ranch CAB related to reimbursable public improvements and project management fees, and the receipt of $0.9 million for right-of-way and surface use agreements with oil and gas operators related to oil and gas drilling activities.
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, water deliveries decreased as compared to 2022 primarily due to decreased water sales to oil and gas operators, and decreased water sales related to the establishment of new sod, reduced park and public space irrigation, and the slowing of construction activities.
Water and Wastewater Resource Development Results of Operations
(In thousands, except for water deliveries)
Municipal water usage
Commercial water usage
(1,482)
(96)
81
Other revenue
Total segment revenue
Water service costs
(168)
(29)
Wastewater service costs
109
Total expenses
Segment operating income
(1,322)
(80)
Water deliveries (thousands of gallons)
On Site
171
4,213
(4,042)
Export - Commercial
144
2,611
(2,467)
(94)
Sky Ranch
5,295
4,209
1,086
Wild Pointe
2,637
2,774
O&G operations
2,399
124,091
(121,692)
(98)
Total water deliveries
(1,686)
(30)
(3)
133
28
(1,850)
(99)
2,475
24,197
(21,722)
Commercial sales - export water and other
10,609
8,717
1,892
22,874
21,581
1,293
9,769
9,716
53
33,269
150,941
(117,672)
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, residential water usage revenue remained relatively consistent compared to 2022. Commercial water usage revenue declined compared to 2022 due to decreased water sales to oil and gas operators, slowing construction activities, and some of the irrigation water delivered to irrigate parks at the end of the irrigation season not being billed as the water was
delivered for us to balance our water storage facilities in preparation for winter storage requirements resulting in higher usage without corresponding revenues.
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, wastewater treatment fees increased slightly as compared to 2022 primarily due to new Sky Ranch customers.
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, water and wastewater tap sales remained relatively consistent with 2022 due to timing of closings at Sky Ranch. Tap sales are driven by builders obtaining building permits in anticipation of home closings.
Land Development Results of Operations
Project management revenue
(315)
Land development construction and project management costs
(236)
(16)
(2,987)
(59)
(2,592)
(62)
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, lot sales revenue decreased as compared to 2022 due to timing of development activities at Phase 2A at Sky Ranch, even though the price per lot for delivered lots in the second development phase increased an average of 40% over the first phase. Per lot revenue is expected to remain consistent for all four subphases of the second development phase. Revenue for builder contracts is recognized over time with progress measured under the percent of completion method. Therefore, revenue will fluctuate due to timing of construction activities throughout the second phase. Additionally, lot sale revenue declined as we delayed the start of construction on Phase 2B by three months due to the slowing of the housing market.
For the three and six months ended February 28, 2023, land development construction costs decreased compared to 2022 due to the same reasons noted above related to the decrease in lot sale revenue.
Single-Family Rental Results of Operations
In fiscal 2021, we began construction on three homes that were completed and put into service on November 1, 2021. All three homes were rented effective November 1, 2021, under one-year non-cancellable lease agreements. The costs reflected as cost of sales for the rental units include a pro-rata share of the annual property taxes and insurance related specifically to the rental units as well as immaterial fees related to the operations and maintenance assessments from the Sky Ranch CAB that are assessed to every home in Sky Ranch. Our tenants are responsible for all other utilities including water and wastewater services that are paid to us. In the first quarter of fiscal 2022, we contracted for the construction of the fourth rental home, which was completed and rented in December 2022. In the third quarter of fiscal 2022, we contracted for the construction of 10 rental units in Phase 2A, which we anticipate being completed and ready for rental beginning in the third quarter of our fiscal 2023.
Liquidity, Capital Resources and Financial Position
As of February 28, 2023, our working capital, defined as current assets less current liabilities, was $20.3 million, which included $7.2 million in cash and cash equivalents and $15.2 million of treasury notes which matured in March 2023. All our cash is maintained at high-credit quality institutions and overnight investments are made into an insured cash sweep program which provides FDIC insurance for our entire cash balance at the bank. We believe that as of February 28, 2023 and as of the date of the filing of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, we have sufficient working capital to fund our operations for the next 12 months. Our expected obligations for the next 12 months are described below.
Sky Ranch Development
Phase 1 of the Sky Ranch development is complete, Phase 2 began in February 2021, which is being done in four subphases, of which Phase 2A is the only one being actively developed as of February 28, 2023. We estimate total costs to complete the infrastructure (including public improvements) for the 850 lots in the second phase of Sky Ranch to total $74.3 million. Of this, we anticipate spending up to $18.0 million in the next 12 months, and we anticipate receiving approximately $20.0 million in milestone payments, completed lot payments, and tap fees from the home builders over the same period. The amounts we expect to spend and receive in the next twelve months are dependent on the pace of construction in Phase 2B. We believe future revenues from water and wastewater tap fees as well as progress payments from our homebuilder customers and our existing cash balances will fund our obligations for the next 12 months.
Single-Family Rental Construction Contract
In fiscal 2022 we entered two separate contracts with a local builder to construct eleven rental units at Sky Ranch to be used in our single-family rental business. The contracted costs for all eleven units is $3.2 million, which as of February 28, 2023, we had incurred $2.3 million of costs related to the construction of these units. We anticipate incurring the remaining $0.9 million in our fiscal 2023.
ECCV Capacity Operating System
The Rangeview District may purchase water produced from East Cherry Creek Valley Water and Sanitation District’s (ECCV) Land Board system, which we would pay for pursuant to our funding agreements with the Rangeview District. Our costs associated with the use of the ECCV system are a flat fee $3,000 per month through April 2032. Additionally, we pay a fee per 1,000 gallons of water produced from the ECCV system, which is included in the water usage fees charged to customers.
South Metropolitan Water Supply Authority (SMWSA) and the Water Infrastructure Supply Efficiency Partnership (WISE)
We have entered into a financing agreement that obligates us to fund the Rangeview District’s cost of participating in WISE. We anticipate investing $1.0 million in 2023 and up to $6.0 million in total for the fiscal years 2024 through 2025 to fund the Rangeview District’s obligation to purchase water and fund development of infrastructure for WISE, its obligations related to SMWSA, and the construction of a connection to the WISE system. In exchange for funding the Rangeview District’s obligations in WISE, we have the sole right to use and reuse the Rangeview District’s 9% share of the WISE water and infrastructure to provide water service to the Rangeview District’s customers and to receive the revenue from such service. Our current WISE subscription entitles us to approximately 3.0 million gallons per day of transmission pipeline capacity and up to 900 acre-feet per year of water.
Summary Cash Flows Table
Cash (used) provided by:
Operating activities
5,829
43
Investing activities
(17,446)
(776)
Financing activities
(1,149)
Net Change in cash
(12,766)
For the six months ended February 28, 2023, operating activities used a net $7.6 million of cash, which is due to positive net income being offset by the use of cash to fund construction activities (including the public improvements) at Sky Ranch, and timing of when
payments are remitted to vendors including income taxes. We anticipate continuing to spend cash for the construction activities at Sky Ranch for the foreseeable future.
For the six months ended February 28, 2023, investing activities used $19.9 million in cash. The majority of this was related to us purchasing $15.0 million of treasury notes to capitalize on increased interest rates and construction of single-family rentals and additional water delivery infrastructure.
For the six months ended February 28, 2023, financing activities used less than $0.1 million of cash, mainly due to the acquisition of the remaining CAA obligations.
Critical Accounting Policies and Use of Estimates
Our critical accounting policies and estimates are described in “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” within Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Note 3 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” included in our 2022 Annual Report. The accounting policies and estimates used in preparing our interim consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended February 28, 2023 are the same as those described in our 2022 Annual Report. There have been no changes to our critical accounting policies during the three and six months ended February 28, 2023. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in our annual financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America have been condensed or omitted from the interim financial statements included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC, although we believe that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading. The unaudited consolidated financial statements and other information included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto in our 2022 Annual Report.
Not applicable.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
We maintain disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Exchange Act that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports filed or submitted to the SEC under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the SEC’s rules and forms, and that information is accumulated and communicated to management, including the principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures.
The President and the Chief Financial Officer evaluated the effectiveness of disclosure controls and procedures during our fiscal 2022, as well as of February 28, 2023, pursuant to Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act. Based on the fiscal 2022 evaluation, the President and the Chief Financial Officer each concluded that, during fiscal 2022 and as of February 28, 2023, our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were effective.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
No changes were made to our internal control over financial reporting during our most recently completed fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Exhibit Number
Description
31.1
Certification of principal executive officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. *
31.2
Certification of principal financial officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. *
32.1
Certification of principal executive officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. **
32.2
Certification of principal financial officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. **
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document. *
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document. *
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document. *
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document. *
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document. *
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document. *
104
Cover page formatted as inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101
*
Filed herewith.
**
Furnished herewith.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
/s/ Kevin B. McNeill
Kevin B. McNeill
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
April 14, 2023