Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

6. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

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6. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
6 Months Ended
Feb. 28, 2017
Related Party Transactions  
RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Rangeview is a quasi-municipal corporation and political subdivision of Colorado formed in 1986 for the purpose of providing water and wastewater service to the Lowry Range and other approved areas.  Rangeview is governed by an elected board of directors.  Eligible voters and persons eligible to service as director of Rangeview must own an interest in property within the boundaries of the Rangeview District.  The Company owns certain rights and real property interests which encompass the current boundaries of the Rangeview district.  The current directors of Rangeview include three employees of the Company, and two independent board members.

 

In 1995, the Company extended a loan to Rangeview, a related party. The loan provided for borrowings of up to $250,000, is unsecured, and bears interest based on the prevailing prime rate plus 2% (5.50% at February 28, 2017), and the maturity date of the loan is December 31, 2022. Beginning in January 2014, Rangeview and the Company entered into a funding agreement that allows the Company to continue to provide funding to Rangeview 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 remains in effect. The $678,900 balance of the note receivable at February 28, 2017, includes borrowings of $308,700 and accrued interest of $370,200.

 

On December 16, 2009, the Company entered into a Participation Agreement with Rangeview, whereby the Company agreed to provide funding to Rangeview in connection with Rangeview joining the South Metro Water Supply Authority (“SMWSA”). On November 10, 2014, the Company and Rangeview entered into the WISE Financing Agreement, which became effective December 23, 2014, whereby the Company agreed to fund Rangeview’s cost of participating in a regional water supply project known as the WISE partnership. The Company anticipates spending approximately $5.6 million over the next five fiscal years to fund Rangeview’s purchase of its share of the water transmission line and additional facilities, water and related assets for WISE and to fund operations and water deliveries related to WISE.

 

Each year, beginning in 2012, the Company has entered into an Operation Funding Agreement with Sky Ranch Metropolitan District No. 5 obligating the Company to advance funding to the district for the district’s operations and maintenance expenses for the then-current calendar year. The district is expected to repay the amounts advanced pursuant to the funding agreements from future revenues from property tax assessments. All payments are subject to annual appropriations by the district in its absolute discretion. The advances by the Company accrue interest at a rate of 8% per annum from the date of the advance.

 

In November 2014, but effective as of January 1, 2014, the Company entered into a Facilities Funding and Acquisition Agreement with Sky Ranch Metropolitan District No. 5 obligating the Company to either finance district improvements or to construct improvements on behalf of the district subject to reimbursement. Improvements subject to this agreement are determined pursuant to a mutually agreed upon budget. Each year in September, the parties are to mutually determine the improvements required for the following year and finalize a budget by the end of October. Each advance or reimbursable expense accrues interest at a rate of 6% per annum. No payments are required by the district unless and until the district issues bonds in an amount sufficient to reimburse the Company for all or a portion of the advances and costs incurred.

 

The $187,600 balance of the receivable due pursuant to the Operation Funding Agreements and the Facilities Funding and Acquisition Agreement at February 28, 2017, includes advances of $160,600 and accrued interest of $27,000. Upon the district’s ratification of the advances and related expenditures, the amount was reclassified to long-term and is recorded as part of Notes receivable – related parties.

 

On October 12, 2016, the Audit Committee of the Company’s board of directors approved accepting a bid submitted by Nelson Pipeline Constructors LLC to construct a pipeline connecting its Sky Ranch water system to Rangeview’s water system for approximately $4.1 million (the “Nelson Bid”). Nelson Pipeline Constructors LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Nelson Infrastructure Services LLC, a company in which Patrick J. Beirne owns a 50% interest. In addition, Mr. Beirne, a director of Pure Cycle, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of each of Nelson Pipeline Constructors LLC and Nelson Infrastructure Services LLC. Since Mr. Nelson is the 50% owner of the parent company of Nelson Pipeline Constructors LLC, Mr. Nelson’s interest in the transaction is approximately $2.05 million without taking into account any profit or loss from the Nelson Bid. Pursuant to the Company’s policies for review and approval of related party transactions, the Nelson Bid was reviewed and approved by the Audit Committee and by the board of directors, with Mr. Beirne abstaining. The Nelson Bid was the lowest bid received by the Company in connection with the Sky Ranch pipeline project and was lower than the Company’s estimated cost to construct the pipeline on its own.