Board Of Aldermen - Agenda - 4/12/2022 - P304
Restricted Cash — CIAC
This restricted cash balance consists of funds maintained for the income tax impact from
Contributions in Aid of Construction (“CIAC”), which was established in conformity with the
NHPUC approval provided to the Company's regulated utilities on November 27, 2019. This
amendment to the Company's tariffs allows for the recovery from developers and other CIAC
contributors, the tax costs needed to fully fund the associated tax liability created from the
elimination of an exemption whereby CIAC to water utilities was exempt from taxation, was
eliminated with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“the TCJA”). The
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act of 2021 retroactively made CIAC non-taxable for
federal tax, reversing the effect federally of the TCJA, whereas the taxation of CIAC for NH
Business Profits Taxes remains in effect currently. For the years ended December 31, 2021
and 2020, the balances in this restricted cash account were approximately $1.0 million and
$0.2, respectively. In accordance with the amended tariffs, these funds are the first used to
pay for income tax liability payments incurred by the Company, when and if actually incurred.
Restricted Cash — Bond Project Funds
This restricted cash balance consists of funds remaining from the issuance or funding of
semiannual debt service requirements of the Series 2014, 2019, 2020 and 2021 tax-exempt
bonds (the “Bonds”) in December of 2014, April of 2019, April and August of 2020, and April
2021, respectively. The proceeds from those bond issuance transactions are maintained in
separate restricted cash accounts, with Trustee oversight, and are subject to withdrawal as a
reimbursement of eligible capital project expenditures for the years 2014 through 2020, as
defined by the indenture and issuance documents associated with each offering. The
restricted cash accounts are also used as a “conduit” for the transfer of money from operating
cash to restricted cash, allowing the Trustee to make the required payments to bondholders
for principal and interest due semi-annually.
As of December 31, 2020, the funds in these restricted cash accounts totaled approximately
$237,000. During 2021, approximately $214,000 was withdrawn from the restricted cash
accounts to make the principal and interest payments for the Bonds, on January 1, July 1 and
October 1. In December 2021, approximately $232,000 was transferred into these restricted
cash accounts from the Company’s operating cash accounts, to provide the funds needed to
make the net principal and interest payments due on January 1, 2022 for the Bonds. As of
December 31, 2021, the funds in these restricted cash accounts totaled approximately
$255,000.
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