WHEREAS the COVID-19 pandemic has had significant financial and operational impacts on Ontario municipalities;
AND WHEREAS municipalities have had to divert resources towards addressing the immediate needs of the pandemic and maintaining service delivery standard despite evolving restrictions and limited funds;
AND WHEREAS the Government of Ontario has delayed timelines with respect to several pieces of legislation;
AND WHEREAS the Government of Ontario has regulated municipal asset management through O.Reg. 588/17: Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure under the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act, 2015;
AND WHEREAS O. Reg. 588/17 mandates every municipality shall prepare an asset management plan in respect of its core municipal infrastructure assets by July 1, 2021 and in respect of all its other municipal infrastructure assets by July 1, 2023;
AND WHEREAS the key components of an asset management plan as required by the regulation are:
1. Infrastructure asset inventory
2. Levels of service
3. Lifecycle management and financial strategy
AND WHEREAS there is a concern amongst Municipal Finance Officers’ Association of Ontario (MFOA) members and their municipalities that current capacity challenges (redeployment of staff, and lack of available resources) will result in limitations for purposeful asset management planning;
AND WHEREAS Ontario municipalities do not anticipate the current capacity challenges to be resolved in the short term;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the Council of the Township of North Glengarry supports MFOA’s letter to the Ministry of Infrastructure requesting a one year extension of the deadlines in O.R. 588/17: Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure under the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act, 2015; so that all municipalities can focus on the immediate needs of the pandemic and engage in municipal asset management planning when capacity challenges are resolved.