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 standards 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 that 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 of 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:
- Infrastructure asset inventory
- Levels of service
- Lifecycle management and financial strategy
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; and
Now Therefore Be It Resolved That The Corporation of the City of Cornwall supports MFOA’s letter to the Ministry of Infrastructure (attached) requesting a one-year extension of deadlines in O. Reg. 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.