Municipal Policies
The Township of Machar will meet the information and communications needs of people with disabilities by providing, upon request, information and communications material in accessible formats or with communications supports.
Target: To identify and remove barriers to people with disabilities who utilize the facilities and services of the Township.
Review Date: Annually
Accessibility Plan is available for the public.
The purpose of this policy is to provide leadership in and commitment to the development and implementation of the Township’s asset management program. It is intended to guide the consistent use of asset management across the organization, to facilitate logical and evidence-based decision-making for the management of municipal infrastructure assets and to support the delivery of sustainable community services now and in the future. By using sound asset management practices, the Township will work to ensure that all municipal infrastructure assets meet expected performance levels and continue to provide desired service levels in the most efficient and effective manner. Linking service outcomes to infrastructure investment decisions will assist the Township in focusing on service, rather than budget, driven asset management approaches. This policy demonstrates an organization-wide commitment to the good stewardship of municipal infrastructure assets, and to improved accountability and transparency to the community through the adoption of best practices regarding asset management planning.
Infrastructure is inextricably linked to the economic, social and environmental advancement of a community. Municipalities own and manage nearly 60% of the public infrastructure stock in Canada. As analyzed in this asset management plan (AMP), the Township of Machar’s infrastructure portfolio comprises the following asset classes: road network, bridges & culverts, buildings, machinery & equipment, land improvements and vehicles. The asset classes analyzed in this asset management plan for the township had a total 2016 valuation of $11.3 million, of which roads comprised 50%.
Strategic asset management is critical in extracting the highest total value from public assets at the lowest lifecycle cost. This AMP, the township’s second following the completion of its first edition in 2013, details the state of infrastructure of the township’s service areas and provides asset management and financial strategies designed to facilitate its pursuit of developing an advanced asset management program and mitigate long-term funding gaps.
In addition to observed field conditions, historical capital expenditures can assist the township in identifying impending infrastructure needs, and guide its medium- and long-term capital programs. The township has invested into its infrastructure sporadically over the decades. Investments have fluctuated during since the 1970s to 2016 and they peaked in the early 2000s. During this time, $6.8 million was invested with $3.7 million put into the road network. Since 2015, $190,000 has been invested with a focus on machinery & equipment.
Based on 2016 replacement cost, and age-based condition data, over 22% of assets, with a valuation of $2.6 million, are in good to very good condition; 72% are in poor to very poor condition. The township has provided condition information for 57% of assets based on 2016 replacement cost. Nearly 45% of the assets analyzed in this AMP have at least 10 years of useful life remaining. However, 8%, with a valuation of $851,000, remain in operation beyond their established useful life. An additional 44% will reach the end of their useful life within the next five years.
In order for an AMP to be effective, it must be integrated with financial planning and long-term budgeting. The development of a comprehensive financial plan will allow the township to identify the financial resources required for sustainable asset management based on existing asset inventories, desired levels of service, and projected growth requirements.
The average annual investment requirement for the above categories is $832,000. Annual revenue currently allocated to these assets for capital purposes is $380,000 leaving an annual deficit of $452,000. To put it another way, these infrastructure categories are currently funded at 46% of their long-term requirements. In 2017, Machar has annual tax revenues of $1,735,000.
Our strategy includes full funding being achieved over 20 years by:
- Increasing tax revenues by 1.3% each year for the next 20 years solely for the purposes of phasing in full funding to the asset categories covered in this section of the AMP.
- Allocating the current gas tax and OCIF revenue and scheduled increases to the infrastructure deficit as they occur.
- Reallocating appropriate revenue from categories in a surplus position to those in a deficit position.
- Increasing existing and future infrastructure budgets by the applicable inflation index on an annual basis in addition to the deficit phase-in.
Although our financial strategies allow the township to meet its long-term funding requirements and reach fiscal sustainability, injection of additional revenues will be required to mitigate existing infrastructure backlogs.
A critical aspect of this asset management plan is the level of confidence the township has in the data used to develop the state of the infrastructure and form the appropriate financial strategies. The township has indicated a high degree of confidence in the accuracy, validity and completeness of the asset data for all categories analyzed in this asset management plan.