Bylaws and Policies

Strategic Asset Management Policy

By-Law: 2019-41
Effective Date: June 30, 2019

Township’s Vision

The Township’s vision is to proactively manage its assets to best serve the Township’s objectives by:

1. Effectively delivering services;
2. Supporting sustainability and economic development; and
3. Maintaining prudent financial planning and decision making.

Township’s Goal

The objectives of this policy are to:

• Provide a framework for implementing asset management to enable a consistent and strategic approach at all levels of the organization; and
• Provide guidance to staff responsible for the asset management program.

Strategic Alignment

The Council and Township Administration will review this policy and incoprate into the Asset Management planning an approach that fosters the integration of municipal documents such as:

1. The Stategic Plan
2. The Financial Plan
3. The Community Plan
4. Master Plans for the Township

Guiding Principles

Customer Focused: The Township will have clearly defined levels of serice and apply asset mangement practices to maintain the confidence of customers in how the Township’s assets are managed.

Service Focused: The Township will consider all the assets in a service context and take into account a coordinated approach to optimizing Township assets.

Risk-Based:  The Township will manage the risks associated with attaining the desired level of service by focusing resources, expenditures, and priorities based upon risk assessments and the corresponding cost/benefit, recognizing that public safety is paramount.

Value-Based Affordable: The Township will choose practices, interventions and operations that aim at reducing the lifecycle cost of asset ownership, while satisfying agreed level of service.  Decisions are based on balancing service levels, risks, and costs.

Capitalization Threshold

The Asset Management Policy applies to all assets whose role in service delivery requires deliberate management by the Township.  The service-focus intent of this policy differentiates its requirements for identifying assets from the capitalization thresholds which are developed for the purpose of financial reporting.  For this reason, the capitalization threshold developed for financial reporting will not be the guide in selecting the assets covered by asset management planning processes.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Township’s Asset Management Program requires a wide range of participation to ensure that it is executed and used effectively for the management of Township assets.  The following parties have duties and responsibilities in the asset management program:

Township Council

• Approve the Asset Management Policy and direction of the Asset Management Program.

• Maintain adequate organization resources to support the core practices of the Asset Management Program.

• Prioritize effective stewartship of assets in relation to establishing Township policies and plans and future budgets.

• Establish and monitor levels of service.

Senior Management Team

• Develop policy and update as required.

• Provide corporate oversight to goals and provide direction in support of the Asset Management Program.

• Provide departmental staff coordiantion

• Develop and monitor levels of service and make recommendations to Council.

• Track, analyze and report on the Asset Management Program’s progress and results.

Chief Administrative Officer

• Provide organization-wide leadership in Asset Management practices and concepts.

• Work in conjunction with the Treasurer for Asset Management implementation and progress

• Ensure senior mangement team staff cordination and participation.

Treasurer

• Manage policy and policy updates.

• Provide organization-wide leadership in Asset Management practices and concepts.

• Provide department staff coordination.

• Monitor levels of service.

• Coordinate and track Asset Management program implementation and progress.

Director of Public Works

• Provide leadership in Asset Management practices and concepts in Core Asset Management group of municipal infrastructure assets.

• Develop the Asset Management Program component for assessing existing infrastructure and planning requriements for the lifecycle evaluation of these assets.

• Coordinate and track Asset Management program for Core assets.

Departmental Staff

• Utilize the new business processes and technology tools developed as part of the Asset Management Program.

• Participate in implementation task teams to carry-out Asset Management activities.

• Implement and maintain the desired level of service.

• Provide support and direction for Asset Management practices within their departments.

• Track and analyze Asset Management Program progress and results.

• Budgeting

The Township will integrate findings from the Asset Management Program into its long-term financial planning and budgeting processes.  Sound financial analysis will be encompassed in Asset Management planning in order for the asset management plan to guide employees in budgeting and financial planning.  The financial strategy included in each Asset Management Plan will be completed by a senior administration team composed of representatives from finance and the concerned department.The Asset Management Plan will be referenced by the department personnel in the preparation of their budget submissions to help them:

• Identify all potential revenues and costs associated with forthcoming infrastructure asset decisions;

• Evaluate the validity and need of each significant new capital asset, including considering the impact on future operating costs; and

• Incorporate new revenuw tools and alternative funding strategies where possible.

The department level budget submissions, prepared by each Township Director, will be evaluated by the budget committee in the preparation of the munipality’s annual budget.The financial analysis used for the water and wastewater Asset Management plans will align with existing financial plans related to these assets.  The analysis completed in each tangential document will reference the most up-to-date information from the same datasets, will be based on common methods, and will improve upon one another.

Community Planning

Asset Management Planning will be aligned with the Township’s Official Plan.  The Asset Management Plans will reflect how the community is projected to change and the related assets impacted.

Climate Change

Climate change will be considered as part of the Township’s risk management approach embedded in local asset management planning methods.  This approach will balance the potential cost of vulnerabilities to climate change impacts and other risks with the cost of reducing these vulnerabilities.  The balance will be struck in the levels of service delivered through operations, maintenance schedules, disaster response plans, contingnecy funds, and capital investments.  The Township’s contribution to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions will be mitigated in accordance with its local reduction targets, financial capacity and stakeholder support.

Stakeholder Engagement

The ultimate goal of the Township is to efficiently provide its various stakeholders with the municipal services they need within the bounds of regulatory requirments, the build environment, and the natural environment.  In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary that the Township understand the needs of current stakeholders, consider the needs of future generations, and incorporate these prespectives into our Asset Management Plan.  The Township recognizes them as an integeral part of the Asset Management approach.  Accordingly, the Township will:

• Provide opportunities for residents and other stakeholders served by the Township to provide input in Asset Management Planning; and

• Coordinate Asset Management Planning with other infrastructure asset owning agencies, such as municipal bodies and regulator utilities.