HomeMy WebLinkAboutEGD-20-06
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REPORT
ENGINEERING SERVICES
Meeting: GENERAL PURPOSE AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE
Date: Monday, April 10, 2006
Report #: EGD-20-06
File #:
By-law #:
Subject:
MOVE ONTARIO - SPECIAL ONE-TIME FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FROM
THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO FOR MUNICIPAL ROADS AND BRIDGES
RECOMMENDATIONS:
It is respectfully recommended:
1. THAT Report EGD-20-06 be received by Council;
2. THAT Council acknowledge the receipt of monies in the amount of $1,483,872.00 from
the Province of Ontario as part of a "special" one-time funding opportunity under the
Move Ontario program announced in March of this year; and
3. THAT the Director of Engineering Services, having reviewed the top transportation
infrastructure priorities for the Municipality of Clarington, be directed by Council to
allocate the Move Ontario monies to supplement Clarington's 2006 Road Rehabilitation
and Pavement Overlay Program.
Respectfully by, ~ cJ~---.I:.i-slr..
Submitted by: A.S. Cannella, C.E.T. Reviewed by: Franklin Wu,
Director of Engineering Services Chief Administrative Officer
ASC/jb
March 31 , 2006
CORPORATION OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF ClARINGTON
40 TEMPERANCE STREET, BOWMANVILLE, ONTARIO L 1C 3A6 T 905-623-3379 F 905-623-9282
REPORT NO.: EGD.20-o6
PAGE 2
1.0 BACKGROUND
1.1 In March of this year the Province of Ontario announced a "major, one-time $1.2 billion
investment in the province's public transit systems, municipal roads and bridges. This
money became available because the Ontario economy outperformed private sector and
government projections in 2005 with the result being unanticipated additional revenues.
Upon a review of provincial priorities, a decision was made to invest more than 60 per
cent of these additional revenues towards addressing Ontario's transportation and
infrastructure deficit.
Of the total $1.2 billion investment, $400 million is being provided to municipalities,
primarily outside of the GT A, specifically to fund construction and bridge maintenance
projects. Under this program the Municipality of Clarington has been awarded
$1,483,972.00 which was received on March 30, 2006.
The guidelines under this program are less stringent than perhaps we may have seen
with recent programs such as the Canada-Ontario-Municipal-Infrastructure Program and
require only that the monies be seen as "dedicated" funding for municipal roads and
bridges.
2.0 CLARINGTON'S HIGHEST PRIORITIES
2.1 A review of Clarington's top transportation infrastructure priorities for 2006 highlights the
wisdom of a decision on the part of the province to "pay down Ontario's transportation
infrastructure deficit". An urgent call for strategic investments in municipal infrastructure
has been growing in recent years as part of the "pay now or pay ten times more later",
philosophy. It appears that the province has responded to this call and certainly
Clarington, like other municipalities, has its share of "urgent" transportation infrastructure
needs.
REPORT NO.: EGD.20-o6
PAGE 3
2.2 Road Rehabilitation and Pavement Overlay ProQram
Each year, the Municipality of Clarington overlays, upgrades or reconstructs existing
roads through its Road Rehabilitation and Pavement Overlay Program in consideration
of the recommendations from our Pavement Management System. Staff maintains an
inventory of the road network complete with all characteristics of every road section.
Each year roads are selected for improvement under this program based on structural
adequacy, surface condition, drainage capabilities and traffic counts. Road inspections
are used to update the inventory and to augment the results of our Pavement
Management software program which recommends the highest priorities for road
improvements in the most financially efficient way.
In recent years Clarington has faced the same dilemma that every municipality in Ontario
has faced in being able to keep up with the rate of infrastructure decline. As funding for
roads has dropped, the list of road improvement priorities has been growing and the gap
between the two has had many municipalities concerned.
The Move Ontario announcement provides Clarington with a significant opportunity to
address a higher number of these road improvement priorities in 2006 by advancing
high priority forecasted projects. It is our recommendation that the monies we receive
be used to expand the 2006 Road Rehabilitation and Overlay Program.
3.0 CONCLUSION
The Province's recent announcement of a major one-time investment in aging municipal
transportation infrastructure is an outstanding opportunity for the Municipality to save
money in the future by addressing aging infrastructure needs now. It is therefore
respectfully recommended that the monies granted to the Municipality under the Move
REPORT NO.: EGD.20-o6
PAGE 4
Ontario program, which we have been advised as being $1,483,872.00 be allocated
towards Clarington's top transportation infrastructure priorities. These priorities will be
identified as part of our 2006 Road Rehabilitation and Overlay Program.
This report has been reviewed by the Finance Department and they concur with the
recommendations contained herein.
Interested Parties:
The Province of Ontario