M.D. of Bonnyville receives Municipal Asset Management Initiatives Update

The M.D. of Bonnyville uses several practices within each individual department to manage municipal infrastructure due to the absence of an integrated municipal Asset Management System.

To address this issue, in July 2018, Council approved a five Year Asset Management Implementation Strategy as recommended by the Senior Administration and department management team at that time.

Esther Quiambao, is the Manager of Legislative and Information Services for the M.D. of Bonnyville.

“Since that time, due to unforeseeable circumstances and other pressing operational priorities, Administration has not initiated the Strategy but has continued its research in this area. With Council’s re-confirmed approval,” Quiambao said. “Administration is proposing to now initiate the approved Asset Management Implementation Strategy.”

Quiambao says Asset management is a coordinated process of managing a municipality’s assets and operations relating to those assets in a cost-effective manner. It helps ensure administrative and operational accountability as well as public transparency.

“Instituting a formal, integrated Asset Management System is essential to the effective planning, maintenance and operations of municipal infrastructure both on a short-term and long-term basis,” Quiambao said. “It allows for the creation of more accurate projections of full life-cycle costs, achievable levels of service, risk management, and future demand levels. This system will directly assist Council in making more fully informed decisions and in evaluating the return on municipal investments.”

The M.D. Five Year Asset Management Implementation Strategy was created to achieve four identified Asset Management Operational Objectives identified by the Senior Administration Team through a facilitated planning process with a contracted specialist, Azimi Consulting Ltd.

“Amendments to the Alberta Municipal Government Act approved in spring 2015 required municipalities to prepare three-year financial and five-year capital plans,” Quiambao said. “The development and implementation of asset management policies, strategies and plans directly support the identification of capital project additions as set out in the new requirements and could be viewed as necessary prerequisites to making informed decisions about what is to be included in the financial plan and the capital plan.”

Administrations recommended action is that Council directs Administration to create a municipal asset management program for the Municipal District of Bonnyville based on the 2018 M.D. Asset Management Implementation Strategy at a 2021 cost of $25,000 to be funded from the 2021 Operating Budget.

The M.D. Council will make its decision for the funding at the July 28 meeting.