This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document.
Snapshot 8c03f32a46bf · verified 2026-06-10 ·
original document ·
archived snapshot ·
unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.
Municipality of Grey Highlands Policy
Policy Name: Strategic Asset Management Policy
Policy Number: A09-F-07
Department: Finance
Authority: Council
Effective Date: 2019-07-17 (Resolution 2019-452)
Updated: 2025-11-05 (By-law 2025-084)
1
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish consistent standards and
guidelines for the management of the Municipality's tangible assets. This
includes managing the lifecycle of assets so that usage is maximized, and
cost and risk are minimized. This policy shall guide the Municipality in
ensuring that it is in compliance with Ontario Regulation 588/17, Asset
Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure. This policy will embed
asset management as a Municipal priority and ensure its continuity across
councils.
2
Scope
The Municipality of Grey Highlands owns a wide range of assets and asset
types that deliver services to its residents. This policy applies to all tangible
assets owned and/or managed by the Municipality of Grey Highlands that
are used to provide services to the community and includes roads network,
bridges & culverts, buildings & facilities, storm, water, wastewater,
equipment, land improvements, and fleet & machinery.
3
Policy
Guiding Principles and Statutory Requirements
This policy complies with the Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act,
2015, specifically Ontario Regulation 588/17, Asset Management Planning for
Municipal Infrastructure, both as amended.
1. Community Focused - The municipality will deliver Services that our
community values.
2. Resiliency and Sustainability - Decision making will proactively
consider the potential direct and indirect impacts of Climate Change,
demographics, social, political and economic changes, now and for
future generations (i.e. how they may directly affect Levels of Service;
systematically incorporate adaptive measures and technologies to
improve infrastructure resilience).
3. Continuous Improvement and Innovation - The Municipality will
consistently monitor, assess and improve its practices and processes.
4. Safety - The Municipality values the safety of its employees,
communities and those who use its Services.
5. Transparency and Accountability - The Municipality will clearly identify
the decision-making rationale for what we are doing, how we are doing
it and why we are doing it.
6. Optimization and Alignment - The Municipality will tie decisions to
Service requirements and outcomes, informed by Council-approved
strategic priorities; Capitalization Thresholds in the Asset Management
Plans and Tangible Capital Asset reporting will be aligned.
7. Collaboration - The Municipality will ensure decisions are made within
a consistent framework and methodologies and informed through
discussion with internal and external partners.
Stakeholder Engagement
The goal of the Municipality is to efficiently provide its various stakeholders
with the municipal services they need within the bounds of regulatory
requirements, financial constraints, the existing assets and services, and
the natural environment. To achieve this goal, it is necessary that the
municipality understand the needs of current stakeholders, consider the
needs of future generations, and incorporate these perspectives into asset
management plans. The Municipality recognizes these stakeholders as an
integral part of the asset management approach. Accordingly, the
Municipality will:
-Provide opportunities for residents and other stakeholders served by
the Municipality to provide input on levels of service, which in turn
impact asset management planning; and
-Coordinate asset management planning with other infrastructure asset
owning agencies such as the Province of Ontario, neighbouring
municipalities, and the County.
Responsibilities of the Key Stakeholders
The policy requires the commitment of key stakeholders within the
Municipality of Grey Highlands' organizational structure.
Council
On behalf of its citizens, Council is entrusted with the responsibility of
overseeing the management of the Municipal assets. Council will:
a) Approve by resolution the asset management plan and its updates
at least every five years
b) Support ongoing efforts to continuously improve and implement
the asset management plans and asset management policy
c) Maintain adequate organizational capacity to support the core
practices of the asset management program
d) Conduct annual reviews of asset management plan
implementation progress every year including:
-Progress on ongoing efforts to implement the asset
management plans
-Any factors affecting the ability of the Municipality of Grey
Highlands' to implement its asset management plans
-A strategy to address these factors including the adoption of
appropriate practices
-Review implementation of the plan as part of the annual
budget process including financial targets
Chief Administration Officer, Treasurer, and Asset Management Coordinator:
Ensures that the Municipality maintains compliance with the asset
management policy and provincial asset management regulation
Asset Management Coordinator Performs the role of team lead of the
Municipality's asset management planning by coordinating and managing
the development and continuous improvements of the Municipality's asset
management plans and practices with the Asset Management Team
Asset Management Technician
Responsible for updating and maintaining the tangible capital asset
database with information obtained in conjunction with the Asset
Management Team
Asset Management Team
The Asset Management Team will contain at least one member from each
asset-owning department within the Municipality and will oversee asset
management planning activities that fall within their department and act in
support of the other departments.
The Asset Management Team will:
- promote best practices for asset management planning and meeting
or exceeding provincial regulations.
- Manage and monitor the progress of asset management practices at
the Municipality.
- Review and create reports for council to utilize in their required review
of asset management implementation progress as outlined above.
- Regularly consult and report to Senior Management
- Regularly review and update the Municipality's Strategic Asset
Management Policy
Department Heads
Manage and monitor the progress of asset management practices at the
Municipality.
Ensure job descriptions include asset management responsibilities for staff.
Responsible for promotion and implementing best asset management
practices at the departmental level.
Responsible for preparing annual and long-term operating and capital
budgets related to departmental assets, and recommending optimal time to
replace, repair or rehabilitate
Staff
Support the objectives of asset management in alignment with their roles,
responsibilities, and job descriptions.
Understand and comply with asset management procedures relevant to
their position.
Contribute to the accurate recording, maintenance, and reporting of asset
data within their scope of work.
Participate in training and development activities to maintain competency in
asset-related responsibilities.
Governance and Continuous Improvement
This policy shall be reviewed and/or revised by relevant key stakeholders
at least once every 5 years, to ensure it continues to be as beneficial and
relevant as possible to the Municipality of Grey Highlands. The policy will
be publicly available on Grey Highlands' website and provided to anyone
who requests a copy.
Strategic Alignment
The Strategic Plan is the roadmap for the community's future and provides
an avenue to sustainable growth and prosperity.
The Municipality's commitment regarding asset management is to provide
services essential to the maintenance of a high quality of life, within a
framework of equality and equity. The provision of service will adhere to
the highest values of fiscal stewardship, responsibility and fairness while
ensuring excellence in planning and implementation of programs. To this
end, the Strategic Asset Management Policy and the Asset Management
Plan are an essential part of meeting these commitments.
The Municipality has adopted and/or plans to update or develop various
plans, including: a Strategic Plan, Official Plan, Asset Management Plan,
Development Charges Study, Water and Sewer Rate Study, Community
Improvement Plan, Master Fire Plan, Water and Wastewater Servicing
Master Plan, Trails Master Plan, Road Need Study, Stormwater
Management Plan, Master Recreation Plan, and a long term capital
budget. These plans will be reviewed regularly by staff and annual
spending requirements in support of the plans' objectives will be
recommended during the budgeting process and into asset management
planning.
Capitalization Thresholds
The threshold used to determine which assets are to be included in the
asset management plan align with the Tangible Capital Asset Policy. The
Asset Management Team, in consultation with Senior Management, will
review and provide recommendations for any changes to the Tangible
Capital Asset Policy.
Budgeting
The Municipality will integrate findings from the asset management plans
into its long-term financial planning and make recommendations during
budgeting processes. Sound financial analysis will be encompassed in asset
management planning so that the asset management plan will guide the
budgeting and financial planning of the Municipality.
The asset management plan will be referenced by departmental staff in the
preparation of their budget submission to help them:
- Identify all potential revenues and costs (including operating,
maintenance, replacement, and decommission) associated with the
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 revenue tools and alternative funding strategies
where possible.
The departmental level budget and ten-year capital plan submission
prepared by each department with the assistance of the Finance
Department will be evaluated by the Director of Finance/Treasurer and the
Chief Administrative Officer in the preparation of the Municipality's annual
budget.
Climate Change
Climate change will be considered as part of the Municipality's risk
management approach embedded in local asset management planning
methods. The Municipality commits to the development of tailored actions
that make the best use of its resources to mitigate and adapt to climate
change. 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,
contingency funding, and capital investments for both new assets and the
rehabilitation of old assets. Vulnerabilities of Municipal assets that may be
caused by climate change will be addressed throughout the lifecycle
management process of these assets. The Municipality's contribution to
climate change through greenhouse gas emissions will be mitigated where
possible in accordance with its financial capacity, stakeholder support and
any local reduction targets.
Definitions
Asset Management: The coordinated activity of an organization to realize
value from assets.
Asset management Plan - a strategic document that states how a group of
assets are to be managed over a period of time. The plan describes the
characteristics and condition of infrastructure assets, the levels of service
expected from them, planned actions to ensure the assets are providing
the expected level of service, and financing strategies to implement the
planned actions.
Tangible Capital Assets: Assets having physical substance that:
- Are used on a continuing basis in the Municipality's operations
- Have useful lives extending beyond 1 year
- Are not held for re-sale in the ordinary course of operations
- Maintenance and expenditures for repairs that do not prolong an
asset's economic life or improve its efficiency are not
capitalized.
Lifecycle activities: activities undertaken with respect to a municipal
infrastructure asset over its service life, including constructing,
maintaining, renewing, operating and decommissioning, and all engineering
and design work associated with those activities
Level of Service: Defined service for a particular activity or service area
against which service performance may be measured. Service levels
usually relate to quality, quantity, reliability, responsiveness,
environmental acceptability and cost.
References
O. Reg. 588/17 Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure
Infrastructure for Jobs and Prosperity Act 2015