Consultants for Highlands East have determined the township has $116 million in assets.
PSD Citywide’s Jasmine Shadd presented the findings to a Feb. 11 council meeting.
The province has mandated that municipalities must have asset management plans.
The biggest assets are: roads, at $46 million; buildings at $38.5 million; the water network at $7.6 million; bridges and culverts ($6.4 million); vehicles ($6.3 million); sanitary network ($5.4 million); machinery and equipment ($4.6 million), and land improvements ($1.4 million).
They found 51 per cent of infrastructure in ‘fair’ or ‘better’ position, with the overall average condition coming in at 44 per cent ‘fair.’
Getting a ‘very poor’ rating were some of the water network, vehicles, machinery and equipment, land improvements, buildings, bridges and culverts.
“Based on the current replacement cost of the portfolio, the average annual capital needs over the lifecycle off all assets total $4.4 million,” the consultants said.
They noted there is now a gap of more than $2.1 million a year to reach that and the township will have to collect more money in future.
Shadd noted Highlands East is not alone in having such a gap.
“Most municipalities across Canada do not have adequate funds to keep up with annual infrastructure needs. Addressing these annual funding shortfalls is a difficult and a long-term endeavour.”
Mayor Dave Burton asked if it was normal for buildings to be valued so high, at $38.5 million. Shadd said buildings are costly to replace.
Deputy mayor Cec Ryall noted, “we are in a timeline where dollars for taxpayer purposes are extremely difficult to do. Everybody is struggling with budgets.” He said he was looking for a proactive maintenance program, “to look at how to prolong the life of assets in a cost-effective way.”
Shadd said that is not something her company does; but townships do.
Ryall noted the County has established a 1.5 per cent levy per year to help with future infrastructure costs. He said it was something for Highlands East to consider.
Ratepayers see 5.96 per cent hike
Highlands East is poised to pass its 2025 budget when council next meets March 11.
Brittany McCaw, CAO/treasurer, told a special council meeting Feb. 19 that the township was looking at an overall spending increase from the 2024 budget of $534,237.
“This equates to a 5.96 per cent municipal tax rate increase,” she said.
It’s a hike of about $33.38 per $100,000 of residential assessment.
McCaw said factoring in the County and education budgets, the overall impact is a 5.11 per cent jump.
“This budget is the culmination of careful planning and consultation, reflecting our commitment to remain productive and forward thinking while ensuring we address the monetary needs of the municipality and our ratepayers,” McCaw said. She added there were many rising costs beyond their control, including the pending impact of U.S. tariffs.
McColl’s bridge replacement
Council accepted the tender from McPherson Andrews Contracting Ltd. for $470,075.90 plus HST to complete the proposed work on the McColl’s bridge in the 2025 budget year.
Public works operations manager Perry Kelly said they got six bids.
He said the project was first identified in 2023, after the 2022 bridge inspections determined, “the structure needed immediate repairs to keep the bridge open. A replacement was deemed necessary through those inspections from the engineering firm that completed the 2022 bridge inspection.”
Work was done in the winter of 2022 to secure the structure until the municipality could work towards the replacement of the bridge. They are using existing abutments to save money.
Kelly said the winning bid is less than the 2025 budgeted amount of $667,000 for the total project.
Helping turtles
Highlands East is going to help the Think Turtle Conservation Initiative with $700 of in-kind donations.
The conservation group had asked the municipality to provide signposts with hardware and municipal staff time to install turtle crossing signs.
Think Turtle is looking to have one or two sets of signs on Dyno Road, and one on Lewis Road.
Council approved the request.
