MORRISBURG – Through asset management planning, municipalities across Ontario are required to address proposed levels of service for the next 10 years.
It is the responsibility of council to propose and monitor those levels of service and the first 10 year level of service plan is due by July 1 of this year.
South Dundas asset management coordinator Tyler Nelson led council through a proposed levels of service presentation at their final meeting of 2024 so that council can address funding for these levels of service during their upcoming budget deliberations.
South Dundas Council will have to determine if they want to fund the level of service as proposed in the document, or consider reducing the suggested level of service for such things as road sidewalk and bridge maintenance, municipally owned buildings and recreation facilities, as well as water and sewer equipment and networks.
“This report is intended to start the conversation on the 10 year levels of service,” said South Dundas treasurer Julie Stewart asking council to review and evaluate the options.
“These are multi-year decisions going forward,” said South Dundas mayor Jason Broad. “No decisions will be made tonight.”
The proposed levels of service document presented by staff recommends a number of cost saving reductions in levels of service such reducing the number of sidewalks that must be maintained by only replacing sidewalk on one side a road rather than both sides.
“I do like that sidewalk option,” said South Dundas deputy mayor Marc St. Pierre.
“Sidewalks on one side is sufficient,” said South Dundas councillor Danielle Ward.
Another proposed reduction in level of service would be making choices like not replacing some existing bridges.
Staff recommends that the South Branch Bridge, which has only seven years of remaining service life, not be replaced.
“I agree with not replacing the South Branch bridge,” said Councillor Ward.
Going forward, it is recommended that rather than continue to run operations from multiple sites, that the municipality work towards a centralized location for public works and parks, recreation and facilities assets.
Ward also expressed her support for that recommendation. “Centralization would offer many benefits,” she said. She also pointed out that the building replacements would only occur as the facilities reach end of life.
In terms of recreation facilities, Nelson suggested that council consider reducing the number of recreation halls from five to three. The current halls on the list include: Dunbar, Matilda, Brinston EDP building, Iroquois Civic Centre, and Riverside Heights hall.
To reduce the annual funding requirement for these buildings staff recommended that the Iroquois Civic Centre, Matilda Hall and Brinston building be replaced with two facilities and the Riverside and Dunbar halls be replace with one facility.
“I’m all in favour or reducing from five to three buildings,” commented Ward. “We’re not closing them all today. This is for the future.”
Or, council could decide to work towards a different option such as reducing the size of Matilda Hall and Riverside hall by 25 per cent each but that would only realize about $23,000 in annual operational savings.
The report recommends that the BIA office space, Morrisburg clock tower and Forward House not be replaced which would reduce annual spending by $28,000.
“I think there’s some good level of service decisions to be made,” said Mayor Broad.
“It’s not sustainable to continue with high taxes to meet the needs that we have,” added South Dundas CAO Tim Mills.