Backgrounder — Asset Management Program

The governments of Canada and Ontario, in partnership with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), launched the Asset Management Program (AMP) component of the Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF).

AMP will help eligible municipalities and Local Services Boards (LSBs) improve and increase their capacity to manage their infrastructure assets. Communities will be able to use this funding to enhance knowledge of their existing infrastructure assets; evaluate life-cycle costs associated with the infrastructure they own and operate; assess the capacity of current infrastructure and identify future needs; plan and make infrastructure financing decisions; and train municipal staff in long-term infrastructure management.

Asset management is a continuum with five principal stages: diagnostic, inspection, valuation, sustainability/planning and financial model. AMP is designed to address these stages and help eligible municipalities and LSBs move further along the asset management continuum.

Asset Management Program Funding
As set out in the COMRIF Agreement, up to 1 per cent of the federal and provincial contributions to COMRIF, or $5.96 million, is committed for eligible municipalities and LSBs. Including a one-third municipal/LSB matching contribution, total available AMP funding will reach almost $9 million.

Funding for AMP is calculated according to a formula that combines a minimum base amount plus per capita allocations, each representing 50 per cent of total available funding. The formula is designed to ensure equity across all areas of the province. The population component is based on 2001 Census data from Statistics Canada.

Asset Management Program Eligibility
Municipalities in Ontario considered eligible under COMRIF are also eligible for AMP funding. These are municipalities with a population of fewer than 250,000 residents, including lower-tier municipalities in the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo and York.

LSBs that own and operate their water and wastewater systems are also eligible. These LSBs are: Armstrong, Foleyet, Gogama, Moose Factory, Peace Tree, Rossport and Thorne.

Municipalities with a population over 250,000 are not eligible. These are the regional municipalities of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo and York, and the cities of Brampton, Hamilton, London, Mississauga, Ottawa and Toronto. LSBs that do not own and operate their own infrastructure assets are also ineligible.

Asset Management Program Deadlines

• The online AMP expression of interest form and Guidebook are now available on the COMRIF web site at www.comrif.ca.
• The deadline for expressions of interest is March 31, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. EST.
• AMP initiatives must be completed and claims submitted for reimbursement by
  March 31, 2009.

Asset Management Program Expressions of Interest
Interested, eligible municipalities and LSBs need to submit an expression of interest for AMP in order to receive funding. Participation in the program is not compulsory. Municipalities may also pool their allocations to undertake larger scale, regional initiatives. The AMP expression of interest form and Guidebook are available at www.comrif.ca.

Review and Evaluation
The COMRIF Joint Secretariat, which comprises officials from Industry Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, will review expressions of interest for AMP funding. Submissions must respond to all questions listed and address at least one of the five stages of asset management identified in the AMP Guidebook.

Canada-Ontario Municipal Rural Infrastructure Fund (COMRIF)
COMRIF is a five-year, federal-provincial-municipal partnership that responds to local needs through infrastructure upgrades to provide clean and safe drinking water, better sewage systems, improved waste management processes, safer local roads and bridges, as well as other health and safety priorities. Green infrastructure is COMRIF's top priority, with at least 55 per cent of funding going towards projects involving water quality, sustainable communities and innovation.

The governments of Canada and Ontario will each invest up to $298 million to improve public infrastructure in small urban and rural municipalities throughout the province. Including municipal contributions, COMRIF is expected to stimulate up to $900 million in investments.

For More Information
COMRIF Joint Secretariat employees are available to answer questions by e-mail at info@comrif.ca or by phone at 1-866-306-7827. For more information on AMP and COMRIF visit www.comrif.ca.