Conseil
21 September
2010 / le 21 septembre 2010
Submitted by/Soumis par : Nancy Schepers, Deputy City Manager/
Directrice municipale adjointe, Infrastructure Services and Community Sustainability/Services
d’infrastructure et Viabilité des collectivités
Contact Person/Personne ressource : Wayne
Newell, General Manager / Directeur général
Infrastructure Services / Services d'infrastructure
(613) 580-2424 x16002, Wayne.Newell@ottawa.ca
That Council, at its meeting of 22 September 2010:
1)
Approve the
list of additional Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF) projects as detailed in
Document 1, which can be completed by 31 March 2011 and will be funded by
recycling of surplus funds from delivery of the ISF projects that were approved
by the Federal and Provincial Governments on 5 June 2009;
2)
Direct staff
to finalize the official funding request for the additional projects as
detailed on Document 1, and to initiate the projects as soon as approval of the
funding requests has been received;
3)
Direct the
City Treasurer to increase the
City’s debt authority by $447,000 as an interim financing measure and to report back with the identification of
the sources of funding for the City’s share of the projects for Council
approval; and
4)
Receive the
list of additional Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF) projects as detailed in
Document 2, and direct staff to report back to Corporate Services Committee and
Council, should an extension of the ISF completion deadline to 31 December 2011
be approved by the Federal and Provincial governments.
Que le Conseil, lors
de sa réunion du 22 septembre 2010 :
1)
Approuve la liste des projects supplémentaires du fonds de stimulation de
l’infrastructure (FSI) tels qu’ils sont précisés dans le Document 1 et pouvant
être terminés d’ici le 31 mars 2011. Ces
projets seront financés en réinvestissant les surplus du fonds provenant de la
mise en œuvre des projets du FSI approuvés par les gouvernements fédéral et
provincial le 5 juin 2009;
2)
donne au personnel des instructions
pour qu’il termine la demande officielle de financement pour les projets
supplémentaires décrits dans le Document 1, et pour qu’il commence la
réalisation des projets dès que leur financement sera approuvé;
3)
donne à la trésorière municipale des
instructions pour qu’elle augmente la dette de la Ville de 447 000 $ comme
mesure de financement provisoire, et qu’elle prépare un rapport, qui sera
soumis à l’approbation du Conseil, sur les sources de financement qui
permettront à la Ville de payer sa part des coûts des projets.
4)
Prenne connaissance de la liste des
projets supplémentaires du fonds de stimulation de l’infrastructure (FSI) tels
qu’ils sont précisés dans le Document 2 et demande au personnel de
présenter un rapport au Comité des services organisationnels et du
développement économique et Conseil si la prolongation jusqu’au 31 décembre 2011
de l’échéancier pour la mise en œuvre des projets du FSI devait être approuvée
par les gouvernements fédéral et provincial;
Council, at its meeting of 25 August
2010 received a status update on the City of Ottawa Economic Stimulus Fund (ESF)
program. It was reported the ESF program
had a projected cost at completion of $370 million, $31 million below the $401
million ESF budget. The Infrastructure
Stimulus Fund (ISF) component of the ESF program had a projected cost at
completion of $345 million, $30 million below the $375 million ISF budget.
Staff were advised by ISF program administrators at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) on 16 August 2010 that the City could submit applications for additional projects to be completed by 31 March 2011, using the projected savings from the City's ISF program.
Council, at its meeting of 8
September 2010 considered additional projects recommended for implementation by
31 March 2011. The list was prepared based
upon consideration of needs, priorities, readiness, constraints such as
capacity to deliver (both internally and externally) and ability to complete by
31 March 2011. Council approved the list, which represented $18.37
million of the City's projected $30 million savings, and carried the following
resolutions:
MOTION
Moved
by Councillor R. Jellett
Seconded
by Councillor R. Bloess
WHEREAS there is now an opportunity to apply for new projects using
identified savings from under spending on existing ISF projects;
AND WHEREAS the original ISF program had a completion date of March 31,
2011;
AND WHEREAS it is now September and time is quickly running out to
initiate new projects and meet the above timeline;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Ottawa, ask both the Federal
and Provincial governments for an extension on the March 31 2011 deadline to
December 31, 2011, on the new projects relating to the savings on existing ISF
work, so as to allow us to meet the next construction season.
CARRIED
MOTION
Moved
by Councillor B. Monette
Seconded
by Councillor R. Jellett
WHEREAS the City has asked for an extension on the March 31, 2011
deadline on the new projects relating to the savings on existing ISF work;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that staff, in consultation with each Ward
Councillor, provide a list of additional ISF projects that could be completed
within the extended time period, and within the current conditions, to be
presented at the September 22, 2010 City Council meeting and to include a
comment from the City Treasurer regarding any additional debt authority that
may be needed.
CARRIED
Direction to Staff
That subject to the ability to use surplus stimulus funds for housing
that potential projects from OCH that can meet the timeframe be considered for
inclusion.
Staff have completed the application
process for the additional list of projects approved by Council at its meeting
on 08 September 2010. This detailed
application process includes submission of project description, project
benefits, location map, identification of specific current ISF projects where
the savings would be taken for each proposed new project, Engineer Affidavit
certifying that the project can be completed by 31 March 2011, listing of
approvals and permits required and other factors. Approvals have not been received yet but are
actively being pursued by staff.
The Mayor and Councillors
were sent a memo on 9 September 2010 asking for their requested proposed
projects to be submitted to the Department by 4pm on 13 September 2010.
A total of 118 projects, with an
estimated total cost of approximately $126 million, were submitted by Councillors for consideration.
Staff have been assessing the
requested additional projects on a “fast-tracked basis”. Various City Departments have been involved
in the determination of the project scope and details, feasibility of
implementation by the 31 March 2011 and 31 December 2011 deadlines and
preparation of preliminary cost estimates.
Projects were distributed into three
separate categories as follows:
1. Projects that could be completed by
31 March 2011 (Document 1);
2. Projects that could be completed by
31 December 2011 (Document 2); and
3. Projects that could not be completed
by 31 December 2011 (Document 3).
The following assumptions were made
in carrying out the assessments:
a)
Council
approval of the recommendations of this report at the 22 September 2010
meeting;
b)
Approval
of the projects on Document 1 by Federal and Provincial governments by 15
October 2010;
c)
Approval
of the deadline extension request by Federal and Provincial governments by 1
November 2010;
d)
Council
approval of the projects to be submitted for implementation by the extended deadline
from Document 2 by the end of November 2010; and
e)
Approval
by Federal and Provincial governments of projects to be completed by the
extended deadline by the end of December 2011.
The following factors were
considered in carrying out the assessments of the ability to complete the
projects by the deadlines:
To maximize the likelihood of
success of implementing the additional projects identified in Document 1 by the
31 March 2011 deadline, staff initiated the application process to OMAFRA
indicating the projects are subject to Council approval.
As requested by Council, the Department
has consulted with Ottawa Community Housing (OCH). Additional projects have been identified for
completion by the 31 March 2011 and 31 December 3011 deadlines. However, staff inquired as to the eligibility
of housing projects and received a response from OMAFRA that municipal housing
projects such as social housing are not eligible, as noted in Document 4. Based on further discussions with OMAFRA, OCH
and Community and Social Services Department, community houses for the purposes
of providing services to residents of social housing communities staff may be
eligible. Document 2 reflects associated
works for community houses. Confirmation
of eligibility would occur through the application process.
As requested by Council, a letter
was sent to the Federal and Provincial Ministers responsible for administering
the ISF program on 9 September 2010 requesting an extension of the deadline to
31 December 2011 for the additional projects.
Copies of the letters are included in this report as Documents 5 and
6. Responses have not been received to
date.
Should the request for an extension
of the deadline to 31 December 2011 be approved by the Federal and Provincial
governments, staff will report back to Corporate Services and Economic
Development Committee and Council to seek approval for the further additional
projects to be submitted for implementation by the extended deadline. Should additional program surpluses be
realized as the ISF program moves closer to completion, these will be
considered in the determination of further additional projects to be submitted
for implementation.
RURAL IMPLICATIONS
The approved program includes ditch cleaning on rural roads
CONSULTATION
Consultation with Mayor and Members of Council, various City departments and the construction industry was undertaken to develop the recommended list of projects.
COMMENTS BY THE WARD
COUNCILLOR
The ISF Program is a City-wide program. Consultation with each of the individual Ward Councillors will be carried out by project management staff on a project-by-project basis.
LEGAL/RISK MANAGEMENT
IMPLICATIONS
There are no
legal/risk management impediments to implementing any of the recommendations in
this report.
CITY STRATEGIC PLAN
The Council approved ESF program is in accordance with the objectives of the city’s Official Plan and City’s Strategic Plan.
These projects follow the City’s long-term goal to create a community that is economically, socially and environmentally viable for today and for generations to come. By investing in our infrastructure, increasing accessibility to public and pedestrian transportation and creating an enhanced cultural and social network the City is improving the quality of life for today’s residents without comprising the needs of future generations.
TECHNICAL IMPLICATIONS
There are no technical implications.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The City's share of the additional Infrastructure Stimulus
Fund projects is $447,000. As an interim measure, debt authority
would be increased by this amount. An analysis of all ESF projects
will be carried out subsequent to the program completion date of March 31,
2011. At that time, debt authority
for the projects with surpluses will be eliminated; it is anticipated that the
authority eliminated will offset the additional debt authority.
Associated operating impacts are outlined in Document 1. These requirements will be brought forward in the 2011 Draft Operating Budget.
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Document 1 – Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF) – Proposed New Projects to be completed by 31 March 2011
Document 2 – Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF) – Proposed New Projects to be completed by 31 December 2011
Document 3 – Infrastructure Stimulus Fund (ISF) – Proposed New Projects that cannot be completed by 31 December 2011
Document 4 – Letter from OMAFRA concerning Housing projects and eligibility criteria for new projects
Document 5 – Letter to Federal Minister
Document 6 – Letter to Provincial Minister
DISPOSITION
Once approved by Council, staff will proceed to implementation of the projects in Document 1, subject to approval from the Federal and Provincial governments.
Staff will report back to Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee and Council concerning the implementation of further additional projects should an extension of the ISF completion deadline to 31 December 2011 be approved by the Federal and Provincial governments.
Staff will report back to Council
on the status of approved projects as part of the ESF status update reports
being provided to Council on a quarterly basis, in addition to providing
monthly progress status reports.