COMRIF Joint Secretariat staff have received and are now reviewing all Asset Management Program (AMP) expressions of interest. Local municipalities and LSBs who have submitted expressions of interest will be contacted in the near future as reviews are completed. Contracts are in the process of being prepared and delivered. Please note that costs incurred after the announcement of the AMP on December 6, 2006, will be considered eligible. If you have any questions regarding the AMP, or questions pertaining to your submitted expression of interest, please call the COMRIF Secretariat at our toll-free information line 1-866-306-7827 to speak with an information officer. Hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. You may also e-mail your questions to info@comrif.ca.

Asset Management Program Background

The Asset Management Program (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 one 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.
• Local Services Boards (LSBs) that own and operate their water and wastewater systems. These LSBs are: Armstrong, Foleyet, Gogama, Moose Factory, Peace Tree, Rossport and Thorne.

Asset Management Program Deadlines

• 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.