QUINTE WEST - Ontario municipalities are getting a $60 million lesson in planning according to an announcement by Infrastructure Minister Bob Chiarelli Thursday at city hall.

Chiarelli outlined a new three-pillar system, known as the Municipal Infrastructure Strategy, which will

make the process of completing a Municipal Asset Management plan mandatory in order to receive government infrastructure funding. The new system will allow the Ontario government to better determine which municipalities should receive funding priority, and which can be put on the back-burner.

“We're now requiring that every municipality have an asset management plan which would be an inventory of all their capital infrastructure such as water, sewer, roads, bridges, et cetera,” said Chiarelli. “They would then need to inventory those in terms of level of maintenance and repair and level of risk to public safety.”

Chiarelli said municipalities can also apply for new infrastructure if they demonstrate a need for it.

“Municipalities can access up to $60,000 for engineering firms, planning firms and consulting firms to help with the creation and management of their plan,” he said, noting that $9 million of the $60 million will be allocated to assist municipalities with the planning process.

The remaining $51 million is to be divided up over the next three years to those municipalities who need it most based on a priority list, with $8 million available over the next seven months.

The program was backed at the announcement by Gary McNamara, president of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.

“These plans will help us to identify where investment is needed,” said McNamara. “They will help us to ensure that assets will last longer and they allow us to provide the best value and service to taxpayers.”

Although a supporter of the program, Quinte West Mayor John Williams noted the planning process may benefit smaller municipalities more than those the size of Quinte West.

“We do a lot of this planning process already, but for the communities that don't it puts them in a position where they have to plan, so it's good that way,” said Williams. “If this is what they want and this is how they're going to do it then we'll make sure we get our list done.”

Although only $51 million is currently up for grabs in funding, Chiarelli said this is just a down payment for things to come.

“We will look at the fiscal situation in the coming budget and there may be a possibility of expanding that envelope,” said Chiarelli.

For now, the introduction of the Municipal Asset Management program has the president of the Ontario Good Roads Association, Alen Korell hopeful for the future.

“We know there are unique challenges that small, rural and northern municipalities face when implementing infrastructure management policies,” said Korell. “We are confident this new program is an all-important first step in a long journey toward a new funding arrangement for infrastructure in this province.”