2023 Year-end Update

Aging infrastructure and costly renewals have been at the forefront of local government news these days. From an unexpected $200 million bill in Prince Rupert for replacement of 26 kilometres of water and sewer piping to a nearly 40% tax increase in Osoyoos to take care of failing sewer infrastructure, the reality is we need to take a hard look at our own aging assets and where Parksville may be vulnerable.

The overall goal of asset management is sustainable service delivery: to ensure that current and future Parksville residents can enjoy the same services from our assets that have been enjoyed by citizens in the past. We need to be proactive in our approach and develop asset management plans that look at renewal timelines and estimates the costs to meet those timelines. With only so much budget available, we need to weigh the benefits of new assets against the renewal and maintenance costs of existing ones.

The City recognizes the need to plan and 2023 saw significant progression in the City’s asset management objectives. 2023 asset management highlights include:

Asset management policy and strategy updates - These documents drive the City’s asset management work. Council approved documents which demonstrate the City’s commitment to asset management, and detail what will be done and how and when it is expected to occur.

Asset register updates - Taking the City’s various sources of asset data and combining it for asset management purposes.

Condition assessments
Vertical asset condition and replacement values - Provides data to support asset renewal timelines and estimated costs.

Pavement condition assessment - Determines the condition of the City’s road surfaces with recommendations for renewal and maintenance work.

CCTV inspections - Provides condition information on our drainage and sewer lines and provides recommendations for renewal and maintenance work.

Sewer, water, drainage, and transportation master plans - To assess the current and future capacities of these systems and provide recommendations for new infrastructure and renewal projects.

Risk and levels of service analysis - Multi-departmental workshops to help understand risks associated with our assets and the current service levels we provide.

This information will help to inform the City’s asset management plans and 2024 will be an exciting year for asset management in Parksville. With the master plan work wrapping up, we will be able to move forward with the development of asset management plans which will eventually inform the financial planning process. This will be a big step in the right direction when it comes to ensuring sustainable service delivery for the citizens of Parksville.