Shelburne reports increased planning efficiency through Asset Management Plan

Written By JOSHUA DRAKES

LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE REPORTER

The Town of Shelburne is making greater use of its Asset Management Plan as a key decision-making tool, with the document now helping guide everything from budgeting and long-term financial planning to infrastructure maintenance and capital investment.

Council received its first Annual Asset Management Review during its June 22 meeting. The annual review outlines how the plan has been incorporated into municipal operations over the past year while identifying areas for continued improvement.

According to the report, the Asset Management Plan has become increasingly integrated into the town's day-to-day operations and long-term planning.

Town staff said the plan played an important role in developing the Town's 2025-2034 Long-Term Financial Plan and the 2026 municipal budget by identifying when infrastructure will require maintenance, rehabilitation or replacement and helping determine future capital spending priorities.

The Asset Management Plan is Shelburne's long-term roadmap for managing and maintaining municipal infrastructure. It tracks the condition, value and expected lifespan of assets such as roads, sidewalks, water and wastewater systems, buildings, vehicles and equipment, helping staff determine when repairs or replacements will be needed.

The plan guides budgeting and long-term financial planning, enabling infrastructure to be maintained cost-effectively while continuing to provide reliable services to residents. In total, Shelburne maintains over $163 million worth of assets, based on 2024 estimates. Wastewater, water and roads are the most expensive assets to maintain and replace.

The report also notes that municipal departments are increasingly relying on the Asset Management Plan as a reference for information such as asset inventories, expected maintenance schedules, and lifecycle costs.

Town staff say this has led to more consistent planning across departments and better coordination when making decisions about infrastructure investments.

Beyond budgeting, the plan also supports external reporting requirements, including annual updates to current replacement values submitted through the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, and improves consistency in how municipal assets are valued.

The review highlights several improvements made over the past year to strengthen the Town's asset management practices.

These include linking municipal assets to the Town's geographic information system (GIS), which helps refine how assets are organized in the inventory and increases the accuracy of infrastructure data.

Despite the progress, the report acknowledges that challenges remain.

Staff continue working to improve the quality and consistency of asset data, particularly replacement values and condition assessments. Rising construction costs, inflation, changing service demands and market conditions can also affect the timing of planned infrastructure work.

To address those challenges, the Town said it will continue to use the annual budget process and its Long-Term Financial Plan to regularly review and adjust infrastructure priorities, while keeping the Asset Management Plan at the centre of decision-making.

That approach is intended to provide flexibility for unexpected infrastructure needs while ensuring investments remain focused on maintaining reliable municipal services and protecting critical public assets.