Counties assets report on the table

The mayors of all of Prescott-Russell’s municipalities may be on a summer break but that does not mean they do not have any “homework” to occupy themselves away from their municipal offices. One large report all the mayors have to read over the month of July, before they meet in L’Orignal early in August for counties council, is a 60-plus detailed report on all the assets of the United Counties of Prescott-Russell.

The UCPR Asset Management Plan report outlines and describes the entire infrastructure which belongs to or is managed and maintained by the counties. The report’s introduction notes that these assets are all essential “to support its (UCPR) core services.”

The report represents the past few years of research and prior studies and update briefings on counties infrastructure and service support facilities and properties. One of the aims of the report is to make sure that the counties has an up-to-date assessment and inventory of all its assets to meet the mandatory provincial government guidelines set for municipalities dealing with asset management plans (AMP).

These AMPs are now essential for municipalities when they apply for some forms of provincial support grants or special infrastructure projects funding. The AMP shows what assets a municipality has, how well those assets are maintained, and helps support arguments for approval of an application for a specific provincial funding program. An AMP also shows the provincial government how responsible a municipality or county is in looking after its existing infrastructure and planning for future needs.

“This document identifies what has been achieved,” the report introduction noted, “what is being done and what needs to be done to ensure core services provided to citizens, business, and institutions attain sustainability.”