We start with a question. Does TBM have the fiscal capacity to deliver the $102M 2025 Infrastructure Capital Plan?
To address that, BMRA would like to work with TBM Staff to provide answers to the questions about both Short Term and Long Term Reserves.
Secondly, how can the Town meet its completion committments?
We believe clear and accurate project tracking is a key contributor to realizing that objective. That has been missing in the past, and the BMRA has developed its own infrastructure tracking system.
Council has now presented a motion to establish a new system for tracking the status of the town’s various capital spending projects, and we fully support this.
Although different from our original format, we intend to either refresh our data, or work with the Town Finance group to develop a format that will allow all parties to quickly be updated on the status of each major capital project.
We believe the tracking report should:
a) identify each major project,
b) provide a variance update of Original Plan Budget vs. CurrentProjection,
c) Current Project Stage – Environmental Assessment,Design/Engineering, Construction, Completion Date, Final Costing,Variance Explanation if required.
We recognize that executing substantial capital developments is a challenge for all levels of government – just look at the Eglinton LRT. And we acknowledge that both TBM Staff and Council are committed to meeting the needs of their constituents.
There is no single solution, but there are strategies that help keep things on track, starting with clear and transparent reporting. The Town’s efforts will be better supported if residents can be kept up to speed on the status of infrastructure projects, together with a more open and collaborative approach to their management.
BMRA
