Transportation Services 2015 Business Plan & Budget

Transcription

1 Transportation Services 2015 Business Plan & Budget 1

2 2015 Business Plan & Budget Transportation Services Prior Year Accomplishments Economic Renewal & Prosperity 10 Year Capital Program for Roads/Bridges 10 Year Equipment Replacement Strategy 10 Year Housing Strategy Sustainable Infrastructure & Services Administration In the area of general administration, the following accomplishments were achieved: Continued with the implementation of Cycling Master Plan (CMP) including route signage and pavement markings on cycling routes An update to the CMP was presented to and endorsed by Northumberland County Council, which recommended paving of shoulders on the cycling routes in lieu of surface treatment, in conjunction with the Capital Program to provide a better riding surface for cyclists and for ease of maintenance Issued the following permits within Northumberland County (As of October 2014) o 24 Entrance Permits o 20 Setback Permits o 6 Open Cut Permits o 17 Permission to Enter Permits o 1 Entrance Removal o 55 Wide Load Annual Permits o 159 Wide Load Single Permits Continued implementation of new department operating structure Biennial bridge inspections major structures in 2014 Implementation of Geographic Information System (GIS) Cooperative strategic plan initiatives: o On-going expansion of our base municipal GIS model 2

3 o Participated in MNR South Central Ontario Orthophotography Project (SCOOP) to update digital aerial photographs Photos were received and distributed to each local municipality o On-going development and implementation of Northumberland Digital Elevation Model (NDEM) Maintenance Plan incorporating SCOOP data o Purchase and implementation of ArcGIS Server o Development of two (2) GIS web applications o Continue to provide year-round GIS services to public and municipalities through permanent GIS Coordinator position Supported the local high school co-operative education Successfully managed delivery of the 2014 Capital Program km of pavement rehabilitation and 5 km of pavement preservation Surface Treated km of roads including 23.1 km of County Roads and km for member municipalities. Applied for 30% (approximately $500,000) funding from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) for improvements to County Road 74 from Stu Black Road to County Road 18 and upgrades to the intersection of County Road 74 and County Road 18 in Hamilton Township (part of 401 EDR route) In-house road designs 90% complete for: o County Road 65 Osaca o County Road 18 Cold Springs o County Road 18 and 74 Intersection Winter Maintenance In the area of winter maintenance, the following accomplishments were achieved: Sanding and salting, snow ploughing, snow removal, culvert thawing and road patrol exceeding compliance with the Minimum Maintenance Standards Seasonal staff engaged to support our night shift resulting in 24 hour service to major roads Snow removal in all towns and villages enhancing safety and sight lines. Removal done 2-3 times in the following villages and towns: Castleton, Harwood, Cold Springs, Warkworth, Dartford, Centreton, Plainville, Camborne, Grafton, Roseneath and Campbellford Annual calibration of all combination units New snowplow purchased and in-service for the winter season Approximately 7500 tonnes of salt and 3000 tonnes of winter sand used Filled the Plainville Dome 2 times and the Cobourg Depot 2 times Roadside Maintenance In the area of roadside maintenance, the following accomplishments were achieved: Removal, brushing, ditching, mowing, litter pickup. 3

4 Complete ditching and trimming of ditch slopes Several drainage issues and washed out driveways from property owners addressed All drainage survey and layout completed by in house staff Annual roadside mowing and weed eating at intersections, safety devices and signs by staff and contractors with supplementary mowing with grass mower attachment. Annual roadside litter pickup on all county roads by staff and local groups Completed realignment of ditching and trimming Contracted the removal of several trees damaged by 2013/2014 winter ice storm. Signs checked for reflectivity Replaced all signs that failed reflectivity Hardtop Maintenance In the area of hardtop maintenance, the following accomplishments were achieved: Shoulder grading, catch basin cleaning, cold mix patching, sweeping Approximately 550 catch basins flushed and cleaned Cold mix patching by staff on all roads Staff spent most of April & May sweeping, flushing and picking up winter sand in all towns and villages Several entrances installed Completed Surface Treatment Program (see below) Surface Treatment Program In the area of surface treatment, the following accomplishments were achieved: Surface treated km of Municipal and County roads, including: o 23.1 km of County Roads o km for area municipalities o 1,284,222 litres of emulsion for area municipalities o 324,751 litres of emulsion for County roads o Total emulsion used is 1,608,973 liters Safety Devices In the area of safety devices, the following accomplishments were achieved: Completed the installation of approximately 6,400 metres of 3-cable guiderail Repair of damaged guide rail and flex beam Completed a performance review of the line painting contractor to confirm adherence to specifications Checked Regulatory signs for reflectivity. Replacement of approx. 60 damaged and non-reflective signs. Continued maintenance of traffic signals Review & continue monitoring portable radar speed sign data and locations 4

5 Intersection improvements o County Road 29/County Road 30 safety review and preliminary design o County Road 45/Lonsberry Road safety review Intersection street lighting Traffic calming requests Traffic Signals o Conversion of traffic signal heads to LED and plumizing of the heads at various locations throughout the County o Installation of pedestrian countdown heads at County Road 20 (Elgin Street) and Division Street and County Road 20 (Elgin Street) and Strathy Road in Cobourg o Replacement of loop detector with camera detection for traffic signals at County Road 2 and New Amherst Boulevard/Lovshin Road o Installation of an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) backup system on traffic signals at County Road 28 and County Road 74 o Awarded RFQ for the replacement of 3 traffic signal cabinets with GPS synchronization kits at the intersections of County Road 30 and County Road 50 (Grand Road/Bridge Street West /Queen Street), County Road 8 and County Road 38 (Bridge Street East and Front Street North), and County Road 8 (Bridge Street East) and Doxsee Avenue in Campbellford Completed yellow line and white line painting: In the area of line painting, the following accomplishments were achieved: 177 turn arrows 153 stop blocks 7 slow aheads 19 school aheads 12 stop aheads 18 cross walks 58 bicycle path symbols Culvert Replacement/Bridge Maintenance In the area of culvert replacement and bridge maintenance, the following accomplishments were achieved: Complete washing and flushing of bridges and structures Replacement of several damaged, corroded or collapsed entrance culverts Garages In the area of garages, the following accomplishments were achieved: New roof on the Cobourg Depot Quonset Hut Cobourg Depot and Morganston Depot heating and HVAC upgrades 5

6 Capital Equipment Acquisitions In the area of capital equipment acquisitions, the following purchases were completed to maintain and upgrade our road maintenance equipment: One tandem unit combination snowplow Two ½ ton patrol trucks Planning and Education In the area of planning and education, the following accomplishments were achieved: Transportation Master Plan Consultant retained and project initiated Cycling Master Plan Implementation installation of route signage and pavement markings Special area development charge review for Cobourg East implementation of the changes with Cobourg staff ESR s and PIC s: County Road 2 ESR 90% complete - finalize and present to Council in 2015 Campbellford Bridge and Transportation Network EA completed and filed with MOE in September 2014, approval anticipated in 2015 Brighton Grade Separation Safety Review: 90% complete, being reviewed by CP and CN Rail Mason s Creek Bridge Rehabilitation Design (County Road 45 in Hamilton Township) initiated in 2014, completion in early 2015 CNR/CPR Overhead Bridge Rehabilitation Design (County Road 2 in Alnwick/Haldimand) initiated in 2014, completion in early 2015 Development of policies related to: Continue with departmental succession planning Update of Traffic Calming Policy Finalize numerous policies through Transportation Master Plan Assisted with the development of a County Wide Asset Management Plan required to be eligible for future provincial funding opportunities Health and Safety Training Continued compliance training of staff involved in winter maintenance operations Continuation of work by the Northumberland GIS Cooperative Committee with the mandate to coordinate data standards with area municipalities Capital Works Construction Program The following capital projects were completed as part of our requirements to maintain and improve the road network: 2014 Paving Tender o County Road 9 County Road 18 to Lew Harris Road 1.2 km 6

7 o County Road 15 County Road 9 Intersection 1.25 km o County Road 74 County Road 28 to Stu Black Road 4.85 km o County Road 18 Camborne 0.45 km o County Road 2 Carruthers Road to Archers Road 1.65 km o County Road 2 Old Kingston Road to 300m east of Brimley Road 2.65 km o County Road 2 Brighton East Limits to Boes Road (pave shoulders) 1.7 km o County Road m south of Road 41 to Cold Creek Bridge 1.0 km o County Road 30 Codrington 0.5 km o County Road 30 County Road 26 to Brighton Town Limits 1.5 km o County Road 45 Dunbar Road to Simpson Hill 3.0 km Completed approximately 50,000 metres of crack sealing on County Roads Bridge Design and Tender Prep for: o County Road 45 Mason Creek Bridge o County Road 2 CNR/CPR Bridge o County Road 25 Culvert (south of Concession Road 8) o Prince Edward Street Culvert Bridge repairs to: o Minor repairs to various structures identified in 2012/2013 OSIMs with <1 year rehabilitation needs o Rehabilitation of CPR Overhead Bridge Completed biennial Ontario Structures Inspection Manual (OSIM) on 48 culverts Joint tenders with area municipalities for: Annual culvert supply Roadside safety devices Traffic signal maintenance OSIM Inspections Engineering/Environmental/Architectural Services Employer/Workplace of Choice In the area of personnel, the following accomplishments were achieved: Recruited Full-time GIS Coordinator Training for employees on (ex: snow plow, chainsaw, backhoe loader training and snow school for mechanics) Integration of GIS Cooperative initiatives Training for employees Recruited Road Operations Supervisor to fill vacancy from a recent retirement Recruitment to fill union vacancies left open after the promotion of internal candidate to supervisor. Engineering Assistant Intern contract extension 7

8 2015 Service Objectives & Initiatives Economic Renewal & Prosperity 10 Year Capital Program for Roads/Bridges 10 Year Equipment Replacement Strategy 10 Year Housing Strategy Sustainable Infrastructure & Services Overall Transportation Services Division To provide a safe and sustainable transportation network which meets or exceeds the needs of the travelling public and to support the movement of goods and services within the County of Northumberland. Administration Continued implementation of new department operating structure Biennial Bridge Inspections - major structure in 2015 Implementation of GIS Cooperative strategic plan initiatives o Northumberland Digital Elevation Model (DEM) update based on the South Central Ontario Ortho-photography Project (SCOOP) products o Development and Implementation of Maintenance Procedures Document o On-going data collection and updates and maintenance to geo-database o On-going development of GIS Web applications o Provide year-round GIS services to the public and area municipalities through the permanent GIS Coordinator In-house road designs completed for construction in 2015: o County Road 65 Osaca o County Road 18 Cold Springs o County Road 18 and County Road 74 intersection Winter Maintenance To ensure the consistent delivery of the Winter Control Program in accordance with the County Winter Control Policy and Province of Ontario Minimum Maintenance Standards O. Reg. 239/02. In consideration of the extreme weather conditions that may be experienced during the winter season, the Transportation and Waste Department will strive to achieve the objectives of the winter control program as approved by County Council to deliver an efficient and effective winter maintenance program 8

9 Meet or exceed all winter maintenance requirements specified in the Provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards Provide a timely response to winter storms and hazardous road condition situations by proactive road patrols augmented with web based weather reports and radar Stockpile necessary winter sand and salt Utilize own fleet with units to provide center bare pavement on a timely and efficient basis Maintain drainage system during spring thaw with the timely removal of ice and snow Annual updating of the Salt Management Plan to maintain environmental awareness and compliance Roads Maintenance To ensure the consistent delivery of the Roads Maintenance Program in accordance with the Province of Ontario Minimum Maintenance Standards O. Reg. 239/02. Meet or exceed all road patrol requirements specified in the Minimum Maintenance Standards Maintain center line, edge line, stop blocks, turn arrows, school ahead, bicycle path symbols and slow ahead pavement markings. Meet or exceed all regulatory sign reflectivity requirements specified in the Minimum Maintenance Standards Monitor and make necessary removal of trees and brush Sweep all intersections, bridges, towns and villages, patch all roads and grade all shoulders Mow grass at all intersections, road sides, and safety devices. Annual catch basin cleaning and litter pick up Continue our ditching and drainage issues and upgrades Continue our surface treatment program for our own projects and all municipalities Expanded budget for shoulder surface treatment to eliminate shoulder drop off Service all signal systems and upgrade and replace defective signs Work with the Inter-Municipal Public Works Committee on sign standards Capital Equipment Acquisitions The total replacement value of the roads equipment is $5 million. A ten-year capital equipment replacement and housing plan has been developed. This ten-year program identifies the following capital purchases in 2015: o Two (2) Tandem Combination Snow Plows o One (1) ½ Ton Truck; o Wood Chipper Planning and Education 9

10 Cycling Master Plan Implementation paving of shoulders Environmental Study Reports and Public Information Centres: o Transportation Master Plan Initiated in 2014, ongoing through 2015 and completion in 2016 o County Road 2 ESR Finalize and present to Council in 2015 o Trent River Bridge Crossing and Arterial Road Network MOE approval anticipated in 2015 Development of policies related to: o Continue with departmental succession planning o Development/finalization of numerous policies through Transportation Master Plan Surface Treatment Program To provide a cost efficient and cost effective surface treatment program for the benefit of the local municipal and County road networks. Anticipated surface treatment of over 130 km of Municipal and County roads. Capital Works Construction Program To enhance competiveness and transparency in the procurement of contracted services for the major construction contracts for Roads and Bridges. The annual updating of the five-year construction program for the County road system has been prepared. This plan is compiled on the basis of input from County construction and maintenance staff, as well as our constituent municipalities. A limited budget has been included on an annual basis for bridgework, intersection improvements and upgrades to County safety devices, such as guiderail and signage Paving Tender Proposed Location Length Estimated (km) Cost County Road 45 Bulls Mill Road to Dunbar Road 3.0 $1,200,000 County Road 2 Rogers Road to Strathy Road (detailed design) 0.5 $ 100,000 County Road 74 Stu Black Road to County Road 18 (incl. intersection) 2.6 $1,500,000 County Road 25 County Road 35 to Concession Road $ 900,000 County Road 18 Cold Springs 0.4 $ 400,000 County Road 65 - Osaca 1.2 $ 200,000 TOTAL 11.2 $4,300,000 Tender for installation of up to 6,000 metres of guiderail (flexbeam and 3 cable guiderail) Tender for Completion of 50,000 metres of crack sealing Bridge Design and Tender Prep for: 10

11 o Shelter Valley Creek Bridge (County Road 23 in Alnwick-Haldimand) o Trent River Bridge (County Road 45 in Hastings) Bridge Repairs to: o Minor repairs to various structures identified in 2013/2014 OSIMs with <1 year rehabilitation needs o Rehabilitation of Mason s Creek Bridge on County Road 45 in Hamilton Township o Rehabilitation of CNR/CPR Overhead Bridge on County Road 2 in Hamilton Township Joint tenders with area municipalities for: o Annual Culvert Supply o Roadside Safety Devices o Traffic Signal Maintenance o Bi-Annual Bridge Inspections (OSIMs) o Engineering/Architectural/Environmental Services Safety measures Review and continue monitoring radar speed sign data and locations Intersection Improvements: o County Road 29/County Road 30 construction o County Road 45/Lonsberry Road operational/maintenance enhancements o County Road 45/Van Luven Road - construction Long Term Plan & Strategic Objectives Sustainable Infrastructure & Services Overall Budget Applied for Funding from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) for 30% funding of the pavement rehabilitation on County Road 74 from Stu Black Road to County Road 18 and upgrading of the intersection at County Road 74 and County Road 18 Anticipate funding for the construction program through the ODSP savings and gas tax funding Levy increase: o $400,000 base road construction program o $100,000 base bridge rehabilitation program Rate of deterioration of infrastructure will increase without stable base funding With the recent and anticipated retirement of several senior level Transportation Department staff, there is a crucial need to continue with the implementation of succession planning and to maintain a consistent level of dedicated and professional staff 11

12 10 Year Construction Plan In 2014, County of Northumberland Staff completed the biennial update of the pavement condition index (PCI) survey of the County road system using the evaluation system developed by the Ontario Good Roads Association. The system provides a series of standardized factors used to develop a snapshot of the physical condition of the entire road network. The PCI survey is the foundation for the development of the 10-year road construction program, along with traffic count updates and collision data. According to the MTO procedures and documentation, the PCI should be used to determine the need and timing for a road to be rehabilitated. The results of the 2014 PCI evaluation are summarized in the table below, which includes data from prior years for comparison purposes. The County enjoyed the significant benefit of receiving Building Canada Funds for the Alternate 401 Detour Route, which included 19.1 km of road rehabilitation and this is reflected in the percentage of system adequacy at 59%. Several County and Regional governments have an objective to maintain 65-70% of their road system as adequate. The desirable target for system adequacy is 70% and is presently at 59% as a result of the increasing investment made by Northumberland County in the road infrastructure. It is important to note that in 2003, only 24% of the County road system was deemed as adequate. See the summary Chart 1 of 2014 PCI Road Needs System Adequacy, and Chart 2 for 2014 PCI Road Needs Distribution by Municipality. 12

13 Chart PCI Roads Needs - System Adequacy PCI Rating 2003 KM % 2006 KM % 2008 KM % 2010 KM % 2012 KM % 2014 KM % Adequate > % % % % % % 6 to 10 Years 76 to % % % % % % 1 to 5 Years 56 to % % % % % % NOW - Rehabilitate 1 to % % % % % % Chart PCI Road Needs Distribution by Municipality 100% 2014 PCI Roads Needs Distribution by Municipality % of County Road Inventory 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% Cobourg 8.58km Brighton 59.72km Trent Hills km Port Hope 73.7km Hamilton km Alnwick Haldimand km Cramahe 47.7km ADEQUATE 63.87% 54.82% 49.12% 46.13% 69.04% 73.73% 57.44% 6-10 YEAR 22.84% 1.72% 16.20% 22.93% 10.83% 8.89% 28.30% 1-5 YEAR 6.29% 35.58% 17.47% 15.60% 10.01% 4.54% 14.26% NOW 6.99% 7.87% 17.21% 15.33% 10.12% 12.85% 0.00% 13

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15 2015 Issue Paper Engineering Assistant Contract vs. Fulltime Engineering Technician Purpose To request that the currently approved Engineering Assistant Intern position be converted into a full-time Engineering Technician position to assist with engineering design, surveying, utility locates and GIS data collection and processing. Background In February 2013, a Project Engineer vacancy was created as one of the Project Engineers within the Transportation & Waste Department was on maternity/parental leave until February This vacant project engineer position was under-filled with an Engineering Assistant Intern to cover the maternity/parental leave from May 1, 2013 to April 25, Since the incumbent was in the midst of completing preliminary designs for road projects in the 2014 and 2015 fiveyear capital plan, preparing design drawings for the closure of the Seymour Landfill, and assisting with surveying and GIS data collection (especially from September to December upon the departure of the summer students), Council granted a further extension of the contract until the end of December With the retirement of the Chief Surveyor in January 2014, a second person is required to assist the Survey Technician to complete field surveys for technical and safety reasons. The majority of surveys are completed on the roadway and given that the County Roads are high volume and high speed arterial roadways, it is critical to have a second person for the health and safety of the workers and travelling public. During the summer months from May to August, the contract administrator s summer student was made available temporarily to assist the Survey Technician, and during the Spring and Fall months, the Engineering Assistant Intern assisted as needed. Since the summer student assigned to the construction contract administrator was assisting the survey technician, the Engineering Assistant Intern filled this role on a part-time basis. To fulfill the need of an assistant surveyor, a person is required for a total of 900 hours per year; full-time during the summer months (16 weeks for 40 hours per week) and part-time in the Spring and Fall (16 weeks for 15 hours per week). Since other site specific information 15

16 about the field conditions is observed during the survey, it is beneficial if the second person assisting with the survey is involved in the design, such as the Engineering Technician. With the increasing demand and workload for GIS and to continue to meet the needs of the various departments within the County, the member municipalities and the public, additional staff is required to assist the GIS Coordinator, which could be fulfilled by the Engineering Technician. The Engineering Technician would be able to collect and process the field data, prepare maps and respond to requests allowing the GIS Coordinator to concentrate on further development of the web applications, identified and future projects and to support the member municipalities. As of June 19, 2014, every municipality in Ontario was required to become a member of Ontario One Call (ON1Call) in accordance with the Ontario Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, As a member of ON1Call, the County is responsible for responding to all locate requests received within five days, which involves accessing the County GIS to review the exact location and identify any underground infrastructure and determine the need for a site visit. If a site visit is warranted, staff must drive to the site to mark out the County s underground infrastructure such as traffic signals, street lights, storm sewer, catchbasins, etc., within the identified location. Subsequently, a form with a sketch of the mark-up must also be completed and ed or faxed back to ON1Call. In addition to the regular request for locates, a staff member must also be on-call to respond to emergency locate requests and must respond within two hours of receiving the request. Within the first two months of enrolling, the County has responded to over 1000 locate requests, with an average of 20 locates per day. It was observed that approximately one third of these locate requests were not within the County ROW (i.e., private property, local municipal roads that connect to County Roads, boundary roads in neighbouring Counties) so adjustments to the County Buffers were made and filters were applied to reduce these. However, on average, 10 to 15 locates are still received per day and each locate requires a minimum of 15 minutes to respond to, resulting in approximately 2 to 3 hours per day of staff time to respond. Currently, the Survey Technician has been receiving and responding to these requests with the assistance of a summer student and an administrative assistant, however, the amount of time and effort required is becoming onerous and impacting the time available to complete his other duties. With the departure of the summer student and since the Engineering Technician position requires experience with GIS data collection and using the GIS, as well as experience working within the County ROW to complete surveys with the Survey Technician, these duties could be fulfilled through this position. It is anticipated the Engineering Technician would spend approximately one to two hours per day on locate requests, for a total of approximately 500 hours per year. 16

17 In addition to the duties outlined above, the roads and bridge capital program has increased from 6.7 million dollars in 2011 to proposed 8.7 million dollars in 2015, for an increase of 2 million dollars, which results in an increased demand for design, tender preparation, contract administration and inspection to deliver the program. The Engineering Technician would be available to assist with this increasing workload as well as provide support to the Waste and Facilities department for design drawings for changes to building layouts and designs and tenders for operational works such as landfill cover, etc.. Based on the responsibilities and duties described above there is a total of 2080 hours per year or fulltime equivalent (900 hours for surveying, 200 hours for GIS, 500 hours for ON1Call and the remaining 480 hours for engineering and design support) that needs to be fulfilled to ensure effective and efficient operations within the Transportation, Waste and Facilities Department. Proposal Employee retention Based on our previous experience in hiring contract/temporary positions for Engineering and GIS, limited qualified applications will be received and further, when a strong employee is hired for a contract position, the ability to retain that employee is difficult due to the small market in this region for competent and qualified personnel. Strong employees are in high demand and quickly move on to permanent, better paying positions with other employers. Creation of a permanent Engineering Technician position would greatly assist with employee retention. Stronger candidates would be more interested in a permanent position with the County and retaining this employee would allow for the development of necessary on-the-job skills and for continuity of service. Creating a permanent position will promote a stable work environment and will develop a longer term career path for the Engineering Technician within the County of Northumberland. It is recommended that the County of Northumberland employ a full-time Engineering Technician with an engineering background, to complete engineering and GIS related tasks, including engineering design drawings, tenders and contract administration and inspection for the Transportation, Waste and Facilities Department, to assist the Survey Technician with field surveys and locate requests and to assist with GIS data collection and processing in support of the Northumberland County-wide GIS. 17

18 Financial Impact The cost to reclassify this position has yet to be finalized. A new job description will be prepared to reflect the added level of responsibilities and duties and would be re-rated through the County s Job Evaluation system. The annualized wage range for an equivalent position in the municipal public sector environment is in the range of $45,000-$55,000 per year, net of benefits. The financial impact would be limited to any incremental cost of benefits for a full time employee compared to a contract position. 18

19 Bridge Reserve Account Purpose 2015 Issue Paper To create a new bridge reserve account in the Transportation Capital Budget to ensure funds are available for major bridge rehabilitation and replacement in the future. This issue paper requests endorsement of the allocation of $50,000 from the existing Bridge program to the new bridge reserve fund. Background The County of Northumberland is responsible for providing a high quality, safe and efficient arterial roads system throughout Northumberland. This is achieved by ensuring timely repair and eventual replacement of the 112 bridges and large culverts under County jurisdiction. Generally, the expected lifespan of a structure can range from 50 to 75 years. The age of the County s bridges range from 4 to 92 years old, with 80% of the bridges ranging from 35 to 64 years old. There will be a significant need within the near future to replace older structures at the end of their service life. The 2014 annual bridge rehabilitation budget of $850,000 will prove to be insufficient to cover major and minor bridge repairs as well as required replacements. It is not uncommon for bridge replacements to cost several millions of dollars. The County may be forced to close bridges should funds not be available at the end of their service life. The need for a bridge reserve account has been identified through estimated structure replacement costs provided within the Ontario Structure Inspection Manual (OSIM) reports completed on County structures bi-annually. Out of the County s 112 structures, eight (8) are over the age of 70 years and are reaching the end of their service life. As such, it is recommended that these structures either be replaced or undergo major rehabilitation within the next 6-10 years. Various Environmental Assessments regarding County structures have identified the need for major rehabilitation or replacement of the structure of interest. For example, the Trent River Crossing and Arterial Road Network Environmental Assessment (EA) indicates that the Campbellford Bridge will reach the end of its structural design life in approximately 30 years. 19

20 This EA also recommends that an additional bridge be built over the Trent River to connect the Grand Road/Alma Street intersection with Second/Front Street ten (10) years from now. Setting aside funds for the construction of a second major bridge in Campbellford and the replacement of the existing Campbellford Bridge by creating a bridge reserve account now will help ensure that funds are available when the structures are required to be constructed and replaced. Proposal It is proposed that a new account be created in the Transportation Capital Budget to provide a reserve fund for major bridge rehabilitation and replacement. County bridges may face the possibility of closure if bridge rehabilitation or replacements are unable to proceed due to the lack of available funds. It is recommended that $50,000 be allocated from the existing bridge program to a reserve fund for major bridge rehabilitation or replacement. Financial Impact In the 2015 Budget, $50,000 will be allocated from the existing Bridge program to create the reserve fund. 20

21 2015 Issue Paper Equipment Replacement Strategy Purpose The County s Transportation Services has developed a sustainable equipment replacement strategy which allows for timely replacement of the equipment necessary to complete winter and summer maintenance on County roads. The proposed expenditures for 2015 are $555,000 for capital equipment. Background The County of Northumberland has a fleet of 45 vehicles for road maintenance and construction, including snow plows, graders, loaders, backhoes, one tons and ½ tons. The Roads Department operates out of two maintenance yards equipped with sand domes, salt sheds, garages, equipment and material storage. The total roads fleet of vehicles has a replacement value of over $5 million. The County currently has a fleet of 18 combination snow plow units and 1 emulsion distributor and spreader for surface treating operations. The County s Fleet Maintenance and Operations Manual states that the County will strive to maintain a ten year replacement schedule for heavy trucks and a five year replacement for light trucks. An aging fleet is prone to high maintenance costs and more frequent breakdowns, thereby affecting winter snow removal response times, motorist safety and the safety of County snow plow operators. In 2002, half of the County s fleet of heavy vehicles was older than ten years. County Council adopted a five year replacement plan to ensure timely replacement of our equipment in order to have a reasonable fleet life. The plan that was adopted allowed for a base budget of approximately $550,000 each year for capital equipment. This base budget allows us to ensure timely replacement of our fleet, without causing fluctuations in the annual budget. Currently, 45% of our heavy vehicles are still older than 10 years. 21

22 Proposal The draft 2015 Roads Budget has identified the replacement of four pieces of equipment International Tandem Combination Snow Plow 2002 International Tandem Combination Snow Plow 2004 Chevrolet ½ Ton Truck; Wood Chipper Justification for 2001 and 2002 International Tandem Combination Snow Plows (2) The 2001 and 2002 International Tandem plows are two of four heavy trucks that are older than ten years. They have 330,000 km and 215,000 km respectively on all equipment including the plow and wing and combination sander dump box with the winter 2014/2015 yet to be fulfilled. In replacing these two units we would then trade in the two older model year 2000 Volvo trucks from the fleet moving the 2001 and 2002 into the older trucks operating role. For the two older units to remain operational, they would require major expenditures to the combination sander/dump box due to severe deterioration. Retrofitting a new combination sander dump box on each unit would approximately cost $40,000 to remain reliable and in good working order. Installing a new combination sander dump box does not increase the reliability of the truck cab and chassis. Justification for 2004 Chevrolet ½ Ton Truck The 2004 Chevrolet ½ ton truck is a high mileage vehicle with 250,000+ km on all body and drive line components which are showing signs of the wear and tear. The kilometres on these vehicles is not the same as highway kilometres being driven. These are true hard heavy work load kilometres with a lot of stopping and starting. All drive line components with high mileage have a higher risk of failure, which could cost thousands of dollars to repair. This does not include the idle time at accident scenes or road closures for traffic control. These trucks are used on a daily basis, transporting heavy loads, staff, equipment and fuel to locations all over the County. They are also used in winter night patrol operations adding to the kilometres by as much as 10,000 to 15,000 during winter operations. Potential future repairs for these two units include rear axle crown and pinion replacement, four wheel drive transfer case and transmission overhaul. The vehicle has a small rattle in the motor that in the future could cause some serious concerns. The replacement of the 2004 ½ ton truck is in keeping with the County s Fleet Management Policy which states that the Department shall attempt to maintain a five year replacement schedule for light trucks. 22

23 Justification for Vermeer Wood Chipper Over the last 2 seasons we have seen an increase in use of this equipment due to extreme weather conditions (Ice Storms). This chipper has been in use for 16 years and during the annual inspection it is noted that major repairs are required on the feed system and the unit shows sign of deterioration (rust). The wood chipper has over 2000 hours on all components, and some major components require replacement for proper operation, costing thousands of dollars in parts for just the feed system alone. It is recommended that the County replace the two Tandem combination units to avoid high maintenance costs. It is recommended to replace the 2004 Chevrolet ½ ton to try and keep within the County s Fleet Management Policy and to avoid high maintenance costs. It is recommended to replace the wood chipper to avoid high maintenance costs. Financial Impact EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT (net trade in) HEAVY TRUCKS - TANDEM 2000 VOLVO (V018) Staff 2000 VOLVO (V019) Staff 2001 INTERNATIONAL (V023) Staff $ INTERNATIONAL (V025) Staff $ INTERNATIONAL (VO27) McConnell $ INTERNATIONAL (V028) K. Wood $ STERLING (V031) B. Fry $ STERLING (V032) Staff $ STERLING (V034) T. Lewis $ STERLING (V035) P. Kerr $ STERLING (V042) D. Pandoff $ STERLING (V047) R. Torrance $ STERLING & Distributor (V046) 2008 STERLING (V053) B. Clapperton $ STERLING (V062) Trevor Taylor $ STERLING (V068) S. Dingman $ INTERNATIONAL (V0 72) B. Staples $ FREIGHTLINER (VO80) J. Sheppard $ International (VO86) D. Tinney $ INTERNATIONAL (VO89) S.Greenley 2015 INTERNATIONAL (VO92) T. McBride *Table continued on the following page 23

24 MISCELLANEOUS VEHICLES Morganston Depot 2011 Dodge 3/4 ton Crew. Cab (V081) $ Dodge 3/4 ton Crew Cab (V082) $ FORD 1 ton Crew. Cab (V059) $ Ford 1 TON CREW CAB (V073) Cobourg Depot 2006 CHEV 1 TON (V043) $ CHEV ½ TON (V033) $ DODGE 1/2 TON (VO 75) $ DODGE 3/4 TON (VO 57) Staff $ Ford F550 service Mechanics (VO 83) $ Dodge x4 (VO90) Mechanics $35 Robert Fugoccia 2009 GMC 3/4 TON CREW CAB (V069) $ DODGE ½ TON EXT CAB (V052) Les Holzmann 2014 Dodge 1/2 ton Crew. Cab (V093) $ DODGE ½ TON EXT CAB (V057) John Cane 2014 Dodge 1/2 ton Crew Cab (V094) $40 Dan McBride 2012 Dodge 1/2 TON CREW CAB (V087) $40 Lucas Kelly 2010 Dodge 3/4 ton Quad. Cab (V074) $40 Totals $510 $565 $525 $355 $235 $470 $355 $390 $510 $510 *Table continued on the following page 24

25 GRADERS 1995 CHAMPION 740 (G014) Cob CHAMPION 720 (G015) MD. $ LOADERS & TRACTORS 1999 CASE 480 TRACT. + broom (T014) $ CASE 570 TRACT. + broom (T015) $ J.D. 624H LOADER (L005) Cob. $ J.D. BACKHOE (B006) MD. $ J.D. LOADER (L006) MD VOLVO ECAV. CW. BRUSH. (EX-01) 2007 ETNYRE SPREADER (CS02) 2008 J.D. TRACTOR CW. MOWER (T016) 2009 J.D. Loader 3 yard (LO07) M.D Case Tractor backhoe (BOO7) M.D. $ JCB Tractor Backhoe (B008) Cobourg 2012 John Deere 3 yard (LO08) Cobourg 2012 Case Tractor (TO17) Cobourg MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT 2010 THOMPSON STEAMER ( ST04-10 ) 2010 THOMPSON STEAMER (ST05-10) 2011 THOMPSON STEAMER (ST06-11) TON TRAILER (TR09) Cob. $ TON TRAILER (TR10) MD. $ Ton TRAILER (TR11) MD. $ TON TRAILER (TR12) COB. HYDRAULIC POST HOLE AUGER X 2 VERMEER WOOD CHIPPER ASPHALT HOT BOX LARGE TRUCK HOIST COBOURG SHOP VERMEER WOOD CHIPPER $45 BANDIT WOOD CHIPPER TOTAL $45 $0 $30 $220 $340 $125 $190 $125 $35 GRAND TOTAL $555 $565 $555 $575 $575 $595 $545 $515 $545 $510 25

26 2015 Issue Paper 10-Year Roads Capital Housing Needs Purpose The purpose of this issue paper is to provide Council with the current year s projects from the 10-year forecast of building, housing and storage needs for the County s Transportation Services Division. Background Justification for Garage Door Replacement In accordance with the 10-Year Roads Capital Housing Plan the replacement of garage doors at Veronica Street main garage (with the exception of the two new wash bay doors) and replacement of Morganston Garage (with the exception of the new wash bay door) doors on both buildings total 16 garage doors for both locations are scheduled to be replaced in The doors range in age from years and they are well beyond their life expectancy. The present doors are in need of repair as we have experienced issues with the mechanical portion of the doors as well as rail and panel problems; replacement parts are difficult to acquire. Estimated cost is $70,000 for both locations. Justification for Sand Dome Roof Re-shingling & Repairs In accordance with the 10-Year Roads Capital Housing Plan, we have allocated the roof reshingling and roof repairs for the Cobourg and Plainville Sand Domes in In May 2014, Knight s Engineering Inc. performed a full structural review of all the County sand domes. Cobourg and Plainville domes were recommended for immediate roof re-shingling and roof repairs. The roofing is nearing its end of effective service life and the preferred course of action is for replacement to occur prior to September 30, 2015 at an approximate cost for roof repairs of $70,000 per sand dome. Estimated cost is $140,000 for re-shingling and roof repairs. 26

27 Proposal It is recommended that $210,000 be allotted in the 2015 Capital Transportation Services Budget for the repair of the garage doors at the Cobourg Depot and Morganston Depot, and the roof re-shingling and roof repairs at the Cobourg and Plainville sand domes. Financial Impact The cost to replace the garage doors at both locations $70,000 The cost of re-shingling and roof repairs for 2 sand domes $140,000 Total: $210,000 27

28 The following table outlines the recommended 10 year Roads Capital Housing needs; Capital Housing Cobourg Quonset Shed Roof Repairs Morganston Heating & HVAC Upgrades Re-shingle Plainville Sand Dome $70 Cobourg Depot Door Replacement Cobourg Heating & HVAC Upgrades $35 Re-shingle Cobourg Sand Dome $70 Morganston Door Replacement $35 Plainville New Salt Shed $120 Re-shingle Roseneath Sand Dome $70 Roseneath 2 Bay Addition $300 Roseneath New Salt Shed $140 Paving Cobourg Depot $100 Paving Morganton Depot $130 Plainville 3 Bay Storage $300 Morganston Lean-To $125 Roseneath Lean-To $125 Re-shingle Morganston Sand Dome $70 $120 Cobourg New Salt Shed $180 Cobourg Lean-To $125 Paving Plainville Depot $100 Cobourg Depot New Offices $150 Totals $210 $210 $300 $240 $300 $250 $250 $305 $250 $140 $70 $70 28

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30 Roads Funding Strategy Purpose 2015 Issue Paper The County needs to establish and maintain a sustainable levy-supported capital budget to maintain the existing County roads system infrastructure. In 2002, County Council approved a ten-year plan to incrementally increase the roads budget to its proper level; however, it is still only a little over half way to the desired budget level. As such, it is imperative that the County continue with the strategy each and every year until the desired budget is reached. This issue paper represents a $220,000 increase to the levy and it also incorporates an additional grant of $180,000 from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF). The total increase in funding in 2015 for roads rehabilitation is $400,000. Background The budget to maintain the County roads system has been grossly under-funded for several years, with the result that the condition of County roads and bridges is deteriorating at a rate that exceeds the County s ability to maintain them. Between 1995 and 2001, the money that was allocated from the property tax levy for road construction and maintenance was not increased at a rate that would allow the County to cover the loss of provincial funding, the additional roads downloaded by the Province, or the increased cost of labour and materials to maintain them. Instead money was drawn from a Highway Capital Reserve that was provided by the province when the highways were downloaded. This highway reserve was quickly being depleted, leaving the County without either a sustainable capital reserve or an adequate annual budget to maintain the roads. In 2001, the base budget for roads construction was only $358,000. This would allow the County to resurface each section of the County road system every 250 years (2001 costs). The 2015 base budget for roads construction at $5.7 million would allow for each section of road to be resurfaced every 36 years (2015 costs). 30

31 County roads carry higher traffic volumes and truck traffic than local roads and on average need to be resurfaced every years. Further, the limited base budget does not address the other road s needs, such as traffic safety measures, bridges, or service expansion. During the 2002 budget process, a multi-year strategy was adopted in order to gradually ramp up the County tax levy funding over a 10 plus year period to a level which will maintain the existing County road system at an acceptable level. A program was adopted by Council to increase the capital roads levy by $400,000 each year, thus reducing the draw on the Highway Reserve by a corresponding $400,000 per year. In the past, this strategy did not allocate a regular increase for the construction and maintenance of the County road system. In 2014, an amount of $400K was approved under this strategy. The 2006 and 2009 capital roads budget has also utilized other funding sources to supplement the capital roads program, such as the highway reserve, the federal gas tax rebate, the one-time Move Ontario funding and Build Canada funding. This resulted in a $10 million capital roads program, which was needed to help address the continued deterioration of the County road system. In 2014, the roads budget was also supplemented by a one-time Municipal Infrastructure Initiative (MII) funding program for the rehabilitation of the CPR Bridge, and an application for funding through the new Small Communities Fund (SCF) is being made for road work to be completed in 2015/2016. Since 2002, the roads capital program has grown through an annual levy increase of $400,000. In 2008, the bridge maintenance levy was further increased by $100,000. In 2009, the annual $400,000 increase to the roads and bridges levy was cancelled for that budget year and, in 2010 and 2011, the annual increase was reduced by $100,000 for that budget year. The 2015 roads construction program includes a levy increase of $220,000 and an additional Provincial grant of $180,000 from the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF). Proposal & Financial Impact The roads construction project budget addresses ongoing management of four main components of the County Roads System: Pavement Rehabilitation and Maintenance Traffic Safety Measures (traffic signals, street lights, guiderails, intersection improvements) Bridge Rehabilitation and Maintenance System Expansions (turning lanes, bike paths, new structures) Based on standard asset management principles, the annual budget required to keep these components of the road infrastructure in good repair are outlined as follows: 31

32 Pavement Rehabilitation and Maintenance Research and statistical evidence into the most timely and cost effective cycle of pavement resurfacing for a County level road indicates that most hot mix asphalt pavements placed on a sound road base will perform well for years. If the road receives a major resurfacing at that time, the new pavement can be counted on to perform well for a further years. If an asphalt pavement is down more than years, the road structure will start to deteriorate more rapidly and there is a real risk of losing the road base entirely. This happens when the native sub-base material (i.e. the natural ground underneath the gravel) starts to pump up into the granular base. Once this happens, the road can no longer be resurfaced and must be reconstructed at a cost of roughly 7 times the cost of resurfacing. The corresponding lifespan for a surface treated road is 5-7 years. With this information in mind, we can determine a base resurfacing budget that will allow us to reduce the need for doing costly road reconstruction. As shown in Table 1, in order for the County to complete resurfacing in the recommended time frame, we should be completing the following amount of resurfacing each year: 21.4 km of surface treated roads; km of paved rural roads; and, 1.4 km of paved urban roads. The cost to complete the recommended resurfacing programs would be $8.5 million. TABLE 1 RECOMMENDED RESURFACING BASE BUDGET Type of Road Total Kms Rec. Resurfacing Frequency Kms/year Cost/km Annual Cost Surface treated years 21.4 $15,000 $321,000 Paved (rural) years $400,000 $7,380,000 Paved (urban) years 1.4 $600,000 $840,000 Recommended Base Budget for Resurfacing $8,541,000 The proposed 2015 budget includes the following lengths of resurfacing: Approximately 30 km of surface treated roads; 32

33 10.5 km of paved rural roads; Approximately 8 km of pavement preservation, and, 2.0 km of paved urban roads. The cost to complete the recommended 2015 roads resurfacing programs is estimated at $4.8 million. Traffic Safety Measures In 2002, a review of our guiderail inventory determined that there are $2 million in deficiencies in the guiderail system on our County roads. Since that time, the County has budgeted $180,000 annually for guiderail replacements and upgrades. In addition to this amount, there is an ongoing requirement for upgrades and maintenance on our traffic controllers, signals, signage, and other traffic safety measures. A desired annual base budget to address traffic safety measures is approximately $500,000. Bridge Rehabilitation and Maintenance The County has 112 bridges and major culverts that require ongoing repairs, maintenance, and occasional replacement. Prior to 2003, there was not a base budget to address bridge rehabilitation and maintenance. As part of the 2004 budget process, County Council established a base budget of $450,000 per year for bridgework. In actual fact, based on the urgent and 1-5 year bridge needs that have been identified in the five year plan, a more reasonable annual base budget for bridge rehabilitation is $1,200,000. The proposed 2015 budget allows for $3.3 million for detailed bridge condition studies, engineering design and repairs and inspections. This includes the annual debenture payment of $285,000 from the $2.27M that the County debentured in 2006 to address the most urgent bridge needs (final payment to be made in 2017), and $1.2 million for rehabilitation of the CNR bridge east of Cobourg and Mason s Creek Bridge on County Road 45 in Alnwick/Haldimand. System Expansion Because the County does not collect development charges, any system expansions, such as traffic signals, turning lanes, or road widening need to be funded through the County levy. Because many of these improvements are triggered by growth in the area, it is difficult to project a base budget that is realistic to address ongoing system expansions. Based on the system expansions that we anticipate over the next five years, a reasonable annual base budget to address system expansion requirements is $650,000. This figure does not include any allocation for the County s share of the Brighton Grade Separation or a potential new bridge in 33

34 Campbellford, or any of the transportation service improvement needs identified by other EA processes or the studies. The proposed 2015 budget allows for $260,000 of system expansion projects. Total Budget Requirements Based on the information above, we can determine that the base construction budget to properly manage our County Road assets should be in the order of $10.85 million while the estimated value of the 2015 construction program is $8.68 million including funding from Federal Gas Tax. Since the current base budget for roads capital is approximately half of that amount, it is imperative that the County continue with the strategy each and every year marked the end of the ten year period originally proposed for the incremental increase; however, as outlined above, the annual increase continues to be necessary in order to meet the $10.85 million target. Federal Gas Tax Part of the 2005 Federal Budget included the Federal Government s New Deal for Cities and Communities. This New Deal included federal gas tax money being distributed to municipalities for investment in a range of infrastructure projects. We have received the federal gas tax in previous years, and have the following amounts still to be distributed: Year 4 (2008): $1,253,244 Year 5 (2009): $2,506,488 Year 6 (2010): $2,474,857 Year 7 (2011): $2,474,857 Year 8 (2012): $2,468,018 Year 9 (2013): $2,406,317 Year 10 (2014): $2,364,412 Year 11 (2015): $2,364,412 Fortunately, the Federal Gas Tax Fund (which represents 37% of our road construction program revenue) has now been made permanent though a federal legislation. ODSP Savings The Province of Ontario will upload the cost of the Ontario Disability Support Program in 2011, 2012 and 2013 with the savings of the uploading to be distributed amongst a number of County departments, as presented in the November 2009 report to County Council. 34

35 This results in additional revenue being allocated to the road rehabilitation program, as follows: 2010: $ 800, : $ 1,200, : $ 1,200, : $ 1,200, : $ 1,200, : $ 1,200,000 That Council continue to support levy increases to protect the integrity of the County s roads with a $400,000 increase to the levy in 2015 for road rehabilitation. Chart of Past, Present and Future Funding Distribution $12,000,000 $10,000,000 $8,000,000 $6,000,000 $4,000,000 $2,000,000 $0 Roads Capital Budget - Funding Distribution Funding Sources Build Canada ROII/MIII (Prov) Ontario Supplement Federal Gas Tax ODSP transfer Highway Reserve Annual Levy Increase Base Levy 35

36 Bridge Program Purpose 2015 Issue Paper The County of Northumberland is required to establish and maintain a sustainable program for the timely repair of the 112 bridges and large culverts under County jurisdiction. In 2006, the County debentured $2.27 million to address the most urgent bridge needs resulting in an annual debenture payment of $285,000 funded through the annual bridge rehabilitation budget with the last payment to be made in In 2013 and 2014 County Council increased the base budget for bridges by $100,000 to place the levy at $750,000 in 2013 and at $850,000 in Considering the annual debenture payment, the actual available budget for bridges for the next 5 years is only $3.4 million to address $7.5 million in identified bridge needs. This issue paper requests a continued $100,000 increase to the base levy in 2015 for bridge rehabilitation. Background The County of Northumberland has an inventory of 112 bridges on 503 kilometres of arterial roadways; 48 major structures and 64 culverts of span greater than 3.0 meters. Generally, the expected lifespan of a structure can range from 50 to 75 years. The age of the County s bridges range from 4 to 92 years old (built between 1922 and 2010). 80% of the bridges range from 35 to 64 years old (built between 1950 and 1979). The age of major bridges and the cost to replace them are displayed in the chart on the following page. 36

37 50 45 Major Structures - Year of Construction/Estimated Cost to Replace 46 $75M 40 No. of Structures $28.8M $10.5M $1.1M $750k $2.5M $2.4M $1.5M $660k Decade There will be a significant need within the very near future to ensure that the continuity and integrity of these structures remain sound due to the continued aging of the infrastructure. The 2013 biennial bridge inspections of the County s largest structures were conducted by a team of Engineering Consultants from D.M. Wills Associates Ltd. and County staff in accordance with the Ontario Standard Inspection Manual (OSIM). The summarized bridge repair deficit of major bridges is as follows: NEEDS < 1 year (NOW) $637,900 $1,180,000 $1,300, Year $3,965,000 $4,921,800 $5,300,000 Total $4,602,900 $6,101,800 $6,600,000 The 'Now' or less than one year bridge rehabilitation needs are increasing at a rapid pace compared to previous years, although progress has been made in that the increase from 2011 to 2013 is less than the increase from 2009 to The Bridge Needs Report submitted to the County by D.M. Wills lists bridges needing various rehabilitation work and the estimated 37