HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-19-016 - One-year Extension of Agreement with Region to Provide Summer and Winter MaintenanceREPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee
DATE OF MEETING:September 30, 2019
SUBMITTED BY: Roslyn Lusk, Director – Operations, Roads & Traffic,(519) 741-2600 x4599and
Niall Lobley, Director Parks & Cemeteries, (519) 741-2600 X4518
PREPARED BY:Roslyn Lusk, Director – Operations, Roads & Traffic
(519)741-2600 x4599
WARD (S) INVOLVED:All Wards
DATE OF REPORT:September 18, 2019
REPORT NO.:INS-19-016
SUBJECT:One- year Extension of Agreement with Region to provide summer and winter
maintenance
__________________________________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to execute a one-year extension, subject to the satisfaction of the City
Solicitor, with the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, for the City of Kitchener to provide summer and winter
maintenance services on selected Regional Roads within the City of Kitchener, as outlined in the Infrastructure
Services Department report INS-19-016.
BACKGROUND:
Since the formation ofthe Region of Waterloo in 1973, the City of Kitchener has provided maintenance of Regional
roads within the City of Kitchener,viaan agreementwith the Regionthrough which residents benefit from more
seamless and efficient service delivery. The establishment of theagreement with the Region is consistent with
practices employed by the cities of Cambridge and Waterloo. The term of the current agreementbetween Kitchener
andthe Region runs from January 1, 2014 until December 31, 2019; as agreed to by Council per staff report INS-14-
019 dated September 8, 2014.
REPORT:
The rationalefor City forcesto continue to provide cores services on Regional roadsthrough anagreementwith the
Regionhas been long standing.As such, staff have been workingwiththe Region and area municipalities to establish
a new agreement to be in place beyond December 2019.
Staff havemet on a number of occasions with staff from the Region and other area municipalities to discuss the
development of a new agreement. While each municipality enters into a separate agreement with the Region, the
basis of the agreement remains virtually identical, with each individual municipality establishing unit rates to provide
specific maintenance activities on the Regional roadslying within their respective boundaries. Maintenance activities
included in the existing agreement are:
Road patrol
Summer maintenance including;
o surface asphalt maintenance,
o shoulder maintenance,
o street sweeping,
o spring cleanup (litter pick up), and
o right of way drainage including catch basin and manhole maintenance
Leaf pickup and disposal
*** This information is available in accessible formats upon request. ***
Please call 519-741-2345 or TTY 1-866-969-9994for assistance.
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Winter snow and ice control
Emergency response (e.g. accidents, washouts, spills, trees, debris, etc.)
Preventative maintenance agreed to by the Region.
The Region has experienced significant change throughout the duration of the existing 5-year agreement.
Construction of the ION was commencing just as the current agreement took effect; and ridership commenced in July
2019. The ownership of the roads on which the ION travels are now regionaland form part of the agreement. City
crews have yet to experience providing a full year of maintenance along the ION route.
In addition, increased focus on providing active transportation options within the Region has been made through the
duration of the existing agreement. Many new and different types of active transportation routes (i.e., on-road cycling
infrastructure, separated cycling infrastructure, additional sidewalks, multi use trails, etc.) are located within the Region.
In 2018, the Province of Ontario passed new legislation (O.Reg 239 – Minimum Maintenance Standards for Municipal
Highways) requiring municipalities to provide year-round maintenance of these types of facilities; to raise the level of
maintenance to that historically reserved for roads. In many cases, city crews have not yet experienced providing year
round maintenance on the new active transportation infrastructure.
All parties agree that a 1-year extension of the existing agreement dated, January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019, is
the most reasonable approach forward. The 1-year extension will allow time for each of the area municipalities to
monitor the costs to maintain the new infrastructure, allowing to better inform the unit rates to be established in a future
multi-year agreement with the Region.In addition, it allows time to explore additional opportunities of maintenance
activities that are not currently included within the maintenance agreementthat could result in greater effectiveness
andefficiency of service delivery for residents.
Negotiations will continue to alter the work tasks, unit rates and infrastructure to be included in the future agreement.
ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN:
The recommendation of this report supports the achievement of the city’s strategic vision through the delivery of core
service.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The PO value for 2019 Regional summer and winter maintenance activities is $2,611,789. This amount increases
annually by inflation and by any additional lane km in accordance with the terms and conditions in the agreement.
Payment for summer activities is based on a fixed monthly amount whereas winter maintenance billings are based
on cost recovery. If actual winter costs exceed the winter PO amount the City of Kitchener must absorb the first 5%
of the overage. Anything over and above this amount isreimbursed by the Region as per the terms and conditions
in the agreement.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT:
INFORM – This report isposted on the City’s website with the agenda in advance of the council / committee meeting.
PREVIOUS CONSIDERATION OF THIS MATTER:
Staff Report INS-14- 019 dated September 8, 2014.
ACKNOWLEDGED BY:
Denise McGoldrick, General Manager, Infrastructure Services
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