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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFIN-08-113 - Referral of Projects to the 2009-2018 Capital Forecast - Financial Services DeptI L REPORT 74 Report To: Councillor B. Vrbanovic, Chair, and Members of $ 325••• the Finance and Corporate Services Committee Date of Meeting: October 20, 2008 Submitted By: Dan Chapman, General Manager of Financial Services Prepared By: Rosemary Upfold, Director of Accounting $ 5455••• Joyce Evans, Director of Revenue $ 5565000 Wally Malcolm, Director of Utilities Ward(s) Involved: ALL Date of Report: September 30, 2008 Report No.: FIN-08-113 Subject: REFERRAL OF PROJECTS TO THE 2009-2018 CAPITAL FORECAST — FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT 111 11 0 THAT the following capital projects be included in the 2009-2018 capital forecast for consideration by the Finance and Corporate Services Committee as part of the 2009 budget deliberations, as outlined in staff report FIN-08-113: General Expenses SAP/Cityworks Software Upgrade $ 2755000 2014 $ 2855••• 2018 Ppvpni ip Point of Purchase System Upgrade $ 505000 2012 $ 505000 2016 Development and Maintenance of the Tax/Utility System (CIS) $ 1005000 2009 $ 325••• 2010 $ 1645000 2011 $ 2985000 2012 $ 5325••• 2013 $ 5455••• 2014 $ 5565000 2015 $ 5655••• 2016 $ 5655••• 2017 '� • � 111 Utilities — Water Uncommitted Water $ 995000 2••• $ 485000 2• • Trenchless Pipe Rehabilitation $ 2505000 2009 Main Replacement — Tyson Avenue $ 805000 2• Main Replacement — Bridge Street $ 3005000 2009 Main Replacement — Vict• South ' 3505000 2010 Main Replacement — Frederick Street ' 1005000 2010 Main Replacement — Victoria Park $ 1255000 2009 Utilities — Gas Demand Side $ 925000 2009 $ 885000 2• • $ 845000 2• $ 805000 2• ••• 2013 • ••• 2014 $ 655000 2015 $ 605000 2• . ••• 2017 $ 3005000 2018 Replacement $ 1025000 2009 1045000 2010 1065000 2011 1065000 2012 $ 1085000 2013 • ••• 2014 ••• 2015 ••• 2016 ••• 2017 $ 2385000 2018 11ew Large 1T.1,,e_te__xJnsta_Ls__ $ 365000 2009 $ 345000 2010 $ 335000 2011 $ 325000 2012 $ 305000 2013 $ 295000 2014 $ 285000 2015 $ 275000 2016 $ 255000 2017 $ 1005000 2018 New Gas Meter Sets �`` 1005000 2 //• AND FURTHER THAT the contract for the CIS consultant (John Little) be extended by 6 months to June 30, 2009 to complete the "Multi-Tiered Delivery Rates Project" and assist with the technical requirements for the Gas Distribution Access Rules (GDAR) Phase 11 All new capital projects with budgets in excess of $50,000 are referred to the City's ten-year capital forecast by a resolution of Council. They are then evaluated during the budget approval process against all other project priorities and funding constraints. This report provides information and recommendations with respect to new project priorities for the Financial Services Department. �014 SAP/Cityworks Software Upgrade The Delta Project is implementing software including SAP, Cityworks and RIVA. Software upgrades will be provided by each of the vendors as part of the annual maintenance agreement. In order to keep the software current, capital funds are being allocated for a major system upgrade in 2014 and 2018, consistent with industry practice. The upgrade costs include consulting fees and staff salaries. It is anticipated that over time less reliance will be placed on consultants as staff knowledge increases. The cost is estimated to be $275,000 in 2014 and $285,000 in 2018 and funding is provided by the tax-supported budget and City enterprises in proportion to transaction volumes. Point of Purchase System Upgrade The Point of Sale system is being implemented in 2009 and is expected to require upgrading on a periodic basis. The amounts included in the capital budget, $50,000 both in 2012 and 2016, are estimates to allow for these upgrades. 20% of the cost is funded through the tax base with 80% funded through utilities. Development and Maintenance of the Tax/Utility System (CIS) The majority of the CIS budget (88%) funds the full-time staff team that maintains and upgrades the system. While the 2008 capital budget provided sufficient funding ($1.6 million) for the CIS team, the funding was projected to decline beyond 2008. In light of increasing regulatory and system functionality requirements and a significant backlog of work, it is recommended that the 2009 capital budget be maintained at the 2008 level and inflated at a rate of 2% thereafter. The funding split for the CIS capital budget is made up as follows: • Gas Utility 60% • Water Utility 13% • Sewer Utility 13% • Tax Base 14% The Ontario Energy Board (OEB) introduced the Gas Distribution Access Rules (GDAR) in December 2002. The implementation deadline set by the OEB was June 1, 2007. In order to meet the anticipated tight deadlines in an environment where the specifications were still changing, the CIS project team started work on GDAR in January 2004. As anticipated, the final specifications for the system were not known until mid-March 2006, resulting in some unavoidable redesign/rework being required for Phase I. As well, some system requirements were delayed until Phase 11 and some temporary manual "work-arounds" were put in place, with the automated solution for these components being delayed until Phase 11. CIS consultant assistance in transitioning to a self-sufficient model and developing system design documents has been invaluable since the City became self-supporting for the CIS system in May 2000. The succession plan over the last several years has been to increase the capacity of the internal staff project team to allow for the phasing out of the use of the external consultant. That plan has been working very well to date, resulting in all support and much of the design for smaller modules in the system, and all development of new modules now being completed by the internal staff project team. In reviewing the options of completing the "Multi-Tiered Delivery Rates Project" and assisting with the technical requirements of GDAR Phase 11, Staff has concluded that use of the CIS consultant (John Little) to lead the design component for this phase is the most effective approach to take, for the following reasons: • Earlier expected completion date of May 1, 2009, compared to a completion date of September 2009 using only internal staff resources; and • Kitchener Utilities was unable to mirror the Union Gas structure of multi-delivery rates in 2008 due to system limitations, resulting in potential new revenue being foregone by the Utility. The same issue can be anticipated in 2009 if the functionality is not implemented on a timely basis. Uncommitted Water Mains This budget is a provision for unforeseen replacements (including City infrastructure on Regional roads), including water mains as well as hydrants, valves, chambers, etc. that are found to be faulty once a project starts. The budget for this line is proposed to increase for 2009 and 2010 as there are currently more demands on the account because of increased infrastructure renewal. Staff will continue to evaluate the sufficiency of the budget over the next two years. Trenchless Pipe Rehabilitation $250,000 is proposed for a pilot on trenchless rehabilitation of water pipe to be done in conjunction with a similar project on the sewer side in 2009. This will be done in an area where it benefits both Utilities and then the road work can go forward without the need to excavate and deal with the deep underground. This project is funded through water rates. Water Main Replacements The following water mains are proposed for replacement, funded out of water rates: • Tyson Avenue ($80,000 in 2011) —This project runs off Bridge Street, where the work referenced immediately below is happening. There is a long dead end and no redundancy in this pocket so this addition should help both water quality and security of supply. • Bridge Street ($300,000 in 2009) —This is part of the Lancaster Street roundabout project. Bridge Street is being repaved as part of the project and the City has had multiple breaks on the water main so it should be replaced while the road is being constructed. The PRV is needed as pressures constantly run in excess of 700 Kpa. • Victoria Street South ($350,000 in 2010) —This is the last westerly phase of the Region transmission main strategy that has a 600 mm main going from the 600 mm on Fischer- Hallman through to Lancaster Street. While the Region is installing the 600 mm the City will replace the 300 mm where all the services connect. This has been done all along the Victoria Street project. • Frederick Street ($100,000 in 2010) —This project is timed to coincide with the construction of the new courthouse. This project is somewhat dependent on the extent of surface work that is required. • Victoria Park ($125,000 in 2009) —This project will replace an old section of various sized water main that runs between Dill Street and Roland Avenue through Victoria Park. This corner is being reconstructed (all infrastructure) but there is a looping main that runs through the park. This may be a candidate for trenchless replacement. Traditionally, small water main replacements (not part of a full road reconstruction) have been funded through the uncommitted water mains account. However, the historical level of funding in this account has been $50,000 annually, which is not sufficient to fund the major works that are contemplated over the next several years as itemized above. The proposed increase in this budget will establish a provision of $300,000 per year for demand side management programs. This is required due to the increasing volumes for REEP energy audits, increase in partnership opportunities with other energy service providers, increasing volumes for furnace rebates and new rebates for tank-less water heaters. In order to determine a long-term budget target for DSM initiatives staff has reviewed submissions from Union Gas and Enbridge to the Ontario Energy Board with respect to their requirements for residential programs. Those utilities typically set aside 2-3% of gas delivery revenues for DSM. If Kitchener Utilities is to mirror the approach of these other utilities, approximately $10-12 per customer would be allocated to the program per year, which equates to approximately $600,000 per year for DSM. The current $300,000 budget is focused on residential programs, but there is potential to evolve the program to incorporate non- residential customers in the future. Staff is currently exploring opportunities to cooperate with K- W Hydro on DSM programs and to co -brand and co- sponsor to mutual customers. Staff is seeking clarification and input from the OPA to determine if there is an interest or opportunity to work with the OPA and K -W Hydro to expand their proposed energy audits and rebates geared to industrial and commercial customers by adding gas and water to the audits and potential rebates. Staff will report to Council as part of a future budget process should there be additional budget requirements associated with an expansion of the program. • Energy efficient thermostat replacement ($5,500) • Advertising and Media Tools to promote energy efficiency, provide tips and advise of grants available ($60,000) • Funding for the Residential Energy Efficiency Program (REEP) to provide rebates for customers to complete home energy audits ($65,000) • Kitchener Utilities Rebate Programs to upgrade to more energy efficient water heaters and furnaces ($160,000) • Other ($9,500) Replacement Gas Mains The budget for this line has been doubled for all years (current budget is $100,000 annually). As the accelerated infrastructure program is ramped up, more funds are required for those streets that require upgrading of the gas plant. This project is funded through gas rates. New Large Meter Installs The budget for new large meter installs has been increased to $100,000 in all years of the forecast to more accurately reflect the current level of activity related to oil to gas conversions and the construction of new developments. New Gas Meter Sets An additional $100,000 is requested for 2009 to fund new small meter installations based on the projected requirements of the capital account. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: If supported, the capital projects proposed in this report will be referred to capital budget deliberations on November 24, 2008. They will then be evaluated against all other capital projects and funding constraints within the ten -year forecast. The following table represents the funding splits for these proposed additions to the 2009 -2018 capital forecast: Staff recommends that the projects referenced in this report be included in the 2009-2018 capital forecast for consideration by the Finance and Corporate Services Committee as part of the 2009 budget deliberations Dan Chapman, CA MPA General Manager of Financial Services Rosemary Upfold, CA Director of Accounting Joyce Evans, MPA CGA Director of Revenue Wally Malcolm, PEng MBA Director of Utilities DC/mf