District of Muskoka agreed to seek provincial consideration for an audit program to assess building conditions, in the November 18, 2024, meeting.

Council authorized staff to submit a formal request to Infrastructure Ontario to determine if they qualify for the audit.

Climate Change Co-ordinator, Kevin Boyle, advised that in 2024 the District allocated $113,000 in the budget to fund the comprehensive Building Condition Audit for their facilities.

He added that upon inquiry staff were advised by Infrastructure Ontario that they must submit a formal written request and resolution before they can be considered for the audit.

Council authorized staff to submit the formal request letter, utilizing the 2024 Tax Supported Capital Budget.

According to the agenda, the CAO and Commissioner of Finance and Corporate Services have been authorized to establish an agreement and necessary documents to move forward with the audit project on behalf of the District, if they receive the approval of Infrastructure Ontario.

Boyle said, “The key assessment will help with capital replacement demands,” such as affordable housing, and to make cost effective decisions when they determine what needs to be replaced.

He indicated that if the District is approved for an audit, Infrastructure Ontario will determine the scope of the assessment, which will allow staff to provide more detailed information to Council about what’s needed moving forward.

He added that if the District is approved they will work as efficient as possible on the project. For instance, having one of the affordable housing or paramedic buildings assessed and use that model with other similar facilities, rather than have them all audited.

According to Boyle, Infrastructure Ontario is a more cost-effective method for the audit because they aren’t working for profit, compared to a third-party consultant where the costs would be higher to cover additional expenses, such as overhead and profit.

Staff will report back to Council in a future meeting with updates resulting from the submission, such as whether they have been approved, and additional information and cost breakdowns applicable to the project moving forward.