Hastings County is continuing work on their asset management plan.
During Thursday’s meeting of Hastings County Council, councillors discussed a report coming from the finance, personnel, and property committee regarding the ongoing effort to implement a new asse-management plan.
The new asset management plan is required under provincial legislation, but will also serve as a planning tool for managing asset maintenance and replacement.
Hastings County has started a multi-year process to develop and implement the plan. Steps for 2026 include building-condition assessments for county buildings, evaluating the condition of bridges in the county, and investigating software that would help in collecting and maintaining data needed for the asset-management plan. All of these initiatives are included in the 2026 budget.
Plans for future years were also laid out, with the process set to be finished in 2028.
While discussing the plan, council raised concerns about a funding gap for the management plan, with required maintenance for buildings and infrastructure outpacing available funds. The predicted shortfall is expected to be close to $54 million.
Councillor David Henderson, mayor of Tudor and Cashel, said that the funding gap needed to be addressed quickly.
“We can’t just keep closing bridges and shutting down roads,” said Councillor Henderson. “There has to be an action plan that involves not just the township and the county, but the province and even the federal government.”
Council voted to receive the report, with no other action taken at this time.
