Ministry of Government RelationsPolicy and Program Services Branch

The Municipal Growth Readiness Checklist

July 2015

Sustaining economic growth has become a point of focus for Saskatchewan. However, this growth poses a unique set of challenges for local governments. Municipalities may not have anticipated or planned for growth. They may not have made the investments in municipal infrastructure and services required to support growth. Some lack awareness of the potential risks associated with rapid or unplanned growth. Even those that have considered the possibility of growth may not have the capacity and tools required to effectively manage growth related risks. In short, not all municipalities are ready for growth, nor have they developed a plan for facilitating and accommodating it.

The provincial government’s Saskatchewan Plan for Growth states, “the purpose of growth is to build a better quality of life for all Saskatchewan residents.” As part of the Ministry of Government Relations’ contribution to the Saskatchewan Plan for Growth, and in consultation with the municipal sector, the ministry has prepared the Municipal Growth Readiness Checklist (MGRC) for use by Saskatchewan municipalities.

The checklist is a made in Saskatchewan approach that continues the ministry’s efforts in recent years to help municipalities self-assess their strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities. Shifting focus to growth readiness enables prioritization of the most pressing risks to medium and long-term growth. The checklist will allow municipal administrative officials and political leaders to come to their own conclusions about the growth readiness of their municipality and what actions, if any, are needed to improve it. Use of the checklist will result in raised awareness among local governments of the challenges, risks and requirements associated with economic growth, population growth and physical development.

The checklist differentiates itself from the work of the provincial government’s Rapid Growth Communities team by focusing on important growth-related issues under municipal control. Municipalities should not be measured by areas beyond their control when self-assessing their growth readiness. Therefore, provincial or other responsibilities, such as education and health care, are not included in the checklist.

The checklist was developed to be useful to municipalities of varying size and experiencing varying levels of growth, and was cognizant of the time and resource constraints of local governments. Therefore, the checklist uses a self-directed approach to help municipalities prepare for growth and to begin the readiness for growth conversation.

The checklist is a simple self-assessment the municipality can carry out in a relatively short period of time utilizing information readily available to them. By focusing on the most pressing growth challenges municipalities face, the checklist provides a basic scan of “growth readiness” and helps raise awareness between administration and council. It asks municipal officials to consider their growth readiness using a quick and simple means of identifying areas where the municipality may not be well positioned to accommodate growth – or where further information and analyses are required.

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It should be noted the municipal responses to the indicator questions may be primarily based on the knowledge of the local officials since government or public sources of information for each of the various measures of growth readiness may be limited. This recognizes that local officials know their municipality best and are in the best position to undertake a self-assessment of their growth readiness.

The checklist was designed as a discussion starter; a means of getting municipal officials to think about the challenges and impacts municipal and regional growth can have on their municipality and whether or not they are able to adequately respond.

Building off related research carried out by private sector companies and business management specialists, the ministry proposed three primary traits that characterize “growth ready” municipalities. These include: a supportive council and administration; municipal resource alignment; and, strategic planning and development. The identified categories of growth readiness are contained within these three primary traits, and align with the categories from previous work related to municipal sustainability.

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Municipal Resource

Alignment Allocation of municipal

services to:Service DeliveryPublic SafetyInfrastructureAdministrative Capacity

Strategic Planning and Development

Land Use PlanningDemographics and Economic TrendsFiscal Health

GovernanceRegional Partnerships

The Municipal Growth Readiness Checklist uses eight indicator categories to help a municipality better prepare for growth and improve the overall quality of life. As a result, the checklist focuses on:

Land Use Planning and Governance; Administrative Capacity; Fiscal Health; Service Delivery; Public Safety; Infrastructure; Demographics and Economic Trends; and Regional Partnerships.

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Municipal Growth Readiness Checklist

OverviewThe Municipal Growth Readiness Checklist focuses on indicators that can help local governments assess their readiness for growth.

Possible information sources are listed after each section.

PART 1 - LAND USE PLANNING AND GOVERNANCE INDICATORS YESTo

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1. Do you have growth projections? Growth Projections

2. Do you consider how these growth projections shape your municipality’s growth and development, and impact capital and operating budgets?

Growth Projections

3. Has council been discussing your growth needs and your potential barriers to growth?

Barriers to Growth

4. Does your municipality have an up-to-date Official Community Plan (e.g. considered within the past five years) in accordance with current legislation and regulations?

Official Community Plan (OCP)

5. Can your Official Community Plan be used to manage land use, subdivision of land, municipal services and public utilities in the municipality?

Official Community Plan (OCP)

6. Does your municipality have an up-to-date zoning bylaw (e.g. considered within the past five years) in accordance with current legislation and regulations, and consistent with your Official Community Plan?

Zoning Bylaw

7. Are planning and growth objectives/issues part of your orientation process for new councillors?

Councillor Orientation

8. Does your council receive regular reports from your administration relating to what is needed to facilitate growth and development?

Councillor Knowledge

9. When applicable, is there a procedure to ensure the impact of growth is considered in council’s deliberations of an issue?

Councillor Knowledge

10. Where there is a proposed subdivision of land, does your municipality have a servicing agreement in place for recouping the payment of servicing or off-site fees for facilities?

Servicing Agreement

11. Does your municipality have a current Development Levy Bylaw for new developments to cover costs such as new roadways, water and sewer systems and parks?

Development Levy Bylaw

12. Do you have a fee schedule covering all permits, licences and services that an applicant/developer would be required to pay in connection with development?

Fee Schedule/Levies

13. Do you periodically revise your fee schedule to deal with the Fee

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PART 1 - LAND USE PLANNING AND GOVERNANCE INDICATORS YESTo

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costs of growth? Schedule/Levies

14. Does your municipality have an inventory of appropriately zoned land to accommodate future residential, commercial, and industrial development to meet your growth needs?

Land Supply

15. Does your municipality have serviced lots available for development?

Serviced Lots

16. Does your Official Community Plan identify lands that will need to be annexed for development in the future?

Annexation

Information Sources- The Planning and Development Act, 2007 - The Cities Act- The Municipalities Act- The Northern Municipalities Act, 2010- The Statements of Provincial Interest Regulations- The Subdivision Regulations- The Dedicated Lands Regulations, 2009- The Conservation Easements Act - The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority Act, 2005 - The Saskatchewan Watershed Authority Regulations- The Reservoir Development Area Regulations- Local municipal knowledge- Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw

PART 2 – ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY INDICATORS YESTo

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17. Does your municipality have a primary contact for potential developers or applicants for planning and development in your municipality?

Primary Contact

18. Does your primary contact know the Official Community Plan, Development Plan and/or zoning bylaw, and district plan if applicable, and know your council’s policies on new development proposals?

Primary Contact

19. Does your municipality employ/contract professional expertise (e.g. planners, engineers, bylaw enforcement officer, building inspectors, public works and/or economic development officers, etc.) to deal with land use planning, development and building proposals?

Administration Capacity

20. Does your municipality have the administrative capacity (i.e. skills and staffing levels, human and financial) it requires to deal with land use planning, development approvals and building permit processes in your municipality?

Administration Capacity

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PART 2 – ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY INDICATORS YESTo

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21. If relevant, does your municipality meet the legislated Certified Administrator requirements?

Administration Capacity

22. If your municipality grows over the next five years, does your municipal workforce have the necessary tools, equipment and technology needed?

Operational Capacity

23. Does your Mayor/Reeve and administration formally meet with local business people to plan for their growth needs?

Meeting with Business People

24. Is your administration able to advise prospective applicants and developers of the need for special technical studies in connection with development proposals (e.g. noise impacts, geotechnical reports, hydro geologic assessments)?

Special Technical Studies

25. Does your municipality solicit feedback regarding potential development and have a process/policy in place for addressing public or developer concerns raised?

Citizen Engagement

Information Sources- The Cities Act, The Municipalities Act and The Northern Municipalities Act, 2010 - The Urban Municipal Administrators Act- Local municipal knowledge- SUMA’s Elected Officials Handbook

PART 3: - FISCAL HEALTH INDICATORS YESTo

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26. Do council’s decisions on growth and development align with your municipality’s financial and infrastructure capacities?

Decisions on Growth and Development

27. Is your municipality’s tax assessment base growing? Tax Assessment

28. Is your municipality experiencing growth in its own source revenues (i.e. total revenues less grants and grants in lieu of property taxes)?

Revenues

29. Is your municipality’s level of uncollected property taxes close to zero or declining each year?

Revenues

30. Does your municipality regularly review its user fees and utility charges for municipal services?

User Fees/ Utility Rates

31. Do your utility charges cover both operating costs and reserves for future expansion or improvements?

Utility Rates

32. Are your municipality’s operating expenses growing at a slower rate than your property tax revenues?

Expenditures

33. Are your general government services expenses increasing at a slower rate than other categories of expenses?

Expenditures

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PART 3: - FISCAL HEALTH INDICATORS YESTo

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34. Is your municipality experiencing an operating surplus most years?

Revenues and Expenditures

35. To ensure multiyear financial planning, does your municipality annually approve a multiyear capital budget?

Financial Planning

36. Does your municipality annually adopt an operating and capital budget prior to authorizing the tax levy?

Operating and Capital Budget

37. Does your municipality have a dedicated lands account? Reserves38. Is your municipality’s level of reserves increasing? Reserves39. Does your municipality collect a cash-in-lieu for municipal

reserve when it is appropriate to do so and is an appropriate fee being charged?

Reserves

40. Does your municipality have room to borrow within the regulated debt limit?

Debt Limit

41. Does your municipality work to minimize the amount of short-term debt (e.g. lines of credit, overdraft)?

Outstanding Debt

42. Are all financial reporting requirements and deadlines of the province, school division and federal government consistently being met?

Legislation & Regulations/Policy

43. Does your municipality have an up-to-date financial risk management plan in place?

Financial Risk Management Plan

44. Do your auditors consistently provide their audit opinion without significant concerns?

Financial Audit

45. Does administration provide regular financial forecasts to council?

Financial Forecast

Information Sources:- Audited municipal financial statements- Municipal assessment roll and tax roll- The Planning and Development Act, 2007- The Dedicated Lands Regulations, 2009- Local municipal knowledge

PART 4 – SERVICE DELIVERY INDICATORS YESTo

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46. Can your current standards for municipal services accommodate future growth without the need for significant service level changes?

Service Standards

47. Does your municipality regularly review and evaluate its municipal services to ensure compliance with legislated requirements?

Compliance with Legislative Requirements

48. Do your current municipality services (e.g. maintenance of Municipal

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PART 4 – SERVICE DELIVERY INDICATORS YESTo

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streets, water and sewage utilities, recreation facilities, etc.) have additional capacity to accommodate future growth?

Services

49. If your municipality grows over the next five years, will your municipality be able to provide services to residents/rate payers at a cost they are willing to pay?

Cost of Services to Rate Payers

50. Do service sharing arrangements your municipality may have with other municipalities contain provisions to address potential growth?

Service Sharing Arrangements

51. Is council and administration aware of the impacts an expansion of service capacity could have on the cost and efficiency of municipal services?

Impacts of Service Capacity Expansion

52. Does your municipality have a transportation plan that addresses future growth?

Transportation Plan

53. Does your municipality offer housing incentives/initiatives aimed at improving housing availability and affordability?

Housing Incentives/ Initiatives

54. Does your municipality keep track of new housing starts and the percentage of renter households to inform potential growth?

Core Housing

Information Sources- Local municipal knowledge- The Municipal Refuse Management Regulations - The Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2010 - The Saskatchewan Environmental Code- Ministries of Environment and Social Service- Community Profile

PART 5 – PUBLIC SAFETY INDICATORS YESTo

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55. Does your municipality have sufficient emergency response capacity to meet anticipated growth in your municipality?

Public Safety Capacity

56. Does your municipality’s Building Bylaw comply with the current Uniform Building and Accessibility Standards Act and The Uniform Building and Accessibility Standards Regulations?

Building Bylaw

57. Does your municipality have an Emergency Plan that will accommodate growth?

Emergency Plan

58. Does your municipality have plans in place to identify known risks/hazards from current or potential growth opportunities?

Risks/Hazards

59. Is your municipality prepared to respond to the Risks/Hazards

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PART 5 – PUBLIC SAFETY INDICATORS YESTo

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risks/hazards that could arise from new industrial/business development?

60. Have you assessed your municipality’s vulnerability to both natural and human-induced (e.g. pandemic, train derailments, etc.) hazards?

Natural and Human-Induced Hazards

61. Does your council and administration consider potential disaster risks when approving developments or making infrastructure investments?

Risks/Hazards

62. Does your municipality have a mutual aid agreement with a neighbouring municipality?

Mutual Aid Agreements

63. Does your municipality’s mutual aid agreement(s) with other municipalities contain provisions to address potential growth?

Mutual Aid Agreements

Information Sources- The Building and Accessibility Standards Administration Regulations - The Uniform Building and Accessibility Standards Act- The Uniform Building and Accessibility Standards Regulations- The Emergency Planning Act, 1989- The Fire Prevention Act, 1992- The Wildfire Act- Ministry of Justice – Corrections and Policing- Ministry of Government Relations – Emergency Management and Fire Safety; Building Standards

and Licensing- Local municipal knowledge

PART 6 – INFRASTRUCTURE INDICATORS YESTo

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64. Does your public works staff know the current usage levels and remaining capacity of your municipality’s infrastructure?

Usage Levels

65. Will your municipality’s infrastructure capacity (e.g. water and wastewater treatment facilities, sanitary sewers and storm sewers, roads, transfer stations, landfills, recycling, etc.) meet your projected growth?

Infrastructure Capacity

66. If applicable, do regional infrastructure facilities (e.g. water and wastewater treatment facilities, landfills, etc.) have the capacity to meet growth demands?

Regional Infrastructure Capacity

67. Do you know and regularly review how much of your current core infrastructure assets will require upgrades, replacement or expansion to accommodate your planned or potential growth?

Upgrades to Core Infrastructure

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PART 6 – INFRASTRUCTURE INDICATORS YESTo

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68. Does your municipality have an Asset Management Plan to effectively manage existing and new infrastructure to provide satisfactory levels of service to current and future residents/businesses?

Asset Management Plan

69. Does your municipality have a plan in place that is up-to-date and effective for conducting inspections of infrastructure?

Plan for Inspections

70. Do your public works staff know the age and condition of your core infrastructure?

Age and Condition of Core Infrastructure

71. Is there adequate source water in the region to handle future demands?

Source Water

72. Are your municipality’s public facilities and infrastructure regularly monitored, maintained and kept in a reasonable state of repair?

Municipal Facilities and Infrastructure

73. Does your municipality make full use of existing infrastructure and facilities before consideration is given to developing new infrastructure and facilities?

Existing Infrastructure and Facilities

Information Sources- Ministry of Government Relations’ SaskMuniMaps

(http://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/municipal-administration/maps)- Municipal Information Dataportal’s Utility and Waste Information

(http://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/municipal-administration/management-resources/guides-samples-and-resources/municipal-information-dataportal#maps)

- The Municipal Refuse Management Regulations- The Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2010- The Saskatchewan Environmental Code- Local municipal knowledge- CMHC Lifecycle Costing Tool For Community Infrastructure Planning- Tangible Capital Asset Reporting- Municipal Asset Management

PART 7 - DEMOGRAPHICS AND ECONOMIC TRENDS INDICATORS YESTo

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74. Are the changes in your municipality’s demographics and tax base monitored?

Population Trends

75. Is your municipality aware of the population trends for your municipality?

Population Trends

76. Do you feel that population growth and development is necessary to maintain the viability of your municipality?

Population Growth and Development

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PART 7 - DEMOGRAPHICS AND ECONOMIC TRENDS INDICATORS YESTo

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77. Is your municipality aware of the number and value of building permits issued in your municipality?

Population Growth and Development

78. Does your municipality know the composition of age groups of the population in your municipality?

Age Groups

79. Do your plans for growth and projected population trends align?

Growth Plan

80. Has the number of businesses in your municipality grown over the past five years?

Business Growth

81. Does your municipality create conditions (e.g. recreation and cultural facilities and services, property taxation policy, police and/or fire services, utilities) to encourage businesses to provide stable employment in the community?

EmploymentOpportunities

82. Does your municipality monitor or review employment impacts of business development trends in neighbouring and/or other similarly sized municipalities?

Employment Opportunities

83. Does your municipality have information about local employment opportunities of current businesses and from future development of businesses in the community?

Employment Opportunities

84. Does your municipality have the necessary information for council, developers and/or investors to make informed decisions regarding growth and development of your municipality?

Community Information

85. Are the majority of residents in your municipality supportive of new development?

Development

Information Sources- Statistics Canada Population Survey/Census (e.g. 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 Census)- Government of Saskatchewan, Ministry of the Economy- Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA)- www.saskbiz.ca - The site provides comprehensive economic and quality of life information for

communities and regions in Saskatchewan.- The Community Information Database (http://www.cid-bdc.ca/english/index.html)- Community Profile- Local municipal knowledge

PART 8 - REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS INDICATORS YESTo

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86. Would you consider your relationships with neighbouring municipalities to be healthy?

Regional Growth Opportunities

87. Are you taking steps to improve your relationships with Regional

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PART 8 - REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS INDICATORS YESTo

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neighbouring municipalities? Growth Opportunities

88. Does your municipality have an established process to evaluate regional growth opportunities?

Regional Growth Opportunities

89. Do you share plans and discuss how to accommodate growth with neighbouring municipalities?

Regional Partnership

90. Does your municipality share its plans for growth and population projections with regional organizations, such as First Nations communities, health authorities, school divisions and planning districts?

Sharing Growth Information

91. Does your municipality have inter-municipal agreements in place for certain services that reflect your neighbours’ planned or potential growth scenarios (e.g. fire protection, waste management, etc.)?

Inter-municipal Agreements

92. Would your municipality consider pooling resources with neighbouring communities to jointly fund new development opportunities?

Regional Partnerships

93. Do you actively work with surrounding governments and communities to prepare growth plans?

Regional Partnerships

94. Do you understand the implications a major new or expanded industry in your region would have for your municipality?

Growth Impact

95. Does your municipality have a process for resolving inter-municipal disagreements?

Dispute Resolution

Information Sources- Local municipal knowledge- Official Community Plan- Zoning Bylaw- Community Profile- Saskbiz website

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