Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Bracing For Impact: A Review Of Ontario Municipalities’ Budgeting & Alignment To Asset Management, Jonathon Graham

MPA Major Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to investigate emerging best practices in the municipal sector arising from the implementation of Ontario Regulation 588/17 – Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure and to assess the extent to which these best practices have been adopted by Ontario municipalities. The sample pool consists of three municipalities, falling into two tier levels of municipal government. Tiers are defined by characteristics such as population and density, which often correlates to a municipalities asset inventory. The lower tier municipalities in the sample are the Town of Minto and the Town of Petrolia. The single tier sample …

Preventing Obesity: A Social Ecological Exploration Of Centers For Disease Control Prevention Strategies And Guidance Toward Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, And Communities, Ryan Kelly

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Obesity has reached nearly 40% of the adult public in the United States, costing the citizen taxpayer over $200 billion annually in healthcare costs. Those suffering from obesity deal with multiple physical and mental repercussions. Through a content analysis of four Centers for Disease Control (CDC) documents and guided by the conceptual framework of the social ecological model, this research explores the federal approach to preventing obesity. The analysis finds that CDC solutions to obesity involve connecting people to each other and healthier choices, an orientation toward local public administration, and an emphasis on environmental and infrastructure improvements. The …

The Preparedness Of Suffolk County’S Emergency Managers For Drinking Water Disruptions, Richard Rotanz

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractFor many years, a chronic issue within Suffolk County, New York, one of the most populated counties in the country, is the deterioration of its drinking water along with its polluted beaches, lakes, and rivers, which are imperative for tourism and the fishing industry. However, little is known regarding the awareness of, and the preparedness towards, any disruptions of drinking water by the community of emergency managers. Narrowing this gap of knowledge was the purpose of this study. The research question examined the knowledge of, the attitudes, and the preparedness levels of the emergency management community of Suffolk County involving …

Pot For Potholes: Could Cannabis Taxation Revenues Solve The Municipal Infrastructure Funding Deficit In Ontario?, Lori Jivan

MPA Major Research Papers

In Canada, it is estimated that the total value of core municipal infrastructure is over $1.1 trillion dollars or about $80,000 per household. Of this value one-third is in poor or very poor condition which increases the risk of service disruption. Municipalities are struggling to fund these infrastructure renewal needs with limited revenue tools. Property taxes remain the largest source of revenue for Canadian municipalities but are currently insufficient to meet their long-term needs. Municipalities in Ontario have been advocating for additional revenue tools to address this challenge. This paper uses a common set of evaluation criteria to analyze three …

Airport Infrastructure In The Shrinking City: Planning For Smart Decline In Cleveland’S Regional Airport System And Its Role In A Dynamic Urban Future, Garret Forst

Senior Theses and Projects

Cleveland, while having experienced some growth and regeneration in the 21st Century, still experiences some of the salient characteristics of the "shrinking city." It continues to slowly lose population. Metropolitan-level economic growth remains elusive. Its status as a shrinking city and metropolitan region has consequences for its systems of infrastructure, especially its regional system of airports. This study illustrates how shrinking cities theory applies to Cleveland's airport system. Namely, the airport system has experienced challenges associated with maintaining substantial levels of flight operations in addition to having experienced certain financial challenges since 2000. This study then theorizes how a plan …

Does The Province Have Enough Financial And Statistical Data Available To Execute A Needs-Based Grant Allocation To Target Municipal Infrastructure Investment Instead Of Utilizing An Application Process To Allocate Funds?, Brenda Garrett

MPA Major Research Papers

Municipalities across the Province are grappling with infrastructure deficits. Small, northern, and rural municipality’s tax assessment base limits its ability to garner sufficient revenue to support operations as well as renew and replace infrastructure. Federal and Provincial governments must step in and assist. As a result, the province introduced the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF) as a permanent program to fund critical infrastructure projects for core assets—roads, bridges, water and wastewater. This paper analyzes provincially mandated municipal Financial Information Returns (FIRs) in conjunction with OCIF statistics to assess whether the Province can efficiently and effectively re-distribute revenue using existing financial …

The Cost Of Earmarks, Nicholis John Zappia

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Finding revenue is a challenge that faces many municipalities in the United States. As the tax base continues to decline and demand for government services increases, local governments are forced to make hard choices. Low on the list of priorities for local governments is the maintenance, and construction of infrastructure. Traditionally there have been several ways for local governments to fund long-term infrastructure projects including, federal-aid through the process of earmarking. The practice of earmarking has been around since the first congress, but hit its peak between 2003 and 2007. The earmarking process is controversial for several reasons; earmarking bypasses …

The Politics Of Transportation Megaprojects, Patrizia Christa Nobbe

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Large infrastructure investment decisions, especially for mega-projects defined as costing more than one billion U.S. dollars, are largely based on complex, unclear and non-transparent decision criteria. The project's specific context and a variety of actors and interests add to the complexity of the decision processes. All projects deviate, to a certain degree from a "rational" decision-making process, are politically motivated and subject to multiple interests. Cost-benefit analyses are conducted for about half of the projects. In this work I hypothesize that the politics of project decision-making is comparable across countries, relative to their nature, form of involvement and impact on …

Strategic Asset Management In The City Of Hamilton: An Analysis Of The Integration Of Strategic Planning And Management Elements Into Municipal Infrastructure Asset Management Programs, Brent Kittmer

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines which elements of strategic planning and strategic management are associated with improved organizational performance and how these elements are practically implemented in a municipality’s asset management program. The four key elements of strategic planning and management identified include: developing formal plans and using planning tools; setting goals and implementing performance measurement systems; internal and external stakeholder involvement; and linking the strategic process to the organization’s budget. A qualitative case study of the City of Hamilton’s asset management program was completed to describe how these strategic elements are practically implemented. The findings reveal that each of the key …

Water Pricing In Ontario: Is The Price Right For Water?, John Presta

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether major municipalities in Ontario have changed their water rate structure in order to raise additional resources for their capital and operating requirements. The data presented has been gathered from a sample of medium and large urban areas and is based on a questionnaire, interviews, and municipal websites. The findings reveal that municipalities in Ontario have had to increase their water rates since the Walkerton tragedy in order to become compliant with new regulations and to address capital infrastructure replacement programs, but there is no evidence that they have changed their water use rate structure in order …

Involuntary Resettlement In Hydroelectric Projects: A Comparison Of Chinese And Canadian Case Studies And Implications For Best Practice, Qian Liao

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the political systems of China and Canada with respect to involuntary resettlement induced by hydroelectric projects. It uses case studies from the two countries – namely the Three Gorges Dam in China and a series of dams in James Bay, Quebec – to analyze the similarities and differences found under each system. The findings reveal that, with regards to similarities, in both countries, certain marginalized groups were further disadvantaged as a result of resettlement and the organized resettlement practices in the two countries are relatively short, although the history of dam construction is relatively long. With regards …

How To Shift Into High Gear: An Analysis Of The Implementation Of London’S Bicycle Master Plan, Kenneth Man

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the impediments to the implementation of the Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) in London, Ontario. Interviews with key BMP stakeholders, a literature review, archival research, and participant observations were conducted. The findings reveal that various political and structural and administrative obstacles have impeded the progress of the construction of on-road bicycling facilities in the city, including pressures to maintain the transportation policy status quo, a general lack of advocacy for bicycling-related issues, the problematic assignment of key implementation officials, low levels of data collection, and the absence of a formalized public consultation process.

Municipal Capital Works Projects: An Analysis Of Scheduling Delays And Cost Escalations, Doug Mackay

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines the primary reasons for the delays and cost overruns in municipal capital works projects in Ontario. Interviews with experts in municipal infrastructure projects – including employees from the municipal sector, the Ministry of the Environment, a conservation authority, and the Ministry of Transportation – were conducted. The findings reveal that there are numerous factors that have resulted in municipal capital works projects becoming increasingly difficult to deliver, but the primary factor was the introduction of the Environmental Assessment Act, which resulted in a lengthened schedule and added costs.

Capital Expenditures In Metropolitan Toronto: A Comparison Of The Capital Operations And Written Literature On Capital Infrastructure For The Municipality Of Metropolitan Toronto, Caspar Hall

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether the assertions made by key literature on capital infrastructure in Metropolitan Toronto are empirically supported based on an analysis of annual capital operations financial statements. The findings reveal that, with a few exceptions, the historical analysis of capital operations does support the assertions made by the literature on capital infrastructure.

Potential Alternative Revenue Sources For Municipal Infrastructure Maintenance – A Case Study: County Of Peterborough Transportation Infrastructure, Chris Bradley

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines whether the funding system for local infrastructure is adequate to ensure a sustainable, well-maintained transportation network and if there is a single, more effective means of funding local infrastructure maintenance based on a case study of the County of Peterborough. The findings reveal that the current funding system for local infrastructure maintenance is inadequate to ensure a sustainable, well-maintained transportation network and alternative revenue sources include the federal GST, the provincial PST, the gas tax, income tax, subsidies and transfers, infrastructure maintenance funding programs, and user fees.

Intermunicipal Servicing Agreements: Four Case Studies In Huron County, Jennifer Hosack

MPA Major Research Papers

This paper examines how local servicing problems – with a specific focus on sewage and water services – can be dealt with effectively based on four case studies of municipalities in Huron County. An analysis of municipal and provincial documents and interviews with key stakeholders were conducted. The findings reveal that local servicing problems can be successfully addressed with servicing agreements, which involve adjacent municipalities working cooperatively with one another in order to obtain the level of servicing that they each desire.