We're seeing a shift in how we approach our own budgeting and community planning. Everything has a climate lens. When we're talking about the asset management of our key infrastructure, we think about what decisions we can make in repairs and replacements that will mitigate the impact of the climate change we see happening.
As you know, local governments cannot run deficits, so we rely heavily on reserves and, to some extent, development cost charges to build out the infrastructure required for new housing. However, in the case of Salmon Arm, we have seen an increase in multi-family housing. We know people want to come here, but we have an aging waste-water infrastructure plant that is vulnerable to a flood or a fire—both our water and our waste water. As we plan to rebuild and repair, we absolutely have to build in adaptation measures to ensure long-term viability so we can continue to help senior orders of government meet their needs.
Help us help you help us, because when we work together, it works a lot better.