Whereas the Region of Waterloo owns and operates a portfolio of corporate and administrative facilities that support governance, management, and centralized service delivery; and
Whereas the Covid 19 Pandemic and Public Health rules mandated all people who can work from home to work from home;
Whereas effective planning and asset management of these corporate facilities are essential to ensure they are used efficiently, maintained sustainably, and aligned with organizational and workforce needs; and
Whereas a focused assessment of corporate facilities—considering current usage, capacity, lifecycle costs, and long-term renewal requirements—will enable evidence-based decision-making and fiscal responsibility;
Whereas Facilities work pivoted from long term strategic planning to provide safe work spaces and piloting different ways of work, including ending leasing for space no longer required as the Region has a 2 day in the office policy;
Whereas Regional management staff are now expected to return to the office on Dec 1, 3 days per week;
Therefore be it resolved that Regional Council direct staff to develop a Corporate Facilities Strategic Plan, providing:
- An inventory and analysis of existing corporate and administrative facilities;
- Assessment of current usage, capacity, and functional suitability;
- Evaluation of operating, maintenance, and lifecycle costs; and
- Identification of anticipated capital renewal or improvement needs over the next 5–10 years;
And be it further resolved that staff include the costs of a Corporate Facilities Strategic Plan in the 2026 operating budget and 10 year capital plan budget deliberations for Council consideration;
And be it further resolved that staff report back to Council with findings and recommendations, including opportunities for optimization, co-location, or consolidation to support efficient service delivery and fiscal stewardship;
And be it further resolved that staff be directed to commence in 2026 the development of a Facilities Business Plan that consolidates the existing departmental facility needs currently identified across the organization, and provides the analysis of analyzes these requirements to provide information to Council on the identified potential overlaps, determine potential overlaps, shared business uses, and opportunities for cross-departmental collaboration and co-location already planned;
And be it further resolved that the completed Facilities Business Plan be brought forward to Council for consideration upon completion, outlining actionable recommendations for improved coordination and efficiency in the Region’s facility planning and operations.