MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE GAP: “The problem is not aging infrastructure. The problem is the decades that we did not pay attention to it. This inattention is what created the infrastructure gap,” stated Bill Sims, freshly retired as General Manager of Engineering & Public Works (City of Nanaimo)
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story (REPRODUCED BELOW),
The edition published on May 5, 2026 two municipal asset management thought leaders: featured Bill Sims and Wally Wells. They have looked at the growing Municipal Infrastructure Gap with fresh eyes. And what they see is a slow-moving financial crisis. They point the way forward with a call for a course correction that tempers expectations for demands on municipal services.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Municipal Infrastructure Gap –
We are past the point where local governments can catch up (synthesis of a conversational interview with Bill Sims and Wally Wells)
EDITOR’S NOTE: The complete transcript of my interview with Bill Sims and Wally Walls is included in the downloadable document version of this story behind the story. The storyline is structured as three theme areas and what follows is a streamlined narrative.
The contextual background for our conversation was provided by a post on LinkedIn by Bill Sims in combination with a presentation by Mike Matejka to the Asset Management BC Community-of-Practice on March 12, 2026 about his Cranbrook municipal experience.
A picture is worth 1000 words to set the scene for a conversation
Titled Services & Sustainability, the presentation by Mike Matejka builds to the image below. It is defining in demonstrating how the increased cost of construction has outpaced increases in local government funding for replacement public works. What are the on-the-ground implications for a growing municipal infrastructure gap?
What the numbers tell us
Less work is being done. There are funding shortfalls for much needed projects. And so on. To illustrate the consequential impact of the diverging paths, Mike Matejka provided a decadal comparison for the City of Cranbrook road reconstruction program: The scope of work was reduced rom 10 blocks per year in 2017 to 4 blocks per year in 2024.
We are falling further and further behind…because of a mindset problem
“When Mike Matejka presented that slide, my reaction was ohmigosh. It was a game changer for me. Mike got me re-thinking how we have framed the asset management issue and how we should reframe it,” states Wally Wells.
“When Bill Sims wrote his post, he connected dots that are either forgotten or never known. Unless there is a transformational mindset change about how to finance asset renewal, we are past the point where local governments can catch up That is the issue!”
Change the mindset to one of reducing demand for services to levels that are affordable and sustainable
“Most folks in local government and around the world understand the nature of the asset management problem,” continues Bill Sims. “But councils have a short-term focus on what can be built during their term. Underground infrastructure or asset management is boring to them. Yet it is so core to the functioning of any government. It is an absolutely critical piece.”
The infrastructure gap is a slow-moving financial crisis that is consequential for local governments
“The asset management process does not include futures,” states Wally Wells. “Only when an asset is newly constructed is it added to the register. That disconnect got me thinking. Infrastructure must one day be replaced. In the meantime, what do we do with the futures stuff, really?”
“Where does the asset management process and plan fit into the big picture for municipal councils? Councils have dealt with the futures stuff and the need for master plans for decades. But what is missing from the futures agenda is an equal master plan dealing with the future condition of existing infrastructure.”
Communication Gap is Consequential
“As much as we have tried, we have not given the proportionate tools to our municipal councils to really understand and grasp the magnitude of the growing infrastructure gap over the last several decades. It is a slow-moving crisis,” Bill Sims concludes.
To Learn More:
Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Municipal Infrastructure Gap – We are past the point where local governments can catch up.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/04/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Bill-Sims-and-Wally-Wells_Municipal-Infrastructure-Gap_2026.pdf