Part 3: Municipal Services Corporations (MSCs) – Application & Implementation
Who Should Attend:
This webinar series will be of interest to those tasked or responsible for managing the water and wastewater infrastructure, such as Public Works, Finance, and other related parties within the organization, who are interested in an alternative method of governing their water and wastewater systems.
Overview:
Our first two webinars provided an overview of what water and wastewater municipal services corporations could offer municipalities in terms of advantages for increases funding availability, increased debt allowance, and sharing risks amongst member municipalities. This webinar will build on these themes by presenting and discussing two recent case studies of how MSC’s have been utilized to enable the delivery of large capital works programs within Canadian communities
Topics to be discussed:
- Background on the communities and the situations that led to the consideration of moving to an MSC structure
- Benefits of utilizing MSC’s to address the specific challenges in each community
- Practicalities of establishing an MSC
- Advantages and considerations regarding governance
- Effective risk management
- Financial benefits and drawbacks
- Reflections on perceived versus realized benefits
Host:
Dereck Paul
OMWA Managing Director
Dereck Paul is the President and CEO of Lakefront Utilities and the Lakefront Group of Companies, overseeing electricity, water, and fibre services in communities across Ontario. With a background in executive leadership at organizations like Toronto Hydro and Sprint International, he joined Lakefront in 2011 and has since led its transformation toward digital innovation and sustainability, targeting a net-zero future by 2035. He holds a BBA from York University and a Chartered Director designation from McMaster University. Paul also serves on several industry boards, including Cornerstone Hydro Electric Concepts and the Ontario Municipal Water Association, and actively collaborates with government agencies to advance utility sector initiatives.
Panelists:
Byron Tan
Manager, Watson & Associates Economists Ltd.
Byron joined the firm in 2013 and has over a decade of experience with assisting municipalities on various financial-related studies. To date, Byron has undertaken over 60 water and wastewater rate studies, water financial plan reporting (O. Reg. 453/07), over 120 development charge studies, asset management studies, reserve and reserve fund policy reviews, and fiscal impact assessments for municipalities and is the firm’s water and wastewater lead. Byron has been qualified as an expert witness in municipal finance and land economics on numerous occasions for appeal matters at the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT).Byron holds a B.A. (Honours) degree in Economics and a Master of Business Economics from Brock University.
Sam Johnson
Managing Director, Graham Capital
Sam is a Professional Engineer with 17 years of construction industry experience, spanning the water, wastewater, transportation, energy, and social infrastructure sectors. As Graham Capital’s Managing Director of Development, he helps Graham’s clients bring their community infrastructure to life by providing project development, deal structuring, project financing, construction delivery, and long-term asset management services. Sam also serves as vice-chair of the CCPPP’s Municipal Engagement Advisory Committee and is passionate about the use of partnerships to deliver critical community infrastructure in Canada.
