Port Colborne connects for $267K in modernization funding from the province

Port Colborne sent eight separate applications to the province’s Municipal Modernization Program (MMP) for funding and six of them hit pay-dirt, totaling $267,630 coming to the city.

The MMP was set up by the provincial government in 2019 to help Ontario’s smaller and rural municipalities find more efficient ways to deliver local services, usually in the realm of modernizing software systems to better connect with residents.

It has seen enough eager municipalities that Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Steve Clark created a third-go-around for the funding after the success of the first two rounds.

Of the eight applications sent in by city hall staffers, these six projects all got funding:

• telecommunications system modernization;
• fire and emergency services digitization and records management;
• digitizing public works permit process;
• implementing route patrol software;
• departmental organization review; and
• human resources management and information systems review.

“Our corporate leadership team, with the support of City Council, is committed to modernizing our processes and looking for efficiencies wherever possible,” said Port Colborne CAO Scott Luey.

“The goal is to make interactions with the city simple, and we can accomplish this by upgrading to technologies that will create value for residents and businesses.”

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As the city deals with rapid growth and development, funding like this gives Port Colborne more resources to accelerate key priorities while also creating new cost savings in their operating budget.