For instance, in February the City Commission approved the removal and replacement of more than 3,200 linear feet of curb and gutter for the 2019 construction season. That certainly isn't an attention-grabbing headline, but it is important to our community.

It means instead of drainage ditches sitting full of stagnant water and providing breeding grounds for mosquitos, we have a system that removes storm water from our street surfaces and disposes of it in the river. Additionally, this curb and gutter investment extends the life of other infrastructure -like roads.

This spring, we'll also remove and replace more than 11,000 square feet of sidewalk to provide for ADA compliance. This investment will also improve the overall walkability and pedestrian safety of Pierre.

Again, most of us don't think much about storm water systems or sidewalks until there's water pooled on the road, or we have to walk on the street because there's no sidewalk. It's a little known $400,000 investment that makes a big difference in our community.

Another big, but not-so-visible investment, is happening at our wastewater treatment plant. The Commission recently approved a nearly $13-million facilities plan to replace the headworks, piping, and the byproduct process.

It all gets kind of technical, but basically, we're modernizing our outdated plant with newer, safer, and more efficient equipment. This project certainly isn't flashy, but there's no doubt it's important! Our plant processes 1.5 million gallons of waste water each day. That's a very large and necessary utility for the City to manage.

My commitment as Mayor is to take care of our infrastructure, our assets, and our people. I'm pleased the City is able to take care of all three with these most recent, but not often recognized, projects.