by Darryl Wilkinson
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by Darryl Wilkinson
It’s as prominent as a new church built along busy Highway 6 on the outskirts of town. It isn’t as sexy as a brand new building going up on the business square. But make no mistake, the $2.9 million sewer project is every bit as important to Gallatin’s future — perhaps the biggest news we’ll publish this entire year!
Utility service sets the boundaries for a town’s progress. I mean that in a literal sense, as in the legal city limits. I also mean that is other ways. For instance, it’s hard to promote spending tax money on things we want — like new decorative street lights around the square or landscape lighting on Gallatin’s “Welcome” signs or paved roadways throughout Dockery Park or real sidewalks leading from the school’s crosswalks or playground equipment next to the swimming pool …and more — when we don’t even meet the needs of all our citizens.
Gallatin’s got the right priorities, thanks to all those who’ve worked to make the sewer improvement project a reality. And, I want to emphasize this, “Thank you!”
A glance at the crowd attending Thursday’s ceremony confirms how hard it is to get excited about sewers. It reminded me of most political meetings I’ve attended: take the participants and their spouses away and you wouldn’t have enough people there to field a basketball team. It wasn’t always this way.
While spending more time on my digital archive project last week, I was struck by how people a century ago responded to civic events. A visit from Gallatin native and former Missouri Gov. A.M. Dockery was advertised weeks in advance and attracted large crowds, for example. Chautauqua festivals, in fact, spotlighted lectures and guest speakers as much as entertainment acts. I suppose in the days before radio and television, anything out of the ordinary would attract a crowd — even if only a 45-minute talk from some speaker of that day.
I hope those involved in Thursday’s ceremony realize that we understand and appreciate the significance of this new civic improvement project, despite the low attendance. Thursday’s head count is not the right measure. You must consider all those citizens who’ve attended countless city council meetings to complain about the lack of sewer service over the past 20 years. And you must add all the rest of us who will benefit from a sewer plant which will (finally) meet MDNR discharge regulations.
Good things are in full swing in Gallatin right now. Like I told Toby after Thursday’s ceremony, I really didn’t think I’d ever see the sewer system upgrade completed in my lifetime. And, Lord willing, I plan for you to put up with me for quite some time yet.
Peace.