It's been one year since the Manitoba municipal elections, and Neepawa's council's looking to the future. Mayor Adrian de Groot says now that the current council's been in place for just over a year, they're going to use what they've learned in that time to create a plan for the future.

"Now that we have a year in office there's a certain comfort level. We initially said that rather than doing it right away, we'll wait for a year and see what we want to do for the next three. That's really starting to gel and I'm quite happy with that as a new mayor in Neepawa. It's very pleasing to see."

He says there's no shortage of projects coming up in the town, adding one major piece of work will be the grand trunk sewer line on the west side of the town. He notes it'll include a lift station with a forced main into the lagoon. De Groot describes it as a significant project for the town, noting they'll also be working with the province.

"There are the road upgrades on PTH 16, which is our Main Street. We want to tie that all together. It's a big project, and a lot of thought has to go into that. There are a lot of implications, and it's not overwhelming but it's certainly significant."

He notes the expansion of Neepawa's boundaries, along with the new fire hall and other projects are all on their agenda for the next three years. De Groot says while some feel council's moving too slowly, he says they'd rather take their time and do it right, than rush through any of the work.

"In order to do tings right, it takes time. It takes discussions, and ensuring that all the pieces are in the right place. You need to make sure you have respect for your administration. We have a small administration, and yes, if we had five more people we could do things faster, but there's a cost associated with that."

He adds they're excited for the future, and he's looking forward to the next three years.