SOUTH POINT — It is only three miles long and a mile wide. But for more than three decades Bill Gaskin has worried over it, triumphed with it and cared for the village of South Point as he has held the top leadership role there as mayor.

Now, as the new year is just barely days old, his plans for 2009 focus on infrastructure maintenance work for the village.

It’s an agenda that doesn’t sound very glamorous but that doesn’t make it any less vital because when something breaks down, it’s the mayor who hears about. Just ask any mayor of the Big Apple.

On the top of Gaskin’s list is replacing the Fourth Street water line.

“It breaks down all the time. It’s old plastic. It’s crumbling,” Gaskin said. “We’re going to put in a new main supply line. Probably do most of the work ourselves.”

The price tag on the project should be more than $1 million with work to start in spring or early summer.

“We hope to get it down this year,” he said.

This will follow the sewer renovation project that was just finished. Also with a $1 million plus price tag, this project has increased sewer capacity by 50 percent.

“So we could take care of the Industrial Park,” Gaskin said.

As far as village personnel, Gaskin said one of the things on top of his wish list would be to add to the police department.

“I would like to have money to put on more police officers,” he said.

Right now, the village has two full-time and four auxiliary officers.

“We have almost full coverage,” the mayor said. “We have someone out most of the time. If I had my druthers, I would have a dozen, but six would be good full-time.”

However getting funding for personnel is a lot harder than finding federal or state money with which to purchase equipment.

State funds that may come available soon are part of the Safe Roads to School program designed to encourage walking and bike riding to school. In the village those funds would be directed to the South Point Elementary now under construction.

“I don’t know what they would allow, how much money they would allow. I would like to see some lighted crosswalks, “ Gaskin said. “It is coming along.”

The years have not dimmed the enthusiasm the veteran leader has for his job.

“It is fun. I enjoy doing things for people. If I can do something for you, I appreciate doing it. If I can’t and it is beyond my control, I don’t worry about it,” he said philosophically. “Worrying doesn’t get you any place.”