It’s never nice to say “I told you so.” But, when it comes to the sinkhole that developed in the city of Selma’s Bienville Park Sunday evening, well, we told you so.

After residents and the Selma Garden Club came together to move the massive Bienville Monument to a different location within the small park because it was sinking, we urged city officials to respond quickly to ensure the park didn’t degrade any further.

The park, which is located on Water Avenue near the ArtsRevive Carneal Building, and once offered a beautiful view of the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the Alabama River, is now a viable hazard to anyone who walks near it and is in danger of quite literally sliding off into the Alabama River.

Sunday evening the sinkhole, which looks to have been caused by a collapsed storm drain located beneath the park measures 10 feet one way, seven feet another and at least five feet deep. By all definitions, it is a problem and one city leaders knew about months ago.

And while it makes for good debate to talk about who knew what, when, it is vital we begin to talk about what we’re going to do about the problem, who is going to take the lead in fixing the problem and when the problem will be fixed.

Even Tuesday, more than 48 hours after the hole was first discovered and more than a day after it was first reported by the Times-Journal, the city has yet to block off access to the park, leaving it open to anyone who want to gawk at the hole and leaving the city exposed to potential liability.

Selma has a serious and nearly critical infrastructure problem. It is something that has at times been discussed at city council meetings, but no one likes talking about, and no one has ever been re-elected talking about infrastructure.

We must find ways to invest in the foundation of our city if we are ever to grow to the heights that we are capable of. We can no longer afford to ignore the problem that is quite literally right beneath our feet.

The Selma City Council, Selma Mayor George Evans and others must begin talking about our city’s infrastructure before the problems created by lack investment becomes all we are talking about.