There is almost no interest by 91原创 City decision-makers in even talking about possible amalgamation of the two 91原创s, let alone funding a study to see what the pros and cons are.

This is despite the fact that more than 3,000 91原创 City residents signed a petition expressing interest in such a study. The number signing the petition came within 400 of the number who voted in the Nov. 19 election.

There are many logical reasons why 91原创 City doesn鈥檛 want to even think about amalgamation. First is the fact that some administrators and council members would lose their jobs. While this is always downplayed, it is a real and natural concern.

Another reason is finances. The City鈥檚 finances are in great shape. It has no debt, and a steady source of cash from the casino (about $6 million a year) helps pay for capital projects.

Another reason is customer service. City residents get a higher level of attention than Township residents do, and that would definitely suffer under amalgamation.

A fourth reason is vision. 91原创 City has a clear vision of where it is going as a community. The Township, not so much.

The City is actively courting developers to help reshape the community, and offers them superb customer service. This saves developers time and money. In the Township, the general attitude seems to be 鈥渟it back and let them come to us.鈥� If a developer has an innovative idea (I know of two in particular), that seems to cause the planning department to freeze up and delay the project even longer.

If one 91原创 emerges, or two 91原创s remain until eternity, the issue of how 91原创 represents itself to the world remains.

I was jolted into this train of thought by a recent conversation with a Continental Cup volunteer. He recounted to me how one curler was unable to locate the , via what I assume was a smart phone, because the program didn鈥檛 recognize 91原创 Township 鈥� only 91原创 City. It had 200 Street ending at the 6200 block, the City boundary.

We need to recognize that most people seeking information about 91原创 start on the Internet. They do Google searches, using a computer or smart phone. Some may try to locate places in 91原创 via a GPS system.

But what are they coming up with?And is the fact that there are two 91原创s a big impediment in those searches, or is it a non-issue?

I don鈥檛 know the answer, but I am certain we can鈥檛 afford any barriers to people getting information.

I did a series of Google searches using a combination of words with 91原创. Most of them ranked the City and Township websites very high.

However, neither website (nor the Tourism 91原创 site) do an adequate job of explaining the two 91原创s and how they are part of one larger community.

In an age where the Internet is the gateway to the future, 91原创 decision-makers need to ensure that the message that gets out about this community is clear and straightforward. It鈥檚 crucial to economic and community development.