Coastal business | Sister city snubs Myrtle Beach

Coastal Business

Burlington, Ontario

Sister city snubs Myrtle Beach

The City Council of Myrtle Beach's sister city snubbed a Grand Strand delegation when it failed to attend a meeting earlier this month, according to an editorial in the Burlington Post.

The editorial decried the council of Burlington, Ontario, for failing to send a representative to a March 4 event at the residence of Toronto's U.S. consul general. On further inquiry, the Post found that few in the government were aware of the sister city relationship.

"I guess you would say we had a failure to communicate the way that we should as sister cities, and I think the communication failure is something that's been going on for years," said Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, who attended the event.

Rhodes later met with Burlington Mayor Cam Jackson at the Toronto Star Golf and Travel Show as part of the same trip, and they are beginning to rekindle the two cities' relationship, he said.

The delegation did not feel slighted, said Brad Dean, Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce president and chief executive. Dean sent a letter to the editor of the Burlington Post reaffirming the cities' relationship that the newspaper plans to print next week, said Jill Davis, the paper's editor.

MARION

Strand water authority grows

Grand Strand Water and Sewer Authority will begin operating the water and sewer system for the city of Marion.

The authority will pay about $13.6 million for the Marion water and sewer system and franchise, with $11 million paying off the existing debt and $2.6 million paid to the city. The city also will receive an annual franchise fee of at least $150,000.

Residents who have questions can call 443-8221.