Portsmouth City 1st ward councilperson and Vice President of City Council, Sean Dunne, has proposed the idea of a customized version of the popular board game Monopoly. The idea was floated on the agenda for the city manager’s conference and just may have legs.
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The reasoning, according to Dunne, is to promote interest in local businesses as well as parks and other forms of recreation within the city. Businesses and organizations would be able to purchase spaces on the board. At this time, those prices have not been determined. The initial plan is to order 1,000 customized Monopoly games.
There is a second component of Dunne’s proposal that would allow profits above $10,000 to be placed with an online savings and investment platform called Acorns.
I have looked at both sides of this proposal including the cost of a customized Monopoly game and the Acorns platform. During my time as a corporate trainer, I often use the phrase “the little dog will always bite you first”. While researching both portions of this idea, I was actually hunting for little dogs.
Report without bias. Tell the truth without compromise. This is an excellent proposal.
The barrier to entry could be an issue for some small businesses. However, the final price for placement has not been made public.
We expect the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to resume their commitment of creating a destination worthy activity area from the now-defunct Shawnee Golf Course and Marina. It will be the responsibility of the county to aid in the economic development and opportunities for small businesses to emerge and thrive in the area between the Earl Thomas Conley park and the marina.
The city also needs to embrace tourism as a new economic catalyst. This simple, but interesting idea, to encapsulate Portsmouth’s best offerings with the iconic branding of the Monopoly name is something we can all get behind.
The savings and investment portion of the proposal with the company Acorns (not to be confused with the political action group) is also worth the Council’s consideration to move forward. By showing our younger residents that we can embrace modern platforms such as virtual meetings, interactive websites, and opportunities for those interested in pursuing technological careers, we can retain talent that may otherwise choose to relocate upon graduation.
This is more than just a vanity trinket or ploy to grab some quick novelty cash. This is sending a larger message. Scioto County and the city of Portsmouth are in lockstep to promote our area as a destination rather than a rest stop or bypass.
Portsmouth Council Dunne
