The City is the 17th member and largest based on square miles (17.2) and the ninth largest community based on population (20,990). The City implemented their GIS in 1997 and is one of three communities in the Chicago Metro area to have had a GIS program in the late 1990s. The City GIS is one of the premier programs in the Chicago area and the GIS Consortium excited about the collaborative partnership. The partnership provides an opportunity to work together to share common experiences, best practices, improve efficiency and lower the cost of GIS.