Community Pulse: In the name of progress

DePaul University recently contacted the City of Morris about being featured in a publication. Morris stood out among 130 Illinois communities studied by Dr. Joe Schwieterman, Professor & Director of the Chaddock Institute at DePaul. He is interested in how municipalities with less than 20,000 people and a small staff use policies and partnerships to embrace natural assets. Dr. Schwieterman called Morris a “stand out” for creating partnerships, reinvesting hotel/motel tax funds, leveraging grant and TIF dollars, and branding itself as a destination.

DePaul is the third major source to write about Morris’ progressive policies and creative problem-solving in 2024. The attention was unsolicited and wonderful. We think of ourselves as a small town with big dreams. Achieving our dreams of relevancy, strong quality of life, and opportunities for youth in an evolving world requires bold vision and change.

Change started among our parks. Morris does not have a Park District to fund robust facilities, staffing, and programs like surrounding communities. The city maintains its fourteen parks through the Public Works Department. This team is truly a “jack of all trades”, but resources are finite, and our parks are aged. In 2022, the City Council invested in a comprehensive parks plan. More than 1,000 residents responded to public surveys and attended meetings, and 25 people participated in focus groups.

Less than 2% of survey respondents were satisfied with the 70-year-old Goodwill Park. So the work began. New equipment and ADA accessible structures were added, along with a pavilion, fall prevention surface, and sidewalks. Greenspace and mature trees were preserved by request. While the park is open, it is not complete. Vendor contracts remain open as the dust (in this case, sport mix) settles and use patterns are determined. At the direction of the City Council, West Side renovations are underway with the help of an $650,000 OSLAD Grant. More parks modernization is on the horizon.

Preserving Morris’ traditions and character is important because they shape our identity. But our identity is more diverse now, as we welcome young entrepreneurs and residents, and those whose first language is not English. The Joliet Latino Economic Development Association (LEDA) became a member of the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce. Together, we hosted a roundtable to foster relationships and launch LEDA’s services among Latino/a-owned businesses. This is a step in an ongoing partnership.

We welcomed more than 25,000 visitors to Downtown Morris and Goold Park this summer. Our small business community charms these guests and provides an asset to residents. The city has pursued a Rebuild Downtown and Main Streets Grant for $2M to make a major reinvestment recommended in the 2020 Master Plan. If funded, the grant would provide for attractive “bump-outs” at three intersections with seating, space to gather, safety bollards and landscaping.

Meanwhile, the city is tenaciously working on the battery fire site. Council approved a Phase II engineering study to examine the environmental impact below ground. This will help determine the future of that area, which could potentially become another park for East Side residents.

Change can feel slow. But a drive through our Downtown on French Hens/Cruise Night Saturday- with its beautiful planters, sidewalks filled with people and jazz standards on the Downtown speakers- are tangible signs of the momentum in our city. “There’s More to Morris” is not just a marketing tagline, it’s a promise we can achieve- together.