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Name: Kenneth Willis
What office are you seeking? Alderman, third ward
What is your political party? Republican
What is your current age? 73
Occupation and employer: Retired
What offices, if any, have you previously held? President of the citizens police alumni of Morris, founder of the “Junk In The Trunk” charity flea market, Trustee at Bethlehem Lutheran Church, founder of the “Wendy’s Cruisers” car club in Morris, youth leader for kids doing community service work, owner of KW Electrical contracting, Director on the Board for the Grundy County Historical Society Museum
City: Morris
Campaign Website: No
Education: High School Morris, Joliet junior college
Community Involvement:
Citizens police Academy Alumni 18 years 1997-2015, Bethlehem Lutheran Church 8 years as trustee, founder of Junk in The Trunk charity flea market 2009 to 2022, founder of the Wendy’s Cruisers in Morris 2006 to present, Director on the board of the Grundy County Historical Society 2023 to the present,
Marital status/Immediate family: Wife, Kathy, one daughter, April Crawford and her husband John, four great grandchildren and one grandchild.
Questions:
The city is already in the midst of multiple park projects. What projects would you like to see tackled in the upcoming term? Would you continue seeking out grant dollars for further projects?
Repairing streets and sidewalks and alleys where needed. Continue seeking grants and putting them to productive use. Possibly improving Good Will park to make it more usable for families with smaller kids and improving our infrastructure. Continue cleaning up the old paper mill property and lithium battery fire area. Finish all park improvements with children in mind.
The Grundy Resiliency Project just unveiled the Advancing Grundy plan in January. What is the city’s role in the success of that project?
We should strive for resiliency in our city as well as the county. Work hand in hand with the county.
Morris is in need of more housing, specifically affordable housing. How would you go about improving the city’s housing stock?
Continue with what we have now and plan for the future as necessary. Just as other cities would need to do.
The Illinois Department of Transportation has shared a plan to expand and improve the stretch of US Route 6 from Ashton Road to Illinois Route 47. What other improvements would you like to see along that stretch of road to make it safer?
Turn lanes, stop lights where needed, sidewalks and bike trails.
What are your top three priorities for our city, and how do you plan to address them?
Taxes lowered by holding down unnecessary spending.
Help the low income and elderly discount their sewer water garbage bills.
Must be more transparency in our leadership with the public improve communication with the public.
How do you intend to balance economic development with environmental sustainability in the community?
Controlling growth and educated planning with the environment in every aspect of development. Live within our means.
What are your plans for enhancing public transportation and infrastructure in the city?
Public transportation is working well at this point and it will grow with city’s growth and needs. Water lines and sewer lines will need replacing in areas that have outlived their usefulness. This is an ongoing issue with most cities.
What role should the city council play in supporting local businesses and economic growth?
We should encourage them in every way possible according to the ordinances of Morris to make it easier for them to deal with the city’s requirements.
What are your top public safety concerns for our community and how would you propose addressing them?
I think our police department is doing an excellent job deterring crime in Morris. The police, as well as every citizen, needs to report anything they see that might be illegal. We can be their eyes and ears. We, the people, need to be aware of our surroundings and be involved with the community.
How will you ensure that city policies promote inclusion for all residents?
The policies are laws that apply to all citizens. No one is above the law. Policies should always be for the good of all citizens.
Do you support requiring government officials to publicly disclose potential conflicts of interest, and how would you enforce this?
Yes, they should through the courts if necessary.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
By email by phone texting in person coming to the city council meetings and other public forums.