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Name: Carrie Hall
What office are you seeking? 3rd Ward Alderman
What is your political party? Democratic
What is your current age? 49
Occupation and employer: Grundy County Clerk and Recorder Chief Deputy Clerk/Tax Extender & Elections
What offices, if any, have you previously held? 3rd Ward Alderman-Appointed August 2023Morris 5 Precinct Committeeman- Elected March 2024
City: From Coal City, Currently Proud Morris Resident
Campaign Website: No
Education: Graduated Coal City High school 1993
Joliet Junior College
Community Involvement: Volunteer with Susan’s Mission
Marital status/Immediate family: Engaged, 5 Children together, 4 Grandchildren
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?
We are in the planning stages of renovating McKinley Street park. I would like to see planning for all age children incorporated into this area and focus on the ball field, bleachers and warm up areas, as it is used for a large part of the season. There are 3 more parks to renovate in the future. As we progress in the updating, we are considering all input from the community,
The city is always focused on grant money and finding ways to improve all areas without increasing the budget.
The Grundy Resiliency Project just unveiled the Advancing Grundy plan in January. What is the city’s role in the success of that project?
The Advancing Grundy Project was created in preparation of Nuclear plants . The city is focusing on expanding and updating the infrastructure of the airport. We are working together with surrounding communities to ensure the growth of value and interest in the area.
The city is also in phase 2 of bringing the train from Peoria to Chicago. We obtained a $500,000 Grant for this project.
Morris is in need of more housing, specifically affordable housing. How would you go about improving the city’s housing stock?
The city is currently working with a builder and has approved 10 lots (20 duplexes) to be built by the Morris YMCA. That project should break ground this year. There is a large amount of land in that same area with plans for all housing levels from Senior Living to single family homes.
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?
There are plans for bike and walking trails along this stretch of road. The city is also working on a grant to tie together downtown parking and trails to all parks and state parks in the area.
What are your top three priorities for our city, and how do you plan to address them?
One of my main focuses would be the Streets and sidewalks around the city, especially the aging areas and the East side. There are lead service lines that also need to be replaced. We are working to secure a low interest loan from the EPA to get that project started.
There is a Brick grant available that will fund a project from Ashley Road to the canal to work on drainage. This will help with the flooding in the streets and ultimately would remove residents from the flood plain that mandates an extra insurance on home loans.
A big issue for many of the residents, and myself, is the old papermill property. We are working close with several state and federal agencies to follow regulations to clean the area correctly and ultimately purchase the land and improve the area. Unfortunately, working with these agencies can slow the anticipated timeline.
How do you intend to balance economic development with environmental sustainability in the community?
The city has tree programs in place. We have hired a business director to focus on the economic development of the city. She attends all meetings, coordinates events with retail stores to draw interest to the area and to see what Morris has to offer. Some of these ideas have led to Party in the Park, Fforest Fest, 3 French Hens and Rock the Block to name a few. These activities have brought in about $10MIL to the city in revenue in the last 2 years alone.
What are your plans for enhancing public transportation and infrastructure in the city?
The city currently has the Senior bus in the area, we also work with the County with Grundy Transit. There are still plans to bring the train through Morris and as well as the trails to tie parks together for safe recreation for all ages.
What role should the city council play in supporting local businesses and economic growth?
City council members work together to ensure all plans brought to the city are review and executed fairly across the board. They also review ordinances and policies in place and make sure all are in compliance.
What are your top public safety concerns for our community and how would you propose addressing them?
I believe the top safety concern in this area is mental health. We need to make sure that along with our police department, there is someone that can be there to assess and diffuse the mental conditions on certain types of calls.
Body cams and flock cameras play vital roles in review of certain situations and to track criminals that may be passing through the area.
How will you ensure that city policies promote inclusion for all residents?
The city exhausts all avenues to make sure residents are aware of events and issues within the city. The website, social media, newspaper and letters are all means of communication. Events are planned with all ages and ethnicities in mind.
Do you support requiring government officials to publicly disclose potential conflicts of interest, and how would you enforce this?
I do support transparency with public officials. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requires certain local officials and employees to file a Statement of Economic Interest with the County Clerk. These are filed by May 1, and kept on file at the clerk’s office.
How will you make sure you are accessible to your constituents?
My email is available on the City of Morris website. I will be more than happy to work with the residents of the city and to address the questions or issues they may have.