Morris City Council approves Cruise Night schedule

MORRIS – The Morris City Council met Tuesday night and approved several requests.

The Morris Cruise Night Committee made a request to close various city streets to hold its annual Cruise Night events from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. June 12, July 10, Aug. 14 and Sept. 11 and from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 9.

“We approved the same request last year,” Morris Mayor Richard Kopczick said. “We approved the Cruise Night schedule. Because of COVID, the Cruise Night Committee decided to cancel the dates. We are doing the same this year. The dates are approved and we hope to be able to hold Cruise Nights this year.”

The request passed, 7-0, with Alderman Herb Wyeth, who is the founder of Morris Cruise Night, abstaining.

The board also approved the following requests in unanimous 8-0 votes:

• The GFWC-IL Morris Woman’s Club sought permission to place a sign and plant a pinwheel garden outside the Morris Municipal Services building for the month of April to recognize National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

• The Immaculate Conception Church Youth Group sought permission to use various city streets to host a peaceful prayer walk during the March for Life on Jan. 29.

• Jane Kerr sought permission to organize and host a “yarn bomb” event on Liberty and Washington streets, where those who knit and crochet would put up colorful displays on trees, light posts and other objects during the summer, starting in May.

The council also approved business licenses on the recommendation of the Judiciary and License Committee for Maria Vera, doing business as Mari Mex Chic Artisanal Boutique LLC, 802 Second Ave., to operate an artisanal boutique online store business; to Robert Schwiesow, doing business as American Heritage Garage LLC, 1244 Park Blvd., to operate a business office for an automotive restoration shop; and to Randy Miller, doing business as Bedford Sales and Outdoors LLC, 879 Bedford Road, to operate a marine and outdoor sales and service business.

The Building and Grounds Committee recommended that the council adopt an ordinance approving and authorizing the execution of a proposed addendum to its commercial security system and services agreement with Alarm Detection Systems Inc. for the Municipal Services Building, which passed with an 8-0 vote.

“We already had a contract with ADS, but the new municipal building wasn’t in that contract,” Kopczick said. “The addendum adds this building and ADS will do annual fire alarm inspections here now as well.”

The Water and Sewer Committee recommended that the council adopt an ordinance approving and authorizing an online agreement with Backflow Solutions Inc. to create a web portal to survey Morris water users. The motion passed, 8-0, and Kopczick said the survey will be available soon.

“A backflow preventer is something you see in irrigation or sprinkler systems,” Kopczick said. “It is so water can’t go to the potable system. This is to protect our drinking water.”

It was also pointed out that the surveys are required by the Environmental Protection Agency every three years, so when the surveys are completed, the city of Morris will be EPA-compliant.

The Water and Sewer Committee also recommended that the council adopt an ordinance approving and authorizing the execution of a three-year service and maintenance agreement between the city of Morris and Huber Technology Waste Water Solutions. The motion passed, 8-0.

“What Huber does is check our equipment, then writes a report,” Kopczick said. “They will let us know if there is something that needs to be repaired and we will take care of it. It is preventive maintenance, and for $1,000 a year, it’s not a bad investment when you consider that the equipment they are inspecting costs $600,000 per piece.”