Morris City Council approves several requests

MORRIS – The Morris City Council met Monday and approved several requests from various organizations.

Approved were requests by the Morris Community High School boys basketball program for a special event permit to have a mobile food truck at the Boys Basketball Summer Shootout on Wednesday, June 23, and Thursday, June 24; by the Morris Area Public Library to use the band shell to host the Aloha Chicago South Pacific dancers, a family event open to the public beginning at 7 p.m. Aug. 20; by Kathy Carey to close part of the alley behind her home from North Street to Jackson Street for her annual “March of Dimes Garage Sale” from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 5-7; and by the Morris Rowdie Katz softball organization for a special event permit to have mobile food vendors at Westside Field for a softball tournament July 9-11.

Mayor Chris Brown also announced that the next Concert on the Courthouse Lawn will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. July 1 and will feature The StingRays.

“The StingRays are a rock ‘n’ roll oldies group,” Brown said. “It should be a good show. We have had good crowds for the first two concerts, and we would like a good crowd for this one as well.”

In other action Monday, the Finance and Administration Committee recommended in the forms of motions that the council approve

• The renewal of the partnership with Heritage Corridor at a cost of $16,000

• An agreement with Alarm Detection Systems Inc. for the internal wet sprinkler inspection at the Municipal Services Building

• The renewal of the city of Morris group term life and casualty insurance with The Standard for 2021-22

• The participation in the Northern Illinois Municipal Electric Collaborative for an electrical aggregation program for a period of up to 24 months

• The annual membership with North Central Illinois Council of Governments

All motions passed unanimously.

The Judiciary and License Committee approved business licenses for Jodi Pollack, doing business as Aunt Mary’s Cookies Inc., 304 Robinson Drive, to operate a nonprofit fundraising for senior citizens business; Jodi Pollack, doing business as Bloomin’ in Chicagoland, 304 Robinson Drive, to operate a travel and family blog business; and Donna Peterson, doing business as Donna’s Fades and Cuts Salon, 2011 B Lisbon St., to operate a beauty shop that offers hair cuts only.

The Street and Alley Committee recommended in the forms of motions that the council

• Adopt an ordinance authorizing and approving an agreement with Chamlin & Associates for engineering consulting services for the Airport Road improvement project

• Adopt an ordinance authorizing and approving an agreement with Chamlin & Associates for engineering consulting services for the 2021 street maintenance project

• Pass a resolution for the 2021 motor fuel tax portion of the 2021 street maintenance project

• Adopt an ordinance approving change order No. 1 for the 2020 street maintenance project for an increase in cost of $72,658.34

Alderman Julian Houston remarked that he had recently seen a bus from Park Pointe that had taken residents to the Illinois River at Stratton Park to fish and that he liked that there were places in the community that would do that.

Brown concluded by reminding the audience that the fireworks display, sponsored by the city of Morris and Grundy Bank, will be at the Grundy County Fairgrounds at 8:30 p.m. July 3.