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 Goo.