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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of The Illinois House of
3Representatives would like to congratulate Richard Kopczick on
4the occasion of his retirement from the office of Mayor of the
5City of Morris; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Mayor Kopczick has served as Morris' mayor for
7over 21 years after first being elected in 2001; and
 
8    WHEREAS, Mayor Kopczick was born and raised in Morris and
9attended Morris schools, graduating from Morris Community High
10School; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Mayor Kopczick was the meat department manager at
12D&S Foods; he served as the 4th Ward Alderman from 1995 to
132001, sitting on the Finance Committee and the Parks and
14Annexation Committee; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Mayor Kopczick spearheaded the expansion of the
16original sewage treatment plant and implemented the city's
17first water and sewer impact fee policy; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Mayor Kopczick helped to complete the greatest
19amount of annexation in mayoral history in Morris, consisting
20of several thousand acres, which were annexed into the

 

 

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1corporate city limits for future development, including the
2Brisbin Road interchange and the east side sewage treatment
3plant; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Mayor Kopczick was instrumental in providing
5affordable housing lots to Habitat for Humanity, cleaning up
6over 400,000 square feet of demolished buildings for future
7residential development, replacing the Morris swimming pool
8with a new, state-of-the-art facility, and spearheading
9several commercial and industrial developments for companies
10such as Proctor & Gamble, Prologis, and several other
11retailers; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In addition, Mayor Kopczick assisted in the
13fundraising and construction of a historical replica of the
14I&M Canal Boat and Port Plaza Park, the construction of a
15September 11 memorial, and the Lower Goold Park band shell;
16and
 
17    WHEREAS, Mayor Kopczick prides himself on preserving the
18Morris historical downtown retail district, supporting
19community events such as Cruise Nights, and allowing for
20on-street dining in an effort to allow for easier downtown
21dining; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Mayor Kopczick enjoys spending his free time with

 

 

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1his wife of 40 years, Jill, his three children, and two
2grandchildren, which he will continue to do in his retirement;
3and
 
4    WHEREAS, In his retirement, Mayor Kopczick will continue
5being active in the community by participating in various
6organizations, including the Knights of Columbus, the
7Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Sons of the American Legion,
8and the VFW Men's Auxiliary; therefore, be it
 
9    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
10HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
11we congratulate Richard Kopczick on his retirement from
12serving as mayor of the City of Morris and commend him for his
13devoted service to his community; and be it further
 
14    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
15presented to Mayor Kopczick as a symbol of our respect and
16esteem.