TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Dustin Anderson, Director of Community Development
SUBJECT:
title
Resolution Approving an Honorary Street Name Designation for Reverend Larry Ellis
end
BACKGROUND:
The applicant, Trista Brown, has submitted an application for an honorary street name designation for Reverend Larry Ellis due to his dedication to and involvement with the local community, specifically the South End community. According to the application and letters of support, Reverend Ellis was a community leader and activist who worked consistently to improve the community, promote social justice, and provide support to local initiatives and organizations. He was a longtime member and ordained minister of St. Mark C.M.E. Church, located on South Joliet Street. He served on various boards and committees within the community, including the non-profit organization SpeakUp, which awarded him their Margaret Graves Humanitarian Award in 2021. Revered Ellis endeavored to promote community connections and empower individuals by helping establish programs that promoted advocacy, mentorship, and youth engagement, among other topics.
Reverend Ellis was a lifelong resident of the Joliet South End community. The honorary street name designation is for the section of Wallace Street between Joliet Street and Ottawa Street. This location is near St. Mark C.M.E. Church. The applicant requests that the requirement for signatures of 50 percent of the adjacent property owners be waived. There are only five properties with frontage along this section of Wallace Street. The applicant has obtained at least one signature for this street section and several other signatures from residents of the area.
The Land Use and Economic Development Committee reviewed this request at their meeting on January 21, 2026 and recommended approval of the honorary street name designation for Reverend Larry Ellis Way.
RECOMMENDATION:
recommendation
Based on the above, it is recommended that the Mayor and City Council approve a Resolution for an Honorary Street Name Designation for Reverend Larry Ellis.
end