Arthur Hornsby spoke to the Morris City Council Monday night and offered to donate $30,000 for improvements to Goodwill Park that he said will address safety issues and improve the park.

Hornsby wrote a letter to Mayor Chris Brown and the City Council.

“Goodwill Park has been a neighborhood park for 75 years,” Hornsby said in the letter. “A park where parents walk their preschool children and elementary school children bike there. A place where children can play with their friends all day long.”

Hornsby is concerned about an open ditch in the park, which he believes could pose a safety issue, but he believes this could be addressed by installing perforated drainage pipes. These would be placed below the surface so that water could enter the drainage pipes and flow into an underground storm sewer.

Hornsby also wants to use the money to build a walkway from the public restroom to the Chapin Street entrance and a new basketball court north of the restrooms.

Mayor Chris Brown said he asked people to be patient.

“Since we started the major parks plan, there have been over 20 public hearings on all of our parks,” Brown said. “There have been a lot of council opinions and there has been more than enough opportunity to get some of these things done. I think we have corrected some of the other things we have done and sometimes they just take time.”

Brown said he’s asking people to be patient, see what works and what doesn’t, and then move on. He said baseball fields will soon be reopened to children.

He said that when working in a public park, state and federal laws must also be followed.

“I’m grateful that Art cares and is passionate about everything he does,” Brown said.

Hornsby said the offer for the donation expires on Tuesday, October 1.