Questions for my New Neighbor

I have a new neighbor and we have a new office opening up on Morse Avenue. No, this isn't another "Dollar Store", but I'm sure your taxpayer "dollars" are paying the rent?

The formerly long time vacant space, most recently Martha's Gift Shop until she had trouble attracting customers, then turned vacant again, located in Cobbler's Mall, 1328 W. Morse Avenue, is the new office for.... DevCorp North.

Or is it the new home of Special Service Area #19 and #24? The janitor vests in the store indicate both.

This Cobblers Mall property was one of seven oral testifiers of the Special Service Area #24 at the downtown not-so-public hearing September 26th, 2003. There are little over 200 property owners in the SSA #24 area.

Yet a scant 27 of them total, some not even with in it's boundries were able to pass this extra special tax, despite the fact they needed 51% by law to get this tax approved.

When Kimberly Bares sent out the 200 or so notices, she said they only got " 3 back ". She orally testified.

Jack of All 49th Ward Trades & Deals Kevin O'Neil testified on behalf of the SSA #24, but doesn't live in the map area either. Kevin was asked "how will the people know they are being taxed extra?" Kevin responded " they will find out when they see the extra tax line on their tax bill when it comes in the mail."

Another 43 more Special Service Area taxpayers will be added when 1225 W. Morse Condo's are finished. Will these new high end condo owners be able to vote on this tax or not when the sign on the dotted line? Or was ReMax's Connie Abels a SSA supporters single vote good enough for all 43 future SSA taxpayers at 1225 W. Morse Avenue?

Is Cobblers Mall cashing in on it's marker for helping pass the SSA? A few other's already cashed in their votes for SSA #24 money.

* Alan Goldberg a SSA #24 commissioner got help with the Glenwood Art Fair sponsorship he claimed he wasn't going to ask for in 2003, then did in 2004. SSA meeting minutes approved $5000 for the Art Fair on June 30th, 2004. In the beginning of the SSA #24 process Mr. Goldberg didn't want the SSA. Saying in a public meeting on the SSA at the Heartland Cafe, yet another SSA #24 commissioner, Katy Hogan's business, in April 2003, " Why would I pay extra taxes to have someone sweep garbage or remove snow in front of my property"? I can pay one of the street people $5 once and a while to do that"! Could the $5000 sponsorship money and fancy posters for his poorly attended Art Fair make Alan Goldberg on jump on board the "SSA Your Money train"?

* The Morseland co-owner Matthew Brokaw, who is a commissioner and orally testified, got "exclusive rights" to beer sales at the Glenwood Art Fair, plus help obtaining a hard to get, much valued liqour license at the Morseland Bar, when the bar was first denied. Lot's of political arm twisting went into this "change of heart" by the liquor commission on behalf of Mr. Brokaw and his business partner Gregery Altman. Lot's of money is made on this high mark up, festival and bar beer, right?

* The Rogers Park Auto Body Shop and Car Wash, again, another SSA #24 commissioner who orally testified, Aqueel Ahmed gets $3,750 a year SSA money for SSA equipment storage. Store a tractor and talking/motorized sidewalk sweeper in the corner of the shop for nearly $4000 a year, not bad, huh? Voting for and being a SSA commissioner has it's perks.

* Gina Caruso did the study and consulting, she orally testified, she received a nice consulting fee of a estimated $25,000 dollars, signed off by Kimberly Bares, submitted November 25, 2003.

With just under a quarter of a million dollars a year ( $240,600 ) being billed to the property owners of this SSA, this is big revenue for DevCorp North and those who have their greedy hands in the SSA taxpayer cookie jar. Thank goodness there are only nine SSA #24 commssioners, the taxpayers couldn't afford anymore hands digging into the taxpayers pockets looking for more money. Yes, Rene Carmago who orally testified and is the SSA #24 manager claims the SSA needs more than it is already getting. On top of that, DevCorp North wants you to give them your blood.

Still More Questions:

Are there minutes to discussions on this location and this voting process?

Did all nine SSA #24 commissioners vote on this location?

Why was this location chosen?

How much does this office space cost a month?

Where is the funding coming from? It's not on the Special Service Area #24 budget line item for 2005.

Who is the manager of this office?

What are the hours this office will be open?

How is Executive Director of Operations at DevCorp North Kimbery Bares going to manage all this when she works for Rene Carmago's new company called "Community Solutions Group"? This new consulting/security group was booed out of a meeting in Roscoe Village, trying to promote an Special Service Area in that neighborhood. Kimbery failed to convince those neighbors in Roscoe Village an SSA is a good thing. Less than 10 of the 150 people attending this meeting were for the proposed Roscoe Village SSA.

Did Community Solutions Group get a consulting fee for this Roscoe Village SSA project from the Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce? From the City of Chicago Planning Department? If so, how did Community Solutions Group get this job?

Kimberly Bares would not talk about this new group during DevCorp North hours, in fact at first claiming she knew nothing about this Group, until I told her I had her squarely pegged as the "Kimberly Bares", a representative of this new company.

Rene Carmago the companies agent openly talked during DevCorp hours when I called him minutes later, telling me he "owns 7 or 8 companies". Rene got a SSA #24 managers raise this year.

Not bad for orally testifying. Was this raise voted on by all 9 commissioners? Where does Rene find the time to run 7 or 8 companies, plus collect $47,000 a year from the taxpayers pocketbooks mis-managing the SSA #24?

Am I going to get a Christmas card or be invited to any holiday parties from any of the above mentioned persons or businesses this year?