tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345931533681578896.post7552048158351667122..comments2023-06-06T07:12:42.850-05:00Comments on East Village Association | West Town Chicago: Forbidden Root alternatives brewingStephen Rynkiewiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13574865850762545756noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345931533681578896.post-47448116504464852942014-02-03T14:40:44.361-06:002014-02-03T14:40:44.361-06:00Kace,
This is a really cumbersome way to communic...Kace,<br /><br />This is a really cumbersome way to communicate. I sent you a couple of emails today and now you answer me on the webpage. I suspect we would still have the same size audience if we just emailed each other but that is OK. I guess this means you can't accept our invitation to come to the next EVA Board meeting. I also guess this means that you are not taking us up on our offer to host another meeting for the group on Milwaukee Avenue. I will keep trying. <br /><br />Our minutes didn't say the SSA was "not being transparent" We said we would like to sees more transparency. I also acknowledged that you had a conflict the last time I gave you an invite. We understood, I mean after all here at EVA we are volunteers and we know how community service can create time conflicts.<br /><br />Let me know when you would like to present. I can set aside the full time at our next Board meeting. <br /><br />Neal<br /> Neal McKnighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11251066252620380029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345931533681578896.post-45201589892263206422014-02-03T11:18:06.712-06:002014-02-03T11:18:06.712-06:00Neal,
When one makes accusations such as "no...Neal,<br /><br />When one makes accusations such as "not being transparent", it would be in our best interest as an agency to state facts proving these accusations false - which I did so above. <br />Also, as you can see in the letter you copied below, you asked me to attend and present at a EVA membership meeting at the same time as one of our SSA Community Meetings. I would also like to note that I have not seen in information announcing our Community Meetings to your membership, encouraging them to attend. <br />As I informed you before, it takes many people to present the SSA information fully and accurately to the public. If you would like to set a separate meeting with your members, who are also stakeholders in the SSA, I would be happy to put together key members of our Advisory Committee, SSA Commission, SSA Reconstitution Consultants, City of Chicago Department of Planning & Development officials, & WTCC Staff to attend this specialized meeting. I recommend setting aside at least 2 hours for this meeting, as our presentation takes 45 min to an hour, and that should leave time for questions and answers. <br />Feel free to let me know if you are interested.<br /><br />Katharine (Kace) Wakem<br />West Town SSA Program Manager<br /><br />West Town Chicago Chamber of Commerce<br />1819 W. Chicago Ave.<br />Chicago, IL 60622<br />Phone: 312-850-9390<br />Fax: 312-850-9414<br />KWakem@westtownchamber.org<br /><br />SSA Website: www.WestTownSSA.org<br />Chamber Website: www.WestTownChamber.orgAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345931533681578896.post-90776555684522300362014-01-31T21:43:11.431-06:002014-01-31T21:43:11.431-06:00Kace no need to be so defensive. You may want to s...Kace no need to be so defensive. You may want to see our ideas before you respond. Hey we still would like you to present to EVA. I know you had a conflict last time but you must have forgotten that on January 7 we asked if you could present, see below<br /><br />On Tue, Jan 7, 2014 at 10:05 AM, Neal McKnight wrote:<br />Kace,<br /><br />Are you up to giving a presentation to EVA on January 13, 2014 at 7:00 pm regarding the SSA renewal? We meet at Happy Village. It might be nice if you do it in conjunction with Meghan Quinn. <br /><br />Neal McKnight<br />McKnight, Kitzinger & Pravdic<br />117 N. Jefferson Street<br />Suite 301<br />Chicago, Illinois 60661<br />312-463-9400<br />www.mkmplaw.comNeal McKnighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11251066252620380029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345931533681578896.post-57525824446311693602014-01-31T16:24:24.867-06:002014-01-31T16:24:24.867-06:00I would just like to clarify that the West Town Ch...I would just like to clarify that the West Town Chamber is not a delegate agency of the West Town SSA. The WTCC is a delegate agency of the City of Chicago. It is also the Sole Service Provider for the SSA. These two roles are are completely separate. Every year, the SSA Commission approves the West Town Chamber as the Sole Service Provider of the SSA. There are many qualifications that a Sole Service Provider of an SSA has to have, and the West Town Chamber is the only agency in SSA's district that is qualified to do so.<br /><br />Also, the SSA is completely transparent. We have never received any requests from McKnight regarding any SSA related materials. Not only are our Commission minutes, budgets, work plans, and audits available on our website (www.westtownssa.org), we are also available M-F, 9am - 5pm to fulfill any requests for materials. There is always the option to send a FOIA request, but we don't feel this is necessary since we are completely available to answer these requests ourselves and there is no need to waste time or tax payer money having the information siphoned through the City's law department. <br />I would also like to add that every SSA Commissioner is a stakeholder in the SSA. So the request for only "people in the neighborhood" to run the SSA is already being utilized. As for the Chamber and SSA to support residents and property owners just as much as businesses - Meghan Quinn (an SSA Commissioner), who sits on the board of the EVA is a resident and property owner in the SSA. Darci O'Connell (the 2012 & 2013 SSA Chair) is a resident, property owner & business owner in the SSA & WTCC boundaries. Tara Heibel (the WTCC Board President in 2012 & 2013) is a property & business owner in the SSA and a resident in the WTCC boundaries. Julie Ghatan (the 2014 WTCC Board President) is a business owner in the SSA and a resident in the WTCC boundaries. These are only a few examples of residents and business owners that are active on our SSA Commission and WTCC Board of Directors. Again, all this information is available on our websites - (www.westtownssa.org) & (www.westtownchamber.org). Before spending time compiling a list of requests, please take time researching our websites, as it seems we have already met all the requests outlined above. <br /><br />- Katharine Wakem <br />West Town SSA Program Manager<br />KWakem@westtownchamber.org<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com