SSA Part 1: The hijacking of SSA #28
Alderman Gardiner orchestrated a complete replacement of the Six Corners Special Service Area #28 (SSA) with the purpose of granting the Sole Service Provider contract to his outspoken and dedicated supporter, Joe Angelastri, founder of the Six Corners Chamber of Commerce (SCCC). [Not sure what these organizations are? Read our explainer here.]
On March 11, 2020, five of the SSA Commissioners resigned in protest. Tensions were already high as months earlier, Gardiner had threatened to derail the SSA’s entire 2021 budget if the SSA did not immediately change their bylaws in such a way that would remove a Commissioner who Gardiner perceived as critical of him. Two of the Commissioners, Marci Berner and Gale Fabisch had terms ending in early 2020. Both were Commissioners in good-standing who had gone through the process to renew their terms in this volunteer position. Berner had taken the position in 2019 to fill a vacancy and the remainder of that term. It’s highly unusual for Commissioners, absent any problematic history, to be denied new terms but that is exactly what happened here.
Behind the scenes, Gardiner was orchestrating an all-male takeover of the SSA, working with the Mayor’s office to appoint his designees instead of renewing Berner and Fabisch’s commissions. After completing all of the requisite paperwork, re-training, and even after the Department of Planning and Development’s (DPD) recommendation to the Mayor to renew Berner and Fabisch, they learned that their terms would not be renewed. The Commissioners weren’t given the courtesy of notification from Gardiner or DPD. They learned of the change from the Six Corners Association who had been told by DPD that they had just sent recommendations on March 9th for two of Gardiner’s appointees to the Mayor and indicated that other Commissioners with terms expiring would also not be renewed - the fix was already in.
Commissioners learned that Gardiner had submitted Joe Oliveri, Mike Dimeo, Richard Buckwalter, Jack Wroblewski, Moe Taleb, Manuel Romero, and George Garcia as candidates to join the SSA Commission. Joe Angelastri’s name had been floated but never formally submitted, as DPD has effectively banned him from ever serving on an SSA again. Upon learning this, the other five Commissioners resigned in protest of this highly unusual move to allow the Alderman to hand pick members of the Commission, the fact that they were all men, and that two of the candidates were two of the three individuals who comprised the totality of the Six Corners Chamber of Commerce.
Here are some of the resignation letters, citing the lack of diversity in the Alderman’s selection, fear, intimidation, retaliation, the ethics of allowing an Alderman to hand-pick the members of what is supposed to be an apolitical oversight body, and Gardiner’s willingness to only work with Joe Angelastri.
Based on accounts from multiple people familiar with the situation, one condition from the Mayor in Gardiner’s takeover was that the new body could not be comprised entirely of men. Joe Oliveri, who had unpaid debts with the city which surfaced during the city’s scofflaw check, was replaced by Juanita Mora. Richard Buckwalter and George Garcia were swapped out for their wives, Joanne Buckwalter and Mary Giovenco Garcia.
The full SSA Commission is now:
Mary Giovenco Garcia, Chair (Fantasy Costumes)
Mike Dimeo, Treasurer (Singer Sewing)
Juanita Mora, Secretary (Chicago Allergy Center)
Jack Wroblewski (resident)
Moe Taleb (Mesa Urbana)
Manuel Romero (Shila’s)
Joanne Buckwalter (Rasenick’s)
100% of the SSA Commission was replaced with Alderman Gardiner’s hand-picked appointees between March and July of this year (no doubt based on Joe Angelastri’s counsel).