NU/City Committee’s future still up in the air

City Council members Monday found themselves again unable to agree on what to do about the Northwestern University/City Committee.

They ended their public meeting by going into executive session to try to come up with a solution.

The council has had on its agenda for over a month a proposal to set term limits for the two community residents of the committee and replace one of the current members.

But some aldermen appear to favor more dramatic action.

At the April 24 council meeting Ald. Steve Bernstein, 4th Ward, called the committee a “sham” and said “I don’t know whether I want to continue with this committee.”

Members of the community group Northwestern Neighbors have been upset about the university’s decision to buy a private home at 1945 Orrington Ave., claiming the purchase violates terms of the federal court consent degree that established the committee because it wasn’t disclosed to the committee in advance.

Monday night, Jackie McGuire of 2241 Sherman Ave., a board member of the neighbors group, told the council that, despite the concerns about the university’s actions, the neighbors feel the committee should continue to function to “shine light on the university’s behavior.”