On Friday, I learned that the city intends to finalize a $63,000 settlement with Northwestern University and dismiss the pending vacant building cases involving all eight off-campus houses that were cited in July.
On Saturday, I sent an email to the city manager, corporation counsel and my fellow City Council members asking that the settlement be brought back to council for public discussion and approval in open session before the cases are dismissed.
The most important issue is the process. Before the city settles these cases, it needs to get the facts right, get the law right and calculate the resulting fines under the code. Like any business negotiation, the city should start with the full value of its claims and negotiate from there. I’m not advocating for a predetermined settlement amount. I want a fair negotiation based on an accurate assessment of the city’s claims…