City Council Updates
What happened this week:
July 19, 2022
Amend boundaries at 2602 North 24 St approved (Item 22)
Contract with MC Wells Contracting for sewer work in North Downtown approved (Item 47)
PREVIOUS WEEKS:
No Meeting July 12, 2022
June 28, 2022
1. TIF approved for CHI community kitchen (Item 16)
2. Streetcar redevelopment plan approved (Item 71)
The streetcar does not yet have final approval, but this agreement lays out the process, including up to $356 million in TIF.
3. Contract with Cox Contracting for the demolition of W. Dale Clark Library approved 6-1 (Item 46)
Councilwoman Johnson voted against the $678,000 contract.
No Meeting June 21, 2022
June 14, 2022
Hamilton Village final plat approved 7-0 (Items 8-11)
Contract with N&L Concrete for street repairs in North Omaha approved 7-0 (Item 25)
June 7, 2022
$354,672 TIF for Shirley Tyree Theater approved (Item 19)
Stretch of 22nd St. renamed Symone D. Sanders St. approved (Item 42)
No Meeting May 31, 2022
May 24, 2022
Omaha Downtown Improvement District Association Budget and Workplan (Item 33)
• Levying a special tax and assessment on all lots and pieces of real estate within Business Improvement District No. 6874. Approved unanimously
• Website: https://www.omahadowntown.org
May 17, 2022
Mutual of Omaha Redevelopment Plan approved (Item 10)
• Funding for the project and the streetcar will be voted on at future meetings.
TIF project for community kitchen at 1127 N. 20th St. laid over until June (Item 6)
May 10, 2022
Permit for transitional housing at 3316 N 45th St. approved (Item 15)
May 3, 2022
Rezone at 1808 Sahler St. approved (Item 14)
$11 million in Emergency Rental Assistance approved (Item 34)
Street names approved (Items 35 and 36)
• Nick Nolte Lane: 56th St. from Grant to Erskine. John Beasley St.: Lake St. from 30th to Grant
April 26, 2022
Resolution changing process for construction at new library locations (Item 58)
• Under the new process, a selection committee will bring on a designer and contractor at the same time..
Special use permit for Solutions Sober Living (Item 15)
• Small group living at 3423 Cuming St. approved
City Charter Convention (Item 55)
• 15 members approved
No Meeting April 19, 2022
April 12, 2022
City Charter Study Convention (Item 16)
• Resolution to create charter convention approved 7-0. The 15 appointed members will need approval at an upcoming city council meeting.
April 5, 2022
Ordinance giving mayor and city council ability to overturn health director mandates in an epidemic (Item 56)
• Approved 5-2. Councilors Festersen and Johnson voted no. Atty. Gen. Doug Petersen dropped a lawsuit against city over mask mandate on Wednesday.
Benson Gardens (Items 7 and 9)
• Property at 2306 N. 79th St. rezoned for single-family residences. Approved unanimously.
Liquor licenses (Items 18 and 19)
• Grown Folks at 3713 N 24th St. and the Shakedown Street Tavern at 2735 N 62nd St. Approved unanimously.
March 29, 2022
TIF for Mutual of Omaha’s new headquarters (Item 14)
• $62.8 million TIF request for the new tower at the former W. Dale Clark Library site approved unanimously after hours of public comment.
Urban Core Housing and Mobility Redevelopment plan (Item 15)
• The Mayor's office said the plan will bring jobs to downtown Omaha, keep young people in the city, promote transit opportunities and affordable housing. Approved unanimously.
Rezoning ordinances (Items 11 and 12)
• Properties at 6257 Sprague St. and 2411 Burdette St. rezoned to urban family and multi-family districts. Approved unanimously.
No Meeting March 22, 2022
March 15, 2022
Hamilton Village preliminary plat (Item 10)
• 59-unit apartment building at 41st Ave. and Hamilton St. approved.
Heartland of America Park (Items 11-14)
• Redevelopment for 8th and Douglas St., Riverfront Revitalization Project, approved.
HDR to design and construct improvements for new library (Item 92)
• City will pay nearly $500,000 to HDR to gut and renovate new downtown library at 1401 Jones St. Projected to open by Jan. 1, 2023.
March 8, 2022
Vote on contract with DPS to transport sludge cake biosolids (Item 26)
• Approved unanimously
Rezone property at 1828 Sahler St. (Item 11)
• Rezoned from an industrial district to residential, approved unanimouslyAmendment to city code to regulate the sale of catalytic converter thefts laid over (Item 16)
• Delayed until next week to work out details. Would help the police department track catalytic converter sales.
March 1, 2022
Abbott Drive Industrial Building TIF (Item 11)
• $3.9 million TIF plan to construct a warehouse and distribution building at 5906 Abbott Dr., unanimously approved
Road work on Cuming St. (Item 28)
• A $934,607.50 change order for Bayshore Contractors for additional road work along Cuming from 10th to 15th St., funded by the 2020 street preservation bond, unanimously approved
No meeting February 22, 2022
February 15, 2022
Rudy Smith Sr. Street (Item 38)
• Lake Street from 34th Ave. to 36th St. named after Rudy Smith Sr., a civil rights activist and photojournalist who was the Omaha World Herald’s first full-time Black employee. Approved unanimously.
Forever North Housing and Multimodal Transportation Strategy (Item 13)
• Development along the North 24th Street corridor, with an emphasis on economic opportunity and preventing displacement. Approved unanimously.
24th and Lake Redevelopment Plan (Item 12)
• Opens up city-owned property for private development with council approval. Approved unanimously.
Redevelopment Plan for the former Civic Auditorium Site (Item 11)
• Seven acres will be sold to developers, city keeps two. Mixed-income housing and commercial space. Projects need council approval. Approved unanimously.
Liquor license for NP Mart at 901 N. 24th St. (Item 14)
• Approved
February 8, 2022
Liquor license request for NP Mart at 901 N. 24th St. (Item 19)
• Request laid over until Feb. 15
February 1, 2022
$18M in TIF awarded to the Central Park Plaza Tower project, just west of the W. Dale Clark Library
• There were several members of the North Omaha community who spoke in support, specifically asking for job opportunities from this development to include them.
Affordable Housing Action Plan
• Had support and should likely pass without opposition next week.
Library leases for 1401 Jones St. and former Shopko on 84th St.
• Jones St. approved 4-3 (Begley, Johnson and Palermo opposed)and Shopko approved 5-2 (Johnson and Palermo opposed) despite an overwhelming amount of written and in-person opposition from citizens.
Noddle contract to relocate W. Dale Clark library
Passed unanimously
January 25, 2022
ARPA funds to Omaha Community Foundation and United Way of the Midlands (Items 90 - 91)
• They’ll be distributing $10M community grant program
Human Rights and Relations Board (Item
• Approved 5-2 (Johnson and Festersen voted no)
Library leases for moving W. Dale Clark library
• Proponents and opponents gave public comment. A majority of speakers in person and via ZOOM were against demolishing the library.
January 11, 2022
Liquor license request for Walker's Convenient Mart at 3932 N.16th St. laid over for more community input (Item #31)
• This was a liquor license request for Walker's Convenient Mart at 3932 N. 16th St that had a lot of opposition from the neighborhood with the applicant there via Zoom to answer some questions. It's laid over for more community input. Email Councilor Johnson with your thoughts.
Human Rights & Relations Board with Civil Rights Hearing Board revival. Laid over for more community input (Item #54)
• The vote on the Human Rights & Relations Board with Civil Rights Hearing Board revival, has been laid over once again for more community input. Contact Councilor Johnson with your thoughts or questions.
North 24th St. BID tax (Item #64)
• Email Councilor Johnson if you have questions about how a Business Improvement District works and what those special taxes support.
Downtown Library:
• Vote to approve renovation contract with Noddle postponed. On January 25th, 3 library items will be available for public testimony.
December 21, 2021
Millwork Commons and Holy Name development projects unanimously approved
Caldwell St. from 24-27th St. renamed for Lillian Clamans (Cobbin), an Omahan killed in Iraq
Land Bank: Sharlon Rodgers appointed to board 6-1 with Councilor Johnson voting no. Several opponents implored the city to pick from a larger pool of candidates rather than choose the wife of a councilor.
December 14, 2021
Senator Ernie Chambers spoke in opposition to proposed redistricting and threatened a lawsuit. “You’ve sucked something away from [North Omaha] and diluted our community of interest.”
Civil Rights Hearing Board has been defunct for over 20 years. HUD said it would pull out of Omaha unless it is revived. Many spoke in opposition to reducing the proposed board from 11 members to 3.
December 07, 2021
Failed: Bottle club proposal did not pass after heated exchange between Councilors Johnson and Melton. "You wanna help? Let's deal with poverty in North Omaha! I don't see any takers." –– Juanita Johnson
Passed unanimously: Rezoning for Holy Name's affordable senior living project at 1620 Clark
Passed: 5 year recycling contract with Firstar Fiber. Councilors Johnson and Palermo voted no.
Passed: $3.60/hour shift differential pay raise for street maintenance workers. Public Works has 49 vacancies
November 30, 2021 - No city council meeting.
Next Week’s Agenda:
July 26, 2022
1. City budget presentation (Item 6)
Mayor Stothert will present the 2023 city budget and Capital Improvement Plan
2. Sale of former Civic Auditorium Site (Item 42)
Vote on selling the site to Civic Corner, LLC for $1.5 million, with plans to construct mixed income apartment units.