The city politics blog of The Omaha World-Herald

Omaha runs out of the offices at 1819 Farnam St. The work there impacts your safety, your parks, your pocketbook. You'll find the best City Hall coverage on this site. It also is a place for you to weigh in. Welcome to Omaha's eye on local government: The Hall.
‘Blight’ hearing to draw big crowd

‘Blight’ hearing to draw big crowd

City Council to vote on proposed redevelopment areas (click for hi-res version)

 

Some neighbors concerned about the City of Omaha’s plan to declare the area around TD Ameritrade’s new headquarters as blighted are asking the City Council to reject the proposal.

Area residents say they don’t want their neighborhood to carry the blighted label. Beyond that, some neighbors say the city would be making an inappropriate use of the state’s community redevelopment law, which allows use of a property tax incentive in blighted areas. Expect a crowd at Tuesday’s hearing and scheduled vote on the issue.

(The City Council meeting begins at 2 p.m., and the revelopment discussions are near the top of the agenda. Join us!)

The Omaha Planning Board has already signed off on plans to set up the redevelopment districts in downtown Elkhorn, southwest of 72nd and L, in Old Mill and near North 42nd Street.

It’s clear the city wants to stretch its redevelopment efforts into new areas, offering a property tax break as the lure. But what does state law say about what qualifies as “blighted” and “subtandard”?

By May 14, 2012 0 comments Read More
Bruning weighs in on LGBT law, HRC condemns move

Bruning weighs in on LGBT law, HRC condemns move

As expected, Attorney General Jon Bruning’s office weighed in on March’s controversial City Council vote to protect gay and transgender residents from discrimination.

In a legal opinion, Bruning said state law does not grant cities the authority to create new protected classes. Bruning’s office wrote that cities only have power to create ordinances that pertain to protected classes defined by state law. Those include gender, marital status, race and national origin.

The memo, released Friday, would not overturn the council’s amendments to anti-discrimination laws, City Attorney Paul Kratz said. City attorneys also disagree with Bruning’s arguments.

Still, the opinion from the Attorney General’s Office could embolden groups opposed to the law that might seek to have it overturned in court or at the ballot box. Al Riskowski, head of the Nebraska Family Council, warned Omaha could be targeted by lawsuits if it tries to enforce the law.

Now the country’s largest gay rights advocacy organization has weighed in.

“Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning’s opinion is motivated by politics rather than sound law,” said Sarah Warbelow, the state legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign.

“Unlike states such as Oklahoma or Virginia, Nebraska does not have a legal tradition of restricting municipal actions. Fortunately, the Attorney General’s opinion is purely advisory and is not binding on the municipalities or the courts. It will, however, provide fuel to the opponents of equality who would like to challenge Omaha’s recent non-discrimination ordinance in court,” Warbelow said.

Bruning is also the Republican front-runner in Nebraska’s U.S. Senate race.

Stick with us for updates. As always, you’re welcome to sound off with your views here.

By May 4, 2012 0 comments Read More
Florence work to kick off soon

Florence work to kick off soon

Florence 'streetscape' work to start a little early

 

The City Council this week approved a $487,000 contract with Swain Construction to start renovations on a small stretch of 30th Street in Florence.

The renovation will include new landscaping; new decorative sidewalks; and added parking along the two-block stretch of 30th Street from Clay to Willit Streets.

Originally we’d reported the project would also add parking on side streets and along 30th Street. At a number of corners the sidewalk will be bumped out toward the street, which the city hopes will slow traffic.

Along the sidewalks, the landscaping will have special “bioswales” to convey water runoff from the sidewalks.

Such ‘streetscape’ projects are also on city officials’ wishlists for other historic parts of town. Meanwhile, work in Florence should continue a little bit ahead of schedule.

Councilmember Pete Festersen says the city hopes to start construction the week of May 14.

“We’re under budget, ahead of schedule, and look forward to completing a project that will increase economic activity and new jobs in the area,” Festersen says.

By May 3, 2012 0 comments Read More
Omaha set to grow … slightly

Omaha set to grow … slightly

The city's annexation plan for 2012 would add 6,353 residents (click for hi-res version)

 

If you live in any of the residential areas listed above, you should be getting a letter welcoming you to Omaha any day now.

Yep. In case you didn’t know, you’re getting annexed. This sort of thing is always controversial.

Here’s the timeline of how this should go down:

This week: The city is mailing notices to residents in the proposed annexation areas to explain what city services they would receive and how the annexation would affect their taxes.

June 6: City Planning Board will consider whether to recommend approval of the package to the City Council.
June 13: Informational open house at Burke High School, 12200 Burke Blvd., 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
July 3: City Council public hearing
July 17: Tentative City Council vote
Aug. 27: Annexations would become effective.
Jan. 1: City sales and restaurant taxes would become effective at newly annexed retail businesses.

Property tax rates would drop in six of the eight subdivisions, the city says. Property owners would stop paying property taxes to their sanitary and improvement district, and stop paying Douglas County for a special library tax and the Millard fire district. They instead would pay taxes to the city and Metro Area Transit.

Residents would be able to stop their monthly contracted garbage service, saving some $300 a year, as Deffenbaugh takes over trash collection. But at the Baker’s, shoppers would start paying city sales tax on nongrocery items. At Charlie’s on the Lake, along 144th Street, patrons would start paying the city’s restaurant tax.

So, uh, welcome to Omaha?

By May 3, 2012 0 comments Read More
Pearls for Berkshire

Pearls for Berkshire

City's String of Pearls shining again in time for shareholder bash

 

The string of lights leading into downtown from Eppley Airfield are looking much better than they did about nine months ago.

A big chunk of the roughly 700-light chain was pummeled by a severe hailstorm then — and the city really wanted them back online in time for this week’s capitalist love-fest.

Now they are, thanks to quite a bit of city money (an insurance claim is pending).

The damaged fixtures were replaced with energy-saving LED bulbs — a change that officials say will save in annual energy costs. The city hopes to replace all the string’s bulbs with LED technology within five years.

By April 30, 2012 0 comments Read More
Masterplan: Make room for bikes

Masterplan: Make room for bikes

A Harney Street bikeway is a priority project under the city's transportation masterplan

 

Atop the project recommendations in the city’s newly-unveiled transportation masterplan: reconfiguring a strip of Harney Street between 10th and 24th Streets to add a median and accommodate dedicated two-way bike lanes.

The master plan also sets out a list of other priority projects, including adding bike lanes on Howard Street and St. Mary’s Avenue and making improvements to stretches of 16th, 17th, 19th and 20th Streets. The study also recommends further expansion of 144th Street to a consistent four-lane highway and mentions an often-discussed metropolitan area beltway.

It also lists as priorities streetscape improvements in Dundee and a stretch of Park Avenue.

There’s a lot more to digest in the 93-page report. We plan to scrutinize it more in the near future. If you’re brave, give the plan a read.

But the study’s key takeaway is this: Omaha’s transportation system needs more balance between cars, bikes and pedestrians during the next quarter century of growth.

How it all gets paid for? Well, we’ll see…

By April 24, 2012 3 comments Read More
Money requested to rebuild city playgrounds

Money requested to rebuild city playgrounds

This fading playground in South Omaha could get rebuilt, if enough money is raised.

 

Saturday, city officials and community leaders unveiled a large-scale effort to renovate 15 aging city playgrounds by 2014.

Accomplishing that task is going to take a lot of money – $750,000 worth of private donations are needed to fund all the projects and open up some matching city funds. Some parks are going to have an easier time with this than others.

Led by the Omaha Parks Foundation, which was established in 2010 to help secure private money for parks projects, the initiative targets parks all over the city.

To determine which playgrounds would be prioritized for repairs, parks staff assembled a list of roughly 60 playgrounds needing the most work. The top 15 made the list. In another three years, the next 15 parks on the list would move to the top.

The effort is drawing praise and support from high-profile Omaha individuals and entities, including Omaha philanthropist Susie Buffett, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska, the Douglas County Health Department and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.

Here’s a rundown of which playgrounds are targeted and how to donate:

By April 23, 2012 0 comments Read More
Higher sales tax? Not so fast

Higher sales tax? Not so fast

It looks like there will be no fast track on a higher sales tax in Omaha.

After the Legislature gave the proposal its final approval this week – by overriding the governor’s veto – I called Omaha City Council members to get their take.

Three (Pete Festersen, Tom Mulligan and Jean Stothert) said they’re against putting a higher sales tax to a vote in Omaha.

The new law sets up the City Council as the first gatekeeper on any proposal. A super-majority, five out of seven members in Omaha’s case, would have to approve putting the issue on the ballot.

If three are opposed, any proposal is going nowhere for now. You can read my story here.

Is the idea dead? Not entirely. The Mayor’s Office plans to start talking with different sectors of the community about the issue.

So it might take more time and more debate before the issue comes before voters.

By April 20, 2012 0 comments Read More
MECA board has new chairman

MECA board has new chairman

John Lund elected to replace Jim Vokal as head of MECA board

 

John Lund has been elected by his fellow board members to serve as chairman of the MECA board.

Lund, CEO of the local commercial real estate firm the Lund Company, replaces Jim Vokal, who remains on the board.

The Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority runs CenturyLink Center Omaha, TD Ameritrade Park and the Civic Auditorium.

“Stepping into the leadership role on the MECA Board is an exciting challenge,” Lund said in a statement. “CenturyLink Center Omaha and TD Ameritrade Park Omaha are among several crown jewels for the community. I look forward to carrying on the success that has been established and to ensure that these facilities continue to perform to their greatest potential.”

The board also elected Jennifer Rasmussen as vice-chair, Dana Bradford as secretary and Vokal as treasurer. Next month, Willy Theisen will join the board, replacing outgoing member David Kramer.

By April 16, 2012 0 comments Read More
Neighbors protest ‘bad bar’ in South O

Neighbors protest ‘bad bar’ in South O

Some neighbors of the Kurt and Clyde's bar want the pub's security to improve

 

Last week, a group of South Omaha residents condemned a neighborhood bar as a prime source of crime and violence in the neighborhood.

Kurt and Clyde’s, on the southwest corner of 13th and Dorcas Streets, has been the scene of four shootings since October, including two last month that injured three. Hobert Rupe, executive director of the Nebraska Liquor Control Commission, says there is an active investigation into the establishment.

Some groups say the crimes, including numerous assaults, underscore the need for the City Council to act on an ordinance proposed last summer to grant the city more control over where new liquor licenses are granted and to better combat problem establishments. The proposal has not been formally introduced to the council for public debate.

The campaign to Let Omaha Control Its Alcohol Landscape (LOCAL) is using the South Omaha pub as an example of why such measures are needed.

In February, the City Council voted to endorse a proposal in the Nebraska Legislature that would have created “alcohol impact zones”  — or geographic ­areas deemed to be adversely affected by chronic public drunkenness or illegal activity associated with alcohol. Councilmember Chris Jerram said that proposal was an “ingenious, simplified method for addressing what many people believe constitutes an issue in Omaha, particularly in the eastern part of the city.”

But that bill went nowhere this session. LOCAL officials weren’t crazy about the idea, anyway.

So the question of what, if anything, to do remains open.

“What’s a bad bar?” said Arnie Breslow, president of the Old Market South Neighborhood Association. “It’s when you have needles in yards, fornication in yards. We have fighting and guns now at Kurt & Clyde’s.”

“We are trying to develop this area,” Breslow said of 10th, 13th and Vinton Streets. “This one bad bar could take the whole thing down.

 


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By April 16, 2012 0 comments Read More