“Today, the World-Herald launched #TheHall, a new blog focused on City Government. Congrats, guys! http://thehall.omaha.com/” — Mayor Jim Suttle on Twitter
Raise a joyous woof
The Hanscom 'Bark Park' is open for dog business
After about 15 months of waiting, the Hanscom ‘Bark Park’ is open for local canines. Mayor Jim Suttle and Nougat (his wife’s dog) formally cut the ribbon at the site this weekend.
The southeast Omaha site, built for roughly $70,000 of city and private money, has been pretty busy since. It’s the city’s second dog park, and the first in midtown Omaha.
The city will provide minimal maintenance at the site. The Omaha Dog Park Advocates, a non-profit group formed to help support dog parks on city property, will help raise funds for additional development.
Developer selected for 10th and Capitol project
Shamrock Development's team will build a $176M project
When the City of Omaha tried to replace the former Union Pacific headquarters with a new development, it didn’t work out.
Now the city is trying to attract development to 10th Street and Capitol Avenue downtown. Last week, the city and Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority chose a developer who wants to build a $176 million project.
So coming off the WallStreet Tower flop, will this proposal get built?
No rickshaws during CWS?
No horse carriages either, potentially.
The Omaha Police Department doesn’t want any rickshaws outside the College World Series.
The modern verson – also called a pedicab or pedicycle – appeared around TD Ameritrade Park during the series’ debut in north downtown. And the police department says they clogged up traffic.
So the City Council will vote in December on a ban on rickshaws, horse-drawn carriages and quadracycles around the ballpark during the series.
“We need to be transparent with the community here, and they need to know if we have a gang issue.” — Omaha Police Chief Alex Hayes, on public city reports about gang activity.
City could repeal gang stats law
Authorities say gang statistics will still be public
The 14-year-old city law requiring the Omaha Police Department to publicly issue reports on the area’s gang activity could be repealed by the City Council next month.
Authorities say the city is not trying to avoid distributing public information about the city’s fight against street gangs, nor will it stop tracking crime trends related to gang activity.
Instead, Hayes said, repealing the ordinance will free up investigative resources needed to combat violent crime and allow the department to operate more efficiently.
Removing the ordinance would eliminate the only city provision mandating at least some public disclosure on the city’s assessment of gang-related street crime.
No garbage pickup on Thanksgiving
You probably knew this.
But as a reminder: the city won’t collect garbage, yard waste, recycling, etc. on Thanksgiving Day. Also, Christmas trees will not be collected curbside this year. Christmas tree recycling locations will be announced later.
Note the city’s changes to the schedule:
- Monday, November 21 Regular Monday area collections Set out by 6:00 AM
- Tuesday, November 22 Regular Tuesday area collections Set out by 6:00 AM
- Wednesday, November 23 Regular Wednesday collections Set out by 6:00 AM
- Thursday, November 24 Thanksgiving Day No Collections
- Friday, November 25 Thursday area collections Set out by 6:00 AM
- Saturday, November 26 Friday area collections Set out by 6:00 AM
Collections will follow a normal schedule from Nov. 28-Dec. 2. Procrastinators should note that’s also the year’s final week for yard waste collection.
Send questions to the city’s Environmental Quality Division at 444-5238.
Useless cruiser cameras spark call for new spending
These dusty cameras, and others like them, cost Omaha $671,000
Only seven of the Omaha Police Department’s 95 cruiser cameras actually work like they’re supposed to.
The rest have been in various states of disrepair for several years — despite the fact Omaha spent roughly $671,000 to buy more than 80 cameras a few years back.
Now the City Council is set to discuss a measure to spend nearly $1.2 million to buy 130 new cameras, along with the related systems and work needed to install and maintain them, by year’s end.
$12 million and counting…
The price tag for Omaha's flood fight will keep climbing.
The city has spent $12.2 million to fight this summer’s record flooding along the Missouri River.
City officials say that number will jump by millions of dollars once total damage to parks and city drainage systems are accounted for.
All but $1.2 million should be covered by private insurance and an expected influx of state and federal disaster aid. Still a lot of money. Still unclear is whether Omaha sees reimbursements for other expenses.
Here’s some spending breakdowns, by department:
P. J. Seminara:
Will the shelters be available to the public for personal use? 
Facts:
Fireman who put is in debt and calls himself "Fire Jean." Your bloated cont 
Torsten Adair:
311 works great here in NYC.
If I see something that needs fixing, I mak 
Fire Jean:
Way to go Jean Stothert! Your shortsighted decision to commandeer the fire 
Jenny:
I think it's a logical idea. Putting tax on tobacco which causes cancer is 
Tom Coffey:
Will gov't ever have enough of our money? When does it stop? 
Paul Taylor:
Ed, Good to shake your hand at Dundee Days. Just a brief note that we need 
