Good one.

Harding is absent.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Here.

Please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and remain standing for opening remarks by me.

Good afternoon.

Please be seated.

There is a pretty big event.

I don't know if anybody noticed over the weekend.

I would like to yield my time to my friend and colleague, Lavanya Goodwin, Councilmember District Two for some comments today.

You got something to say, maybe?

Maybe just a little bit, Mr.

President, and thank you.

Good afternoon, fellow council members and citizens.

First, I would like to thank President Begley for ceding his remarks to me today for the recognition of Omaha's own Terrence Bud Crawford.

On behalf of the Omaha City Council, I want to extend an heartfelt congratulations to Terrence Bud Crawford for his historic boxing victory against Canelo Alvarez Saturday, September 14th.

Terrence defeated Canelo Alvarez by unanimous decision and became the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world.

Born and raised in Omaha, Nebraska, Terrence is an everyday guy.

Terrence stopped to take a photo with us and to talk about North Omaha's story collection of world-renowned athletes, an exclusive club that he now leads.

Boxing under Carl Washington's tutelage was a vehicle for Car Crawford to rise above and discover his superpower as a giant slayer.

Please join me in another round of applause for the people's champ, Omaha's prime, and the greatest of all time, the GOAT, Terrence Bud Crawford.

A side note to that, the great victory that Bud Crawford have.

He had if you have a minute, look at when he returned the belts to Alvarez.

And he went up to him and he handed it those belts to him.

I mean, these guys deserved great recognition for their class in sportsmanship after 12 rounds of grueling punishment of each other they inflicted, that they still showed heart and compassion for one another.

That's a great message we can use in society today.

Thank you.

Good afternoon and welcome to the Omaha City Council meeting.

Is a courtesy to those in attendance and to facilitate and conduct our business.

We ask that you please silence or turn off all electronic devices.

A reminder that you will have three minutes to speak on an agenda item.

Please stay on topic.

If you would like your comments entered into the public record, you can email the city clerk's office at Cityclerk at City of Omaha.org.

The council members receive these emails personally and we read them.

Finally, council members may ask members of the audience back up for clarifying questions, but not for extra time to speak.

Council members and people in the public, when you're speaking, pull those microphones up.

Hearing impaired people at home find that if our we're off to the side, you can hear us as well.

So a little coaching for my colleagues and people when they come to the mic, so the audience members can hear us better.

Thank you.

Now we have a proclamation by Councilmember Hugg to read for Francisco Paco Fuentes.

Councilmember Hug, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

South Omaha is a small community.

Our lives are so intertwined, and our families are so intertwined that when one tragedy is experienced by one family, it's experienced by us all.

I have a proclamation recognizing France Francisco Paco Fuentes for his lifelong commitment to his community South Omaha.

Whereas Francisco Paco Fuentes began his lifelong journey with the Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands in 1968 as a member of the South Omaha Boys Club, and through his dedication, passion, and leadership became an inspiring example for this generation.

I may add, about the same time I joined the South Omaha Boys and Girls Club.

Whereas Paco Fuentes honorably served our nation for 20 years in the United States Air Force before returning home to South Omaha, where he devoted his life to giving back to his the community that has shaped him.

Whereas in 2000, Paco became the director of the South Omaha Boys and Girls Club, where he served for more than 21 years, revitalizing the club and helping it thrive as a safe and supportive place for young people.

Whereas Mr.

Fluenta's unwavering commitment to youth was recognized through many honors, including the 2004 Midwest Youth Professional of the Year Award from Boys and Girls Club of America, and the 2005 William R.

Hinckley Distinguished Service Award.

Even after his retirement in 2001, Paco love for young people and the community drew him back in 2023 to serve once again as a mentor and support the staff at the club, continuing his legacy of guidance, kindness, and service.

Whereas Paco Fluentes will always be remembered not only for his extraordinary achievements, but also for his kind heart, warm spirit, and deep love of others and his family.

Now, therefore, we, the City Council of the City of Omaha, do hereby recognize and honor the life, service, and the legacy of Francisco Paco Fluentes, and call upon our community to celebrate his many contributions and to carry forward his example of dedication, compassion, and the service to others.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you.

Just real quick too.

An affidavit of publication is on file, and a current copy of the open meeting act is posted in a white binder in East 12 legislative chambers.

Item six to consider a class I liquor license for revival house located at 16939 Bright Plaza Suite 153.

I will open the public hearing on item number six.

Are there any proponents here today or is the applicant here?

Did I get ahead of it on that?

Good afternoon, Scott Miller, 6735 Leesburg Court.

Revival House Legacy LLC company name.

And I'm here in representing the company for liquor license.

This would probably not have been brought in front of the council were it not for the fact that we closed the existing bar that's there called Parliament Pub and reorganized and created a new company.

So we therefore have to have a new license, but it's the same premises, same footprint and all that.

And so I also want to recognize Councilman Rowe for uh actually being out there and taking a look at it and and giving um discussing what we were doing out there.

So I would take any questions if you have any.

Um but the other than that, I'm just here to to um answer questions.

Thank you.

Is there any other proponents here today on item number six?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Thank you.

Second, and a motion and a second roll call.

Melton.

Yes, roe.

Festerson.

Yes.

Goodwin.

Yes.

Hug.

Yes.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed six to zero.

Items seven and eight can be considered together for PSP Acres, located southwest of 108th Street and Pawnee Road, Planning Board and Planning Department recommend approval.

Items seven and eight are resolutions to approve the preliminary plant and final plot.

The public hearing is now open on items numbers seven and eight.

Proponent applicant, good afternoon.

Council members, good afternoon.

Douglas Dreeson, 10836.

Old Mill Road.

Here to answer any questions you may have about.

It's a one lot project up on North 108 street.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other proponents here?

Item number seven and eight.

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Motion and a second roll call.

Melton.

Rowe.

Festerson.

Yes.

Goodwin.

Hug.

Yes.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed six to zero.

Items nine through eleven can be considered together for Cherry Creek, located southwest of Cherry Creek Drive and Potter Street.

Planning Board and Planning Department recommend approval.

Item nine is an ordinance to rezone this property from DR district to our sixth district.

Item 10, a resolution to approve the final plat.

Item 11, a resolution to approve the subdivision agreement.

The public hearing is now open on items numbers nine through eleven.

Proponents, applicant here today.

Good afternoon.

Hello, I'm Kyle Hazie with the A Consulting Group.

10909 Mill Valley Road representing the applicant, along with myself, Robert Rhody, representing the developer.

Blair High Road runs right through here.

And this is 103rd.

Oops.

Phase two would be these townhomes.

The second phase, we're just looking to um uh get that final plat wrapped wrapped up and get the zoning changed from the uh current DR to the R6.

Um with that, we'll make ourselves available for any questions you may have or the audience may have.

Thank you.

Is there any other proponents here today?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Motion and second roll call.

Row?

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

I motion passed six to zero.

One one public hearing can be held for items twelve and thirteen.

Item 12 is a resolution to approve an amendment to the urban core housing and mobility redevelopment plan.

Item 13, an ordinance to approve a redevelopment contract with front porch investments for the oversight and administration of funding affordable housing development projects.

The public hearings are now open on items 12 and 13 for the proponents here today.

Good afternoon.

Excuse me.

Good afternoon, City Council, Jennifer Taylor, City Law Department.

I just want to take a few minutes, a couple minutes here.

I think I have three to give you a brief overview of the plan amendment, why we're bringing it to you today, and a brief touch on the contract, and then I'll be available for any questions you may have.

This amendment is an amendment to the Urban Corps Housing Mobility Redevelopment Plan that the City Council adopted in March of 2022.

The original plan identified the construction of a modern streetcar as a redevelopment project that will be funded through the use of tax financing revenues.

What this amendment does is it specifically replaces section 5, 6, and 9 of the original plan.

And replacing those sections do the following.

One, it identifies and allocates the necessary funds to construct the modern streetcar project.

So initially, the redevelopment plan authorized the use of approximately $356 million in tax increment financing revenues.

This amendment will authorize the use of $490 million, which will allow us to fund fully the cost to construct the modern streetcar, as well as the opportunity to fund affordable housing as provided for herein.

As Mr.

Jensen will cover later, the ability to actually fund these projects is estimated to be possible through the development that we'll have in the core.

This plan just allows us to use those funds for these projects.

The second thing the amendment does is it identifies affordable housing development as a redevelopment project under the plan.

So we put forth how and the manner in which we are going to fund affordable housing within the redevelopment plan area.

So it's now a specific redevelopment project.

And lastly, it identifies the construction of protected bike lanes as a potential redevelopment project for which we can use tax financing revenues to uh design and construct.

So those are the three things that this amendment does by replacing those three paragraphs.

What's important here is that providing the transportation options that we have with the modern streetcar in conjunction with bikeway, bicycle routes, scooters, pedestrians, how much we love scooters, but scooters and pedestrian, having all of those opportunities to have different types of transportation within the urban core in conjunction with affordable housing, actually sets the city up to have a really great dense and viable, long-term viable city center.

So instead of just having a downtown that's focused on market rate housing and car-centric from transportation, we are providing for the city to have a dense dense development with a variety of housing opportunities as well as a variety of transportation options.

This gives us the ability to have a downtown that is set up for really long-term sustainable growth.

As far as the affordable housing portion of this plan, a couple things that I will just point out as we've discussed.

Any housing funded with the monies allocated under the plan amendment and pursuant to the front porch contract that is also on your agenda today, must be developed within the urban core housing and mobility redevelopment plan area.

That plan area is uh extends from Cumming Street on the north to Woolworth on the south, 50th Street on the west, and the river on the east.

So all the funds deployed under this plan have to be used within that specific area.

Further, those funds have to be used pursuant to the restrictions of the community development law, which includes not only having to be funded within that area, but only for specific eligible expenses and otherwise complying with all the provisions of that law.

Lastly, the funds will be provided for pursuant to the sale of a private placement TIFF revenue bond.

That bond will come to the council.

The documents will come to the council likely end of October, early November.

They're being worked on between the various bond councils at the current moment in time.

The provisions of that bond will state that the bond will be subordinate to all existing and future streetcar financing.

It has a very favorable interest rate and a few other things that benefit this transaction.

Um I will note as far as the contract is concerned that projects funded, as I said, must be within the redevelopment plan area for eligible expenses.

Uh, we'll obviously have to conform with the city's master plan.

The city will have input and oversight on projects at the very front end so that we ensure that what's being funded with these with these monies comply with both the master plan and the city's intent under this redevelopment plan, and as we see uh development needed happen within the core.

And lastly, the funding uh and the contract with front porch is specifically contingent upon this council approving those bond documents and a someone buying that bond.

Should this council not approve the bond documents or should no one buy the bond, we have no obligations under the contract or front porch.

So the funding is specifically contingent upon that.

I will also point out very quickly, front porch's responsibilities under the contract are for oversight and administration, as well as providing quarterly progress reports to the city, which will be made available to the city council, the mayor's office, and the clerk for public availability, as well as requiring the covenants on all projects be recorded against the land that will require land use restrictions, provision of insurance, and the requirement to pay all property taxes and assessments in a timely fashion.

That's a lot, and I missed my three minutes, but uh tried to get you a basic overview of what we're doing here today, and I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you.

Is there any other proponents here today?

Mr.

Jensen, good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Steve Jensen, Deputy Chief of Staff for Economic Development in Mayor Ewing's office.

So I'm here today to speak in favor of the amendment to the Urban Core Housing Mobility Redevelopment Plan and also the contract with between the city and front porch investments.

As Jennifer said, and she did a great job explaining the amendment and explaining the contract, but as she said, I'm going to spend a little bit of time kind of bringing you up to date on where we are with regard to the streetcar construction and then how this amendment fits together with the construction of the streetcar.

So today we're at 100% design on the streetcar.

Shortly the OSA board will be approving the final construction contracts for the streetcar.

The council has authorized 440 million dollars for the construction of the streetcar, and we will be well under that number when we approve those final contracts.

At the same time, we've had uh around 1.4 billion dollars worth of new development occurring within the streetcar corridor.

We project now that we will see roughly $4 billion worth of development in that corridor over a 15-year period.

Now, that would probably support up to $150 million in TIFF supported bonds.

But with this amendment, what we're asking for, as Jennifer explained, is to be able to issue up to uh $490 million, or I should say spend up to $490 million on the streetcar along with affordable housing, bikeways, and other mobility improvements.

And so less than that 550 that would be uh available or possible.

So approving the resolution uh and the uh uh um the ordinance would really allow the city, together with our uh partners and generous donors to uh ultimately realize the kind of urban core that was envisioned when the council approved this plan two and a half years ago.

And that's really uh a vibrant, growing, walkable, interconnected urban core uh with a mix of housing that includes thousands of units of affordable housing, all funded uh from new development uh that's generated by a modern streetcar.

So, with that, I urge your approval of the uh amendment and of the contract, and I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Is there any other proponents here today?

Hi, good afternoon.

I'm Jody Holston, executive director at Front Porch Investments 148 South 39th Street.

Front porch was formed in 2021 to provide strategic investment and coordinated leadership to affordable housing.

We deploy public and private funds to qualified housing developers in the Omaha Metro.

And just four years, we've invested 35.5 million dollars in 28 projects that will produce more than 1,700 affordable housing units and 2,400 homes in total.

These include affordable rental and for sell from both established and emerging developers.

85% of those projects include some deeply affordable units serving households between 30 and 60 percent of area median income.

That early momentum was possible in part because of the city of Omaha's investment of 20 million in ARPA funds in 2022, which was matched by 20 million and private funding.

The plan you're considering today will generate immediate funding in the urban core now when the city needs it, five to ten years sooner than TIFF revenue would otherwise become available.

Construction cost insurance and interest rates all continue to rise.

Without gap financing, most developers can't afford to include affordable or workforce units and their plans, especially in desirable and expensive areas like the urban core.

If approved, we will stand up a dedicated urban core fund within our well-established development and preservation fund to distribute these dollars.

Front porch will pass through 100% of those funds to eligible projects.

We do not retain any portion for administration.

As developers submit project applications, they'll be subject to a rigorous review by external underwriters, our investment committee, city partners, and our board of directors.

Every award carries affordability requirements for a minimum of 20 years with ongoing compliance and monitoring.

We will publicly report award locations, unit counts, AMI levels, and progress so the community can see results.

Based on our track record, that 40 million could support as many as 1900 homes in the urban core, depending on project mix.

For context, the Greater Omaha Chamber calls for an additional 30,000 residents in the urban core in the next 30 years.

This plan is a meaningful step towards that goal while ensuring that the core is accessible to all income levels.

This investment advances both density and affordability, preserving homes and preventing displacement, while financing new development.

In parallel, Front Porch will continue to deploy other funds outside of the urban core, ensuring that affordable options exist in all neighborhoods.

While this funding will be truly transformational, it's just one piece of a larger approach that requires additional financing tools and policy changes to promote supply and affordability citywide.

On behalf of our partners and the families who need housing that they can afford, we respectfully ask for your yes vote.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there any other proponents here today?

Good afternoon.

Rob Woodling, uh 1886, South 126th Street Omaha.

I'm president of foundations development.

Over the last 20 years, foundations development has been fortunate enough to build affordable housing projects in six of our seven city council districts.

As a developer, I can give you firsthand accounts of how front porches uh loans are the difference between uh deals penciling out and not and not happening.

Uh the combination of uh philanthropy and city government is a powerful thing.

Uh it to r it's a excuse me, and it's a powerful combination to address our affordability housing crisis.

Um as the urban core redevelopment area grows with the streetcar, it's truly important that affordability gets out in front of that.

Um if affordability lags, um the the tremendous growth we'll experience will be market rate and affordability in those areas will be tougher to tougher to build into projects.

Um with that being said, really the time is now for this to happen so we can be out in front of that tremendous growth and have uh uh and have affordable housing in in growing um desirable areas of our city.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Is there any other proponents here today?

Michael excuse me, Michael Moroni, Omaha Economic Development Corporation.

We are a nine uh nonprofit uh uh organization that uh does a lot of affordable housing.

We've been around 48 years.

About a dozen years ago, we acquired a building uh that we had we intended to rehab.

We didn't know exactly what we were going to do initially.

Uh, but as we were trying to work through uh the actual uh use of that building, uh we began to look at capital stack.

And once we decided that we wanted to do an affordable housing uh for senior citizens, this building, I should say, was an old building that is on a historic re it is now on the historic re uh register.

And uh we decided we wanted to convert it into a senior housing uh under the low-income housing tax credit.

Well, I said we had acquired the building a dozen years ago.

And in the process, uh a lot of things bad can happen to a vacant building.

And just as we thought we had the capital stack uh put together, something happened we had no control over.

Uh it was known as COVID.

So it set us back years in that project.

Well, in the process, that building went into disrepair.

It became a sort of the neighborhood and became uh a nuisance.

Uh when we were trying to figure out what to do with the building, it was about the time front porch came into existence, and we looked at what they uh they offered, and we reached out to them and we actually put together a proposal uh for redevelopment uh pre pre-development costs to go in and secure that building uh and get make it safe.

Uh and these and two we could finish putting together the capital stack.

Well, I'd like to say that this earlier this year, we actually completed that renovation of that building.

We're now housing low-income seniors.

We repaid French report back on that pre-development loan.

And were it not for that effort uh or that support, uh, I'm not sure where that building would be at today and where those residents who are now calling that place home uh would be.

Uh I just want to make testament to the their commitment French Ports has to low income housing.

Uh, and without their support, uh their investment in our project, uh, it would have been very difficult to have achieved.

Uh and I would uh ask that you would support uh their proposal today, and if you have any questions, I would certainly entertain them.

Thank you.

Are there any other proponents?

Good afternoon.

Darren Smith, principal of Arch Icon Development, 509 Walker Street, Woodbine Iowa 51579.

Arch Icon has developed several affordable housing developments throughout Omaha.

Um, some in North Omaha, some South Omaha, some in the urban core.

Currently, we're working on 52 senior affordable housing apartments in the old Miller East neighborhood.

Uh we were fortunate enough to get uh front porch funding for that development, without which the development would not have happened.

So we're grateful for their partnership as they stand now.

We would like to do more in the urban core and believe this funding used standalone or in conjunction with more traditional sources for affordable housing like low-income housing tax credits, will facilitate such developments.

There are also several older buildings in downtown Omaha that are more most likely structurally sound, um, possibly historically significant, but could use some serious rehab to be brought up to date and up to code.

These funds could go a long way to keeping those apartments not only in place but in good standing for years to come.

While we encourage continued city oversight, we support front porch as the vehicle for these funds.

Our experience with Front Porch is they put together a dynamic team, able to quickly vet affordable housing developments while using practical financial underwriting standards so that they can deploy the funds quickly and efficiently in a market-driven approach.

Demand for affordable housing will continue outpace supply, so the sooner these funds become available, the better.

We'd like to thank the mayor, council, for continued concerted approach to further affordable housing in Omaha.

The funding currently provided through Front Porch investments is a unique tool that creates a competitive advantage for Omaha.

This additional funding will strengthen that advantage and most importantly, provide safe and secure homes for those who absolutely need them most.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Other proponents.

Good afternoon.

My name is Dina Waloca, 1905 Harney Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 68102.

I am in House Counsel for the Omaha Municipal Land Bank.

I'm here on behalf of our organization to support the Urban Urban Core Housing Mobility and a Plan Amendment and the Front Porch Contract.

At the land bank, our mission is to empower others in transforming distressed properties into community assets.

Through our work, we see firsthand firsthand the need for affordable housing in Omaha, especially in its urban core.

We also see that funding is often a barrier to the development of this housing.

We have worked with Front Porch Investments since their beginning, and they have become one of our most valued partners.

They have funded many projects that have been developed on land bank or land purchased from the land bank.

And for the last two years, Front Porch has been one of our sponsoring partners for the Reignite to Unite some developer symposium.

They have an amazing staff, and we believe that they would be an excellent steward for these funds.

French Front Porch has our full support for this project, and I am happy to answer any questions you may have.

And thank you for your time today.

Thank you.

Is there other proponents?

Good afternoon, Council.

My name is Jake Hoppe, and I live at 840 Fair Acres Road in Omaha.

And um lead a development team that focuses on affordable housing throughout the state, and in part was directed to focus on Omaha through the efforts of Front Porch and the creative financing solutions that they bring forward.

There's so much wonderful activity happening in the urban core, a large number of transformative placemaking and residential developments underway, announced or completed in the last couple of years.

The availability of development sites is becoming at a premium and the opportunities and choices we make today about what those sites will be will impact sort of how the urban core develops and exists in the next 20 years, which is precisely why pulling this funding now is critical to ensuring an equitable and resilient urban core that has housing options across the spectrum for a variety of different types of families.

Front porch has proven, as you've heard, that it can be a unique steward of these funds and help enhance the programming of otherwise uh great projects and make them even better.

It provides opportunities both creative and thoughtful for creative and thoughtful development, both with large scale out of state developers as well as local and regional and neighborhood developers, which is uh which is truly unique as we see across different communities, and it enables a diversity of housing solutions.

I always think about this when we think about development, but the project life cycle is so long.

You know, a project that you start today won't be serving the community for four or five years, which just underscores the need for bringing this funding forward to today so that we make sure that the the housing affordability problem that we're solving is really the one that we're gonna encounter three or four years from now, which is an exacerbated version of the one that we have today.

And we have a wonderful opportunity to address uh how the urban core develops in advance as opposed to looking back uh 20 years and wishing that we'd done it earlier.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Is there other proponents?

Good afternoon, honorable council members.

My name is Jindai Fraser.

I'm a new developer and investor with properties at 2801 Pratt Street, 3522 North 28th Street, and 3538 North 28th Street.

I grew up on North 28th and Pratt Street, and I'm speaking to support the ordinance 4402 and resolution 2025 0910 0810 to amend the Urban Core Housing Mobility Plan and a redevelopment agreement with front porch investments.

As a new developer in Omaha, I've built a missing middle four bedroom or four town houses at 30% AMI on 28th and Pratt Street.

And I was only able to do this because of the funding support of front porch investments.

I'm really pleased to say that we're going to have our ribbon cutting on October 7th, and you are all invited to attend.

Um the townhouses are again at the corner of 28th and Pratt.

Without the funding support of Front Porch, I would not have been able to launch the development.

Important, I am bringing significant equity funding to the project, so investing in the community where I grew up in.

I am committed to continue investing in affordable housing in Omaha, and I'm excited about the potential to again apply to partner with Front Porch Investment as they expand their deployable capital and their impact with local partners.

Front Porch has been an outstanding community organization and steward of public funds, and I hope and pray that the city council will pass the amendments and the redevelopment agreement with Front Porch so that they can addle their outstanding work serving the Omaha community with affordable housing while also supporting committed new developers like myself.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Hi, Cheryl Garst and Common Housing Director.

I just want to say that uh in closing for some of our uh private and public developers that a healthy economy is balanced at all levels, where all incomes have disposable income to achieve life's goals.

The goal of affordable housing, of course, is to achieve that magic 30% of a person's income to housing costs.

As we know, those with disposable income have the funds to reinvest in themselves, their families, their businesses, and their community.

I'm asking today to carve out that 41 or 40 million dollars, it could be 41, uh, with this innovative public and private partnership opportunity and implemented by our unique community asset front porch investment for the goal of a balanced, healthy economy.

Before I was at End Common, Omaha's new emerging developer.

I was a city planner.

I love to study other community successes and failures and learn from them.

Omaha is one of the country's latest hot markets, which is great.

We can learn from other hot markets that quickly struggled because they did not carve out with intention affordable housing.

California, Colorado, Montana struggle to employ service workers in the hospitals, food, education, construction, and repair industries.

Let us learn from them and support this creative multifaceted plan for the area's future with front porch investments as the responsible entity to oversee the program.

Our first project, the Poppleton, was fortunate enough to have a 2 million front porch pre-development loan.

That $2 million, as many of you know and have supported, uh leveraged a $45 million project, and more importantly, stabilized a workforce that would have otherwise been displaced by a nearby urban core gentrification.

We all know these post-COVID economics.

A single family home that was $140 is now $280.

My cook my COVID project at another nonprofit doubled from $3 million to $6 million, and so did rents.

And prices never really went down, nor will they, hence the urgency and action today before the gap widens.

And as Hoppe said, while sites are still available.

We are old and educated enough to remember that once there was a down payment of 20% and a bank would loan 80% of the total project cost.

Flip that for a 2025 affordable housing project.

And you'll see that the Poppleton is a great example that we are leveraging a 1.8 permanent loan for an $18.5 million project.

Only 10%.

We have other homeownership projects that have to raise 100,000 per unit to get our patrons 30% housing cost to income goal.

And we have another five or seven projects in the pipeline that we would love to utilize these funds for.

Councilman Fasterston, I'll I'll close with a great uh um post that you you had this week where you said a little less talk, a lot more action.

It's a personal mantra of mine as well, and a reason for a career shift into nonprofit development.

We are your public and private action agents.

Your time is up, sorry, you're on a role too.

Yeah, it's all right.

Wanting the more we want to serve more vulnerable populations, please support this initiative.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Other proponents.

Clarice Dombeck.

Clarice Dombeck, 901 Farnham Street.

I'm the senior campaign organizer for the redress movement in Omaha.

At the redress movement, we organize here in three here and in three other metro areas to redress the harms of housing segregation.

Generally, we are very supportive of this significant investment in affordable housing along the streetcar line.

The redevelopment plan already notes that gentrification in this area is pricing out people who have previously lived there.

Um, especially in areas at risk for gentrification and displacement, it is a best practice for local governments to target affordable housing construction before making major infrastructure or or transit investments.

Building affordable housing first means that lower income households and households of color might have a chance at remaining in the area from the new um remaining in the area from the new amenities and benefiting from the new amenities, excuse me.

Um in city after city that has failed to make the investment first, these redevelopments inevitably push people out and resegregate the neighborhood.

And that's why it's apple absolutely essential that affordable housing we create actually serves our purpose.

Unfortunately, the income limit for this current for this funding is currently set at 120% of the area median income, which is roughly 136K per year for a family of four.

Families making that much money can already afford most market rate apartments in Omaha.

More importantly, the median black household makes only 46K per year.

Black renter households likely make even less.

Units created through this fund at 120, 100%, or 80 percent AMI will exclude in nearly all black Omaha families.

We're sharing this information so that you and front porch investments can make adjustments to ensure this fund serves its purpose rather than furthering segregation.

And we would urge you and front porch investments to commit to requiring the majority of rental units created through this fund to serve households at 50% AMI or below so that all families have a real chance at living in this transit corridor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents left on this item?

Good afternoon, City Council.

Um my name is Bui Ray Toot.

I'm the CEO of Spark.

11113th Streets uh SUT 311, Omaha Nebraska 68102.

I'm here.

Um I'm here to express support for the city's investment in affordable housing through front porch investments and for the related actions before um before you today.

I I think everything that needs to be said on the supply side has been covered by everybody that's come up here.

I wanted to really cover what um I wanted to kind of touch upon supporting also the ecosystem, also emerging developers.

I think um opening the doors for emerging developers.

Um while the city framework doesn't explicitly um name emerging developers, Spark and it uh front porch investments are an active discussion to ensure these funds create real pathways to especially uh for new uh what was it, new entrepreneurial and first generation developers who face deep barriers to property access and financing, what uh what intentional collaboration disinvestment will uh diversify who builds in Omaha and who benefits from the opportunity it creates.

And the focus on the missing middle duplexes, trip um triplexes, small uh multifamilies, and strategic rehabs are essential to neighborhood stability, yet often overlooked by large uh developers through co-develop Sparks co-development and Spark Capitals flexible tools.

We can acquire, rehab, and preserve um these ATS assets and keep them attainable and along strengthening the fabric of the urban core.

So the bottom line, the investment isn't only about units, it's about pathways, pathways for families to live attainable home uh uh to live in an attainable homes and pathways for local diverse developers to gain experience, access capital, and build wealth that stay in our community.

I urge you to support the investments uh or to support this investment and the partnership with front porch investments and Spark.

Thank you for your time, and I'd be happy to answer any questions that the council may have.

Thank you.

No problem.

Other proponents.

Hello.

My name is Akeedra Hagens.

I reside at 5513 North 163rd Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 68116.

Um, I'm not good at speaking in front of people.

This is my first time, so bear with me.

Um I am a Spark Developer Academy graduate, and I am currently participating in Spark's CODA program, which is the co-developer apprenticeship that has allowed me and my co-developer to plan um a project that will have two townhomes available spring of 2026.

Um through the CODA program, it allow us to uh get our skin in the game.

Um the CODA program allows us access to capital that we probably wouldn't have as um emerging developers.

Um they take on the risk and uh provide um resources and technical assistance and guide us through the whole project.

Um I also attended the reignite to unite developer symposium where um a developer tour um was part of it, and we actually toured the South Omaha Terrace Homes where I grew up, and the unit that we were touring was the unit I lived in.

Um I was able to get one of the bricks from the construction site to remind me that I grew up in the projects for about 10 years of my childhood, and um now I get to make being part of projects my living.

I get to develop and be part of projects.

So that would not have been made possible without the support of the coda program and the partnership through Spark and Front Porch.

Um so I just ask that you all support this as it will allow us to expand affordable housing and also expand those who get to build it, people like me.

So thank you.

Thank you.

You're a natural speaking in public.

Any other proponents?

I know you're a natural.

Good afternoon, Sherman.

Thank you.

Um I come before God.

Cheryl Weston.

I don't know how that forgotten.

I threw you.

But I forgot.

Cheryl Weston 1822 Emmett Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 6811.

I come before the Omaha City Council today, September 16th, 2025, regarding item number 13 ordinance 44402, knowing full well that this item will be approved next week's city council meeting, since it's been stated so many times.

We are too far in on this project to turn around.

For the record, I am an opponent supporting this project only because through the discussions with Ms.

Jody Holston, the executive director of Front Porch Investments, and Bowie Ray to the chief executive director for Spark CDI, that there will be a genuine effort to reach out and include upcoming developers, aspiring developers, and individuals from outside of the usual developing contracting recipients.

I support this ordinance with the expectation that meaningful efforts will be undertaken to ensure that developers as well as from organizations such as Sparks Development Academy, the Spark Coda program, as well as other emerging developers from North and South Omaha, some of them who are in this room at this time, are given legitimate opportunities to participate in the supply, the design, and the development of affordable housing projects within the urban core area, as outlined in Exhibit A and Exhibit B of the ordinance.

Front Porch Investments has made verbal commitments to look at ways of increasing developer opportunities to all.

They, front porch investments, have recently added three more financial institutions to assist new ambitious, impressive developers with funding and are looking at the possibility of adding more to their technical assistance to ensure that individuals and developers are encouraged to participate in this 40 million dollar project.

While I remain cautious, I recognize the importance of inclusive transparency in the allocations of resources for such a significant development.

It is essential that the process prioritize equable access and encourages participation from a broader range of voices within our community.

My hope is that continued dialogue and accountability will result in tangible opportunities for those who have historically been underrepresented in these projects.

Thank you, Cheryl West.

Thank you.

Hi Council, my name is Amanda Brewer.

I'm with uh I'm the CEO of Habitat for Humanity address 1229 Millworth Avenue.

I'm here in support of the ordinance 44402.

We've also submitted a letter of support.

Oops, but I would like to go on record in a public testimony as well.

I served as well as a volunteer on the Chamber of Commerce Urban Core Housing Subcommittee, and we met I think every two weeks for a very long time, and it was grueling.

Many of the tools that we saw in other communities and other states being used weren't available in our state or our community.

And so we were thrilled to see this opportunity come forth and so pleased that you're considering this today.

We are a proud partner of Front Porch Investments, and nearly every speaker that has spoken thus far.

This is hard, hard work.

We're on calls with these people, these people advocacy, um, every uh week in various uh groups, and believe me, a lot of people want to give up.

This feels like a light in the darkness.

Um we often work in North and South Omaha and less in the Urban Core at Habitat for Humanity.

Um however, there are homeownership opportunities available in this urban core district.

I want to tell a personal story.

I bought my first house at 620 North 41st Street, uh, 41st in California in the urban core.

Uh I was making in my low 20s and bought the house for 74,000.

Two months later, two doors down, the house became condemned.

And I really had lost hope that my investment wasn't good.

The neighborhood, I was just had a lot of worries as a young person.

And um that happens to people all the time where their investment is sabotaged by lack of investment, and this is um our chance as a community.

I'm sure um that many of you are in favor of this, but just want to add that personal story because homeowners really do need um this support in the areas where we build.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon, council members.

Um, thank you for your service, community.

My name is Jeff Speace.

I live at 4803 Davenport Street, uh 68132, kind of in the middle of the urban core.

Um I'm the owner of Greenway Housing, a housing provider in Omaha and throughout the Midwest.

Um, and I want to just be here in support of the city's investment and affordable housing through front porch and um Spark.

And we can all agree that there's an affordable housing crisis in our country and right here in Omaha.

We can also look to other aspirational communities like Kansas City or Minneapolis that have made investments in infrastructure, public transportation, and those investments.

And it's very wise of the leaders of Omaha to move ahead this funding of affordable housing in the urban core because cost of housing will only continue to rise with labor and materials and acquisition.

So by expediting this process, you're paying dividends in the future by creating a more livable and inclusive urban core.

If we wait much longer, the development opportunities are just going to be taken up by those with access to resources already that are already much further ahead than others.

Without this investment, we're essentially communicating that the urban core is only for those with means and some will be systemically left out.

So this is the first step of what I hope is many anti-displacement strategies.

If the streetcar is uh meets its projections that it says it will about creating more job opportunities in the urban core, then it's necessary to have affordable housing co-located around the streetcar to cut down on the overall cost of living.

I've been involved in the Spark Developer Academy as an instructor and a mentor through the CODA program and have seen several successful projects with uh Spark and Front Porch in their collaboration.

Um this is a very pivotal moment in how Omaha decides to expand its ecosystem of affordable housing developers, and it's the right time to expand those resources so that emerging developers, specifically people of color and women, can participate in growing their business and build housing for the community.

I've seen firsthand the uh tenacity and creativity and grit of those uh members of the developer academy, and I'm excited to see what they do with access to these funds so they can be a part of saying they're part of building an equitable Omaha.

Uh recently, folks like um Todd and Mary Heastan were honored with the chamber in the Hall of Fame for their work of uh kind of transforming the urban core.

And I look forward to the day when many emerging developers will also be receiving similar recognition as a part of developing the urban core through this uh investment.

So I just urge you to support this uh investment that's very transformational for our city.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Matthew Kavanaugh, executive director, Holy Name Housing Corporation, uh 4324 Fort Street, 68111.

Members of the council, Council President Bagley, sounds good, right?

I haven't said that before.

Uh we support both the amendment to the urban core housing and the mobility redevelopment plan and the redevelopment contract between the city of Omaha and Front Porch Investments to oversee and administer the funding for affordable housing in the urban core.

As an experienced developer of affordable housing in the urban in-fill neighborhoods, Holy Name Housing Corporation understands the technical and financial challenges of completing projects in the urban core.

While the prescribed geography of this program means that Holy Name most likely will not directly utilize these funds.

We believe they can still make a meaningful impact in East Omaha neighborhoods where we do work, particularly if a portion of the funding is directed towards cultivating, supporting small and emerging developers.

A strong ecosystem of entrepreneurial and emerging developers is essential.

Only by strengthening this pipeline can we ensure affordable and workforce housing is delivered creatively and sustainably across the metro area.

For these reasons, I urge approval of both both resolutions.

I also ask that the council and partners remain intentional about dedicating part of the funds to support small and emerging developers.

I'm aware that front porch investments, Spark and others have already advanced viable ideas in this direction, and I encourage momentum to make these commitments real.

So thank you and happy to answer any questions.

Thank you.

My name is Justin Tyree.

Uh, who supports developers and community-based businesses.

Access to financing and property is one of the biggest barriers for new entrepreneurial and first generation developers such as myself.

While the city's investment doesn't specifically name emerging developers, I know that front porch and Spark are already working to ensure these funds open the doors for individuals such as myself.

With this kind of intentional partnership, Omaha can expand affordable housing while also expanding who gets to build it.

This matters because we're not just talking about housing.

We're talking, and we're not just talking about physical buildings, we're talking about creating pathways for local talent to participate in and benefit from the city's physical and financial growth.

I am also a passionate advocate for missing middle housing.

These homes are the backbone of stable neighborhoods and are often the first step for new homeowners.

They provide first-time buyers a new place to call their own while also creating a critical wealth building opportunity.

Unfortunately, these developments are often overlooked.

That's where emerging developers and programs like Spark and Coda in conjunction with Front Porch come in.

With this funding, we can step in as developers to rehabilitate and preserve these properties and keep housing affordable long term.

Together, Front Porch and Spark offer Omaha a unique opportunity to preserve and expand affordable housing while building the capacity of the very people who are most committed to the city's neighborhoods.

Thank you, and I'm happy to answer any questions the council may have.

Thank you.

Other proponents.

I'm here to be in support of ordinance 4402.

I think this investment into the urban core is going to be important.

I think the addition of more affordable housing in Omaha is important too.

And although I'm uh I forgot to mention that I'm a graduate of Spark Developers Academy, and I know that there's some conversations being had with Spark and Front Porch to work together to make this accessible for emerging developers, and that's part of my support in this ordinance.

And um also I agree with Clarissa and her statement about um we I would like to see a change in some of the AMI.

I think that 120% would probably price out a lot of black families in Omaha.

And I think um the black families in Omaha deserve a chance to be a part of this new urban core.

And um, with this massive development and with the streetcar, I think that would be an asset for some of those families as well with the car to job opportunities and this new housing.

So with my support, I would like to see um room for emerging developers uh shift in some of the AMI and um some kind of partnership where there's room for um emerging developers on this project as well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Other proponents.

Any other proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Louis Jimenez, 2709 Dewey Avenue.

I'll be uh an opponent just so I don't repeat what's being said.

And also I oppose the financial piece of this uh project.

I'm glad that's under urban core housing and mobility tax increment financing because uh to me says it's not gonna be a 40 million dollar uh building complex.

I think that that was some information going around.

Um but the bonds to finance this as far as I know it isn't until November.

Um you guys aren't gonna approve those bonds until November, so why don't you just uh lay over?

I mean, place on file 13, get the money first approved, the financing approved, and then approve the contract.

I seem to me that seems more um logical.

Um, so I'm uh an opponent.

Um we have this component of affordability, concentrating uh affordable housing in the urban core.

Um does that risk concentrating poverty in the urban core.

Uh that is worrisome if that we're only uh now that we're only looking for affordability in the urban core instead of the the entire city.

Um and uh the developers, the market rate developers when they talk about affordability, they say that they're supplying market rate, and that helps affordability.

So today seems to me like you have two components to affordability.

You have uh the urban core and then the market rate developer developers flooding the market with uh market rate to um Mr.

Rogue would probably explain it better.

Um so uh I think uh you need to move beyond as you you're developing these things, except especially towards November that you come up with more um uh ideas, uh tools for the city to support affordability throughout the city, um, or maybe send somebody like John Cavanaugh to Congress.

He's uh very good at uh uh dealing with affordability and um we should listen to more of his plans.

So one of my plans is uh putting a permit or uh yeah uh building permit type thing on market rate developments that don't have uh and not uh a affordability component to it.

So it's it's um kind of like polluters.

If they want to pollute, they have to pay for a license.

So if uh a developer that only has market rate, if they want it, uh they got to pay a permit uh to exclude affordable housing.

Luis, your time's up, thank you.

Thank you.

Other opponents, Larry Store, 5015 Lafayette Avenue, 68132, and I'm gonna time myself.

I don't think your clock is working very well today, because I'm sure some of these people spoke for over three minutes.

And very quickly also, you know, these people are presenters, the other people are proponents.

There is a difference.

These people should have longer, but proponents should have the three minutes that I get.

We gave them all the time.

Although it's rounded like you said, two minutes.

But Larry, I believe some of the correct you on this.

I want to stop your time and I want to correct you here.

I'm off the subject.

It's no no, it's my time now.

Back to back to I gave over three minutes to the presenters, Larry.

I don't give two minutes to anybody.

You have three minutes.

I stopped your clock.

The floor is now yours.

Three minutes at the beginning, and it sounded like you said two, but I'm certain those some of those people got well over three minutes.

Please continue now, Larry.

Okay.

Anyway, I'd like to add my name to the list of the opponents that were in the printed document that I read last night.

That name is uh Ricky Fulton.

Now, I have a bachelor of science degree.

Some people say BS, so I also notice no BS when I hear it.

And some of what we uh have heard today is maybe smoke and mirrors.

Or bells and mirrors, whatever.

Ninety percent, if not more, of the people that are proponents that are on the record in the document are all tied because they're investment people.

Larry, I'll stop your time if you turn that off.

I'm gonna stop your time.

Go ahead and turn the phone off.

Is there a button on the side, Larry?

Anyway, I'm gonna submit this to you, but it because it implies that there's maybe smoke in there possibly crap in the whole program.

So add my name to his a copy of that same letter.

There's just not enough transparency, is my message.

And Larry isn't.

I'm gonna have to because I'm gonna stop you, Larry.

You need to shut that phone off.

Because of it, I'm gonna have to ask you to shut the phone off.

I'm leaving.

Okay, and for the record, I afford Mr.

Store all the patience and respect that anyone in this room would have.

But if you're disruptive, that's a problem, and that's not respectful.

I those phones are crazy.

I I would have to call my kids to turn mine off sometimes, but um that's all right.

You're Larry.

That's not true.

Larry just yelled that I disrupt him, and that's not true.

He's yelling out from the audience.

I'm trying to keep it a civil meeting, so thank you, everyone, for your patience.

Is there any other opponents here today?

Seeing none, council member Fesserson, you're recognized.

Thanks, Mr.

President.

I'll try and get us back on track here.

As an advocate of affordable housing and protected bike lanes, I do support the measures here today.

I know we're just voting on number 12 today and 13, presumably next week, but these are important issues, and this is a complex financing mechanism that we're discussing here.

It's creative, which I appreciate.

Um these funds for affordable housing.

But I think it's worthwhile walking through a few of the details here because it is something that we haven't done before.

So I wanted to engage probably Ms.

Taylor and Ms.

Holston initially on some few questions around housing, and then uh I might uh delve into bike lanes a little bit after that.

And if I can with the commotion there we had, I am closing the public hearing now.

So Pete, thanks for your patience.

Ms.

Taylor, the floor is yours.

Thank you.

And so um, Jennifer, a few things about the 40 million, since that is a big number.

Um that is TIFF proceeds from the project that'll be purchased by a private philanthropist.

Um the private placement bond purchased by the by the philanthropist, and therefore there is no risk to taxpayers by issuing 40 million dollars worth of bonds for this purpose, correct?

Correct.

And we're confident in the funds, regardless of it there being no risk to taxpayers, because uh we're talking about an estimated 490 million dollars worth of TIFF proceeds here, and we believe, in fact, as Mr.

Jensen said, it'll be more like 550 million, but this is what this redevelopment uh plan amendment indicates.

Correct.

So the finance department um is in conjunction with uh other outside authorities, we've gone through the projected uh project income, revenue, increase in tax valuation, et cetera, that will be generated over the course of the next 15 or 20 years within the district.

And analyzing that information, we understand and we have an estimation of exactly how much revenue will come in on almost an annual basis.

And comparing that and including the bond proceeds that will need to be paid off, the debt service will need to be paid for the streetcar.

We do sincerely believe there will be additional funds available sometime around 2032, 2033.

And as was mentioned by some of the proponents, the concern I think was that by the time we get to 2033 or 2034, we might not have as many opportunities to support and develop affordable housing as we do today.

So we do have an investor who is willing to front those funds under certain circumstances and conditions that will be potentially paid back from those tax financing revenues sometime in the mid-30s if if uh things conform with the cash flow plan that we have.

But then that gives us the ability to utilize that money now.

If we were to wait until that point in time to utilize those funds, some of it's been as was mentioned, some of those opportunities might not be available to us anymore.

So it's incumbent upon us, and we are lucky enough to have this opportunity to make those investments today.

And how we've thought about it conceptually is um of the 490 million, 440 provides the room on the streetcar, the 40 million we're talking about here to affordable housing and another 10 million to be determined, which I'll I'll speak to here in a minute.

Um the 40 million uh if this is approved, would be administered then by front porch.

And they would go about a process by which they've already engaged um with previous ARPA funding and other funds uh successfully that would seek applications from developers and developer projects, which could be a rehab, it could be new construction, it could be a conversion, it could be any of those things, right?

Correct.

And it could be anything from a single family house, duplex, triplex, town home project, all the way to um supporting you know uh several hundred unit uh conversion that includes significant portion of affordable housing.

So we have opportunities all the way from very small to very large projects that can be funded in the core.

That's an important point too that I'll come back to here in a second.

I want to address the interest in 120 percent AMI too for what products would be eligible to be considered.

In the amendment, it says anything 120 percent and under.

Correct.

Um there is an interest, and I think it's a uh viable point to say what we'd really like to target are AMIs below that.

Um and I think we've been successful with that in previous rounds with Front Porch, more in the 60 percent, 80 percent range.

Can you speak to that desire?

And I I might ask Jody to come speak to that too.

Um just the the proposal and the uh provisions of this project says 120 percent AMI or less.

It does not obligate it to all be 120% AMI.

So as projects come in, as we fund development, if you look at it underwrite a specific project, if there is an opportunity to have it be 80% of AMI or 60 or 100% of AMI.

I think what we're looking for has been clear throughout the plan amendment in the conversations today is a wide variety of opportunities of housing.

So what we can finance, what we can support, what we can subsidize with these funds can be anywhere from 120% to 60% AMI, depending on the nature of the project and the funding mechanisms that are available.

Jody wants to Jody, can you speak to that too as the one that would be administering this, and then also um the general mix that you've seen so far in your current program of work?

Yeah, so we currently fund affordable housing and workforce housing.

Um at the affordable housing rate, we've seen about 85% of the projects that we fund incorporate deeply affordable, so that means 30 to 60 percent of AMI.

Those projects usually require more subsidy, they require complex financing and layering subsidies.

So those are sometimes harder to do, but that remains our goal is to see a mix of those.

We actually incentivize affordable housing at lower rates.

So with our permanent financing, we give rate reductions to developers who are willing to incorporate more deeply affordable housing units at higher percentages, and we've seen a lot of developers figure out ways to make that work.

So that would be your track record, and that that would be your desire here with this these funds too.

Absolutely.

And then speak to the requirement to remain affordable housing, that's important here too.

I don't think that's come up yet.

Um if a project is approved and funded by you, um, I believe the requirement is that a multifamily remain affordable for at least 20 years and a single family remain affordable for at least 10 years.

Is that accurate?

Correct.

So uh any project that's funded, we uh issue a land use restriction that ties the project to the affordability that they committed to when they were financed.

So that is what that is the the mechanism for compliance that holds them accountable to whatever they committed to.

Um, and beyond those minimums, developers can also commit to higher affordability, and we do see a lot of developers do that as well that commit to anywhere from 30 to 45 years affordability voluntarily, and that is one of the items that is an incentive and rate reduction for developers to do as well.

Good.

And one reason one reason why I'm going through some of these details is because uh it's also accurate to say that once this would be approved by the city council, these applications don't come back to the city council, they would be approved by a committee that's currently in place.

There is city representation on that committee, but it's a front porch committee that's reviewing these applications and making these awards, right?

Correct.

Yeah, there's city representation, and then we plan to coordinate with the city on the pre-application side as we're vetting projects and collaborate that way back and forth as projects are coming to the city or to us, so that we are able to vet projects and connect developers with affordable funds if they come to the city first and they might have some availability to incorporate affordable units.

Um we plan to coordinate very closely.

This is a partnership, and I think that's part of what we're discussing here.

Um it's likely I would say though that most projects would come back individually to the council in terms of if they had TIFF involved, if they had rezoning involved.

I mean, we probably see a lot of these projects coming back before us, wouldn't we?

Probably, yep.

Yeah, individually.

Okay.

Um then speak to the boundaries too.

So um this clearly says it can only be entertained initially at least uh within the boundaries of the redevelopment plan, which essentially are uh coming on the north, will the rest of the south, fifty of the street to the river.

Yep.

Um can you speak to that?

What why that is?

So these funds being restricted to that are due to the revenue source.

Um, however, we have other funding tools for other areas of the city.

So we plan on balancing that.

So this 40 million helps stretch those other funds to expand that and allow that to serve other parts of the city.

Um but yes, the first time these funds are spent, they are restricted to that urban core redevelopment area.

I think that's important because obviously we have affordable housing needs throughout the entire city, not just the urban core, although this might be the first real opportunity for a for a push that I think we need throughout the city.

But it is also true that once these initial 40 million dollars in funds are dispersed and projects are paying off their low interest loans back to the fund, those funds then become eligible to be administered throughout the city, not just this area.

Yeah, so if if repayments are received from the loans, then those are those return to front porch and we're able to reinvest those.

And I know it's hard to say, but in your crystal ball, what would be a time frame by which you think that might occur?

So we provide loans anywhere from 24 months up to 20 years.

Um we try to target many of those investments on the shorter term range so that we start to see funds recycling as quick as 24 to 30 months.

So within the next several years, five to ten years maybe.

Yeah.

Okay.

And then you touched upon this, I think, in your testimony too, but it's also important because it references a criteria your committee will use when you're reviewing projects about minimum and maximum percentages of contribution and also minimum and maximum percentages of affordable units in a multifamily situation.

And in our conversation this morning, you described that as there's a correlation uh from your perspective.

So the more affordable units you have, you're likely to be considered for a higher percentage of contribution from this fund, and therefore your incentive to do that.

Would that be an accurate way to describe it?

Correct.

Yeah, we don't um set the threshold, but we do only fund units that have those affordability restrictions.

So if a project had a certain percentage of affordable units, that would be the percentage of the project that would potentially be eligible for funding.

And the document references um the possibility potential of about 2,000 units, we think in the initial uh program of work here.

Is that your estimate as well?

Yeah, that's our that's our hope based on the previous per unit costs that we've seen through that initial ARPA funds.

If we continue to see uh rates per unit at that, then we would expect about 1900 units from this 40 million.

And possibly six six thousand units over, I think 20 to 30 years given the revolving loan fund.

Yeah, with our with our current investment with the development and preservation fund, we see those funds recycle about three times over 15 years.

So that's what we've seen with our with our other development and preservation fund.

Good.

And that's an impactful number for sure, but I also want to remind folks that um you know, in our previous studies, we've uh shown anywhere from 18 to 30,000 affordable units needed in the next five years in this community.

So uh even though this is a great program of work, in my opinion, I think there's a lot more we also need to be doing on affordable housing throughout the Metro, and I I know you agree with that.

Absolutely.

Um so this can't be the only thing we do.

This is my point there.

And then um I appreciate all the small emerging developers being here too.

I think that is an important aspect of this.

Um several of us met with um Bowie earlier today, too, and I'm impressed with Spark's uh developer academy program.

Sounds like you are in direct conversation with them, and that's they're likely to be a major partner in this.

Yeah, they've been a close a close partner of ours, and we've seen a lot of success from the developer academy of developers that come back and come with projects that are able to be financed.

That's about 30 percent of the loans that we've done to date have been to new and emerging developers.

So we've seen a lot of growth and capacity and excitement from developers to give back and develop in the communities that they're from, and we're excited to see more of those projects.

Okay, and we like it too.

We like seeing new development faces uh in front of the city council doing good work, and so I think that's been part of this effort too, and um an important part, I think, of this initiative as well.

Then also I think it gets to also the issue of large projects versus small projects too.

So one can envision a number of large projects coming out of this urban core development project.

For example, we've seen a lot of commercial buildings being converted to apartments.

That's a trend trend throughout the country right now, and that's definitely happening in Omaha.

But you wouldn't want to see that be the only thing that's focused on here.

You want to see many smaller projects too.

Um so can you speak to that issue too?

Yeah, um, when front porch was established, there's a study commissioned in 2021, and that was one of the findings is that we need both housing at all different income levels, but different typologies as well.

And within the urban core, we have opportunities for NFIL.

Um, I think you heard several people speak to the unique opportunities that that provides for smaller developers to do single family and missing middle options while we still have vacant land that's available that could support larger projects.

Um preservation, we feel like is going to be a huge opportunity.

Um we had another speaker mentioned the aging infrastructure, the aging buildings within this area.

So looking at those naturally occurring affordable units that probably are starting to need some significant rehab and making sure that those maintain affordability and are brought up to standards is something that we're excited to see as well.

And then if approved uh today and next week, when do you think we'd start seeing results?

We would expect that funds would be available in 2026.

So we are we have some funding available right now, and these this particular funding would be available in 2026.

So we would hope to see projects as early as this time next year.

Okay.

Thank you, and thank you for your partnership.

I might shift gears here now to uh to bike lanes.

I I believe is Derek Miller here.

Yeah, thank you.

Quite identifying.

Good afternoon, Eric Miller City Planning staff.

Thanks for being here.

I want to spend a little bit of time on this too because it has been, I think, a little bit overshadowed in the context of affordable housing in this amendment, and also in the just the streetcar conversation itself.

Um and there was a point in time when we thought it was it was it was impossible to do a protected bike lane at the same time as the uh streetcar, and I'm glad that mentality has changed because that is now part of the planning and part of the design of the streetcar that's happening as we speak here, and that's a new part portion of this amendment too.

Uh that gets in a lot more detail than we've had in the past on that.

So I just wanted to walk through a few things with you in that regard.

Um I was a big advocate and fought for the keeping the protected bike lane from uh midtown to market, uh, and that is currently in the streetcar construction plan and will be constructed 2027-2028.

Right.

Correct.

Largely funded by philanthropy, but a partnership with the city, I believe.

Correct.

Yep.

Um, and in a attachment here on these documents, it's attachment number nine.

There's a lot more detail in terms of how we think a protected bike lane could be phased throughout the area.

Um, and it's not an inexpensive pro inexpensive proposition.

Um, it estimates up to 25 million dollars.

Um, but that first phase being funded, which is the market to midtown.

Can you talk to us about the rest of the phasing and how you might see that work and how that might uh eventually be funded through the program?

Yeah, so um as stated earlier, and this all depends upon the revenues received, how well the TIFF district is is doing as far as financially, how much money it's bringing in.

So, really the thought around this is um if it's doing much better than we have, we what we've projected, then those projects can be accelerated in the attachment.

It basically shows sequencing and not dates or years.

So it really depends on how the TIFF district's doing.

So those the other ones after the midtown um to market bikeway are basically setting up an overall system of bikeways within the urban core, something we've envisioned for for quite some time.

So we as staff based upon the active mobility um plan that was approved by council a couple years ago, went through and identified the base core network that would really set us up, set the urban core up for active transportation.

So again, going back to your original question, a lot of it depends on how the TIFT TIFF district um how the revenues are received over time, and that's unfortunately we don't have a good time or date as far as those that project two, three, and four when they happen, but they should happen shortly after that market to midtown is completed.

Okay.

So it we're taking a cautious approach to the TIFF revenue coming in to fund that this kind of infrastructure, but it will be able to be um implemented and constructed along the way, even if it's post-2028.

Right, correct.

And there could be that opportunity as Ms.

Taylor was talking about in 2030, 2032, if the revenues come in as we anticipate for at least another 10 million dollars of infrastructure funding, possibly a lot more than that.

Correct.

Yep.

So that could be a major source of of the of getting this accomplished at that time.

And when I talk about a protected bike lane, this is um raised curves and or um planters of some nature, not just you know, pylons and stripes, right?

Right, yes, it's it'll be very different than what we saw on Harney Street with the pilot.

Um, it'll have like you said, the curbs and vertical um elements that basically separate the the bikeway from the from the travel lane.

So um it'll be um much like you see in a lot a lot of other cities, but um permanent infrastructure that is um attractive.

Um not to say Harney wasn't attractive, but it was uh a different animal altogether.

Okay.

Thank you.

I appreciate that update too.

I think that's important to point to point out.

I think there's other lights on, so I'll yield the floor now.

But just to get it on on the floor, I'll go ahead and move number 12 to be approved.

Second.

Thank you.

Council member hugg, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

You know who I want.

So I mean, the obvious thing is that doesn't directly or immediately affect my district.

However, I do understand that the overall impact, more housing, more affordable housing, um helps us all.

I I I am not confident that this will be a large number of single family owner occupied homes.

Uh, in my opinion, just looking on the surface, I think we're looking more apartments here.

But as a conversation has gone in talking about bike lanes, it it it generated a question my mind is why can't we expand the area to include those areas that are adjacent to the bike trail?

Because that ultimately that's what we're trying to do.

We're in tr we're trying to promote alternative transportation modes.

We're gonna have the streetcar, we're gonna have bike lanes, but people do use the bike trail to get to work, church, groceries.

So is is there a way we could expand this to include properties or projects that would be within a mile of the area but on the bike path on the bike trails?

Uh the original urban core housing, the urban core plan redevelopment area was established because it was centered around the redevelopment project that was that is the streetcar and encompassed the urban core.

What the community development law requires us to do is requires to spend monies generated for the purpose of or for tax government financing to be spent within the redevelopment plan area.

And the redevelopment plan area has to be generally tied to the location of the projects.

So the redevelopment plan area is primarily focused around the urban core and the streetcar, and then as bikeway projects come as a part of that, that's still kind of tied to that area.

So to start to expand it farther than the area that exists today, we start to run a little bit afoul of the community development law because we're getting a little farther from the projects that we're actually funding.

So what I think if you look at the the language and the intent of the law, what they don't want you do, and sometimes we've had some issues raised at the state level, is funding uh it's funding development or a funding uh construction that is two miles away from the projects that are actually generating the money.

So I do have to be careful into how big I make this area.

But again, if their projects on the bike path, on the bike trail, they are you know directly tied to the streetcar development area.

And I understand you're talking about the the trails that kind of extend outside north and south from the redevelopment plan area, but again, I I have to keep the redevelopment plan area generally tied to the the properties that are generating the tax amount financing revenues.

So we're taking the revenues created by projects that are in the urban core, and we need to spend them in the urban core.

I understand that that bike trails will go out of that and that you would like to connect those to the to the protective bike lanes that are in the core, but we start to run afoul of the community development laws requirement that the projects be tied to the areas that are generating the revenue.

Well, I'm happy to discuss this further, and we can discuss other opportunities to to to look into how we could fund that.

Um I think this I I think this money's gonna go quick and uh very quick.

And uh, but oh well I I've expressed my question, so thank you.

You're welcome.

Anything else?

No, Mr.

President, thank you.

Thanks.

Uh Councilmember Melton, you recognize thanks.

And go ahead and just stay there.

I kind of fainted.

Did you you're reading my mind?

So I I want to state when we were initially when I was initially heard about this, of course.

It's great, 40 million for affordable housing.

That sounds great.

My biggest concern was I don't want to spend money that we haven't generated yet.

Even though it looks like, according to what Mr.

Jensen talked about, the amount of development that's been generated so far, the anticipated development of close to four billion dollars.

But again, I'm I'm one of those where I don't want to spend my 2027 bonus today saying I I know I'm gonna get it in in two years, because all kinds of things could happen.

Um it's also my understanding we don't really know the total cost of the streetcar right now because there's still expenses and who's gonna pay what on some of the utilities that I don't want to discuss, but we still don't know that total amount right now.

Correct.

Um obviously, once we get into the ground and we start to move some of those utilities around, we find that additional work needs to be done.

So it's not necessarily anyone's blame here.

It's just we don't know what those actual costs are gonna be.

So I was very concerned and quite frankly oppose this for that reason until we know exactly how much the streetcar project is gonna cost.

I did not want to allocate money, albeit for one of the best causes we have, um, until we know we actually have it.

So you have assured me, Miss Taylor, that the way this is structured, because we are using private, and I want to private placement bonds, correct?

Private placement revenue bonds, yes.

Private, yes, private placement revenue bonds.

Therefore, because there's a donor that is willing to buy the 40 million dollars of bonds that we're going to issue, they're going to be subordinate to any of the streetcar project, regardless of what it costs in the end.

All of that's gonna get paid first.

Correct.

And let's just say something happens and it doesn't generate the money, who knows what could happen.

The investor is taking that risk.

Correct.

So the taxpayers are not at risk for having to repay this 40 million if the TIFF money does not generate.

Correct.

Okay.

And I mean, that's really important, and I like to state it kind of a couple different times, because quite frankly, I didn't, it's not that I don't believe you, I always believe you.

Uh it's it's almost one of those things that it sounds too good to be true.

And so I think the average person is gonna say that can't be.

I mean, I still get people saying we're paying the 400 million for the streetcar.

I mean, they still think it's coming out of the city's fund, you know, our general fund and that we're paying for it.

Despite the fact that none of our budget items or anything that we authorize comes from the general fund, yes.

Right.

But but it doesn't matter.

There's still gonna be, but I want to be sure that that's clear.

This really is almost something that sounds too good to be true.

We're very fortunate, and we really just kind of lucked out that we have somebody that generous in our community that wants to get affordable housing started, that doesn't want to wait.

I think it I I probab I think that maybe one of the things that meant the most to me on why we need to do this now, as and if taxpayers are off the hook, this isn't gonna be on the back of the taxpayers.

The fact that if we wait to do the affordable housing till later, actually, market rate developers will probably come in and build and there won't be any space for the affordable housing.

And that's sincere and legitimate concern, yes.

There were a number of people, but when I I want to say, I think it was uh Clarice Donbeck who who was talking about that.

That really started thinking about that.

And she's right, we need to avoid any kind of gentrification along the streetcar route, because that's certainly is not our goal.

And I mean we want to avoid that at all costs.

And and so I guess I'm an opponent that has turned into I guess I might be more like Cheryl Weston, by the way.

Miss Weston after I don't know if she's still here, but I listened to her podcast and she went on for at least a half hour about how against that this she was, but she's kind of changed her mind, and I guess I'm with her on this one.

Um I would say that's probably the number one reason.

We won't have affordable housing along the streetcar route unless we jump on it now.

Uh and and I am at least I think what I've seen from Front Porch and the investments that Front Porch has made to small and emerging developers.

Uh so Jody, I want to thank you for that.

Uh, because you've been doing this for a number of years, you've built up that trust.

We have that trust in your organization because you've proven that you're going to approve projects for some of the small and emerging um developers.

So I I do think that this is a win-win.

Um, and that's the reason that I've changed, I've changed my opinion.

Um, and I was going to vote against this, but for all those reasons, I do think it's good for Omaha.

And I think it's really important that we do do it now.

So thank you for your comments today.

And if you'll indulge me for a couple of seconds on your point, yes, and if you want to respond to anything I've said, please.

Um, you know, first uh I think that the concern that we won't have the availability of land or the opportunity to have structures to rehabilitate or or rehab to provide this housing is a a very legitimate one.

But also uh I would like to reiterate Jody's point where not only are we faced with the possibility that we would run out of land or opportunities to build, but in 10 years, as everything does continue to develop in the core, those land costs will only increase.

Um, you know, the cost to build will only increase.

So not only are we losing the opportunity to land, we're also losing the opportunity to build at least in very all likelihood a better environment today than we will have in 10 years.

So just another reason why it's really important to take advantage of this opportunity and and we're lucky to have it.

Um the final piece on your comments about the bonds and to uh address Luisa's comment as well.

Uh the amendment to this plan allows us to allocate additional funds generated from the projects in the core towards not only paying in the entirety of the streetcar project, but also the affordable housing concept as well.

If we don't approve this plan amendment, I can't actually bring you bond documents because I'm not authorized to actually make any of the commitments in them that I would make to repay them from this money.

And then I did.

I actually had that note to respond to that.

You have to do this first, you know, that before you can get the bonds issued.

You have to have this in place before you can engage our bond council because otherwise, to vote on in November.

Otherwise, there's no I have I have no right to even draft the documents.

So into that point as well, when though that bond issuance, the the indenture and the documents come to this council, you will see all of the terms I have said will be in them.

And if you are not in agreement that those terms sufficiently protect the city, or if the potential buyer is unhappy with those terms and we can't create a bond instrument that they're willing to buy and that you are willing to approve, then all of this is off the table.

So what you're doing today gives us the authority to issue those bonds.

It provides the framework and the contract with Front Porch to perform the program and the project that I'm contemplating today.

But unless and until those bonds are approved by this council, we won't actually be able to move forward.

And and so, although I, you know, I believe you and trust you, what you're telling me is I'm gonna be able to review the actual documents to ensure that what we're saying today on the public record is actually what's written in the documents, and we will actually be able to vote on those.

So we'll be able to show you that in the documents that we bring to you when those bond documents come.

Yeah, and if they if it comes to us and it's it's something different because potentially the investor donor wants something different.

We can't you won't be able to come back and say, Well, you already voted on the agreement, it's on amending the agreement, so it's too late.

Yep.

Um we could vote that down if in fact it doesn't come to fruition as stated.

If we brought you a, for example, a private placement bond document that was at 5% starting tomorrow, and you know, it was recourse to the city, it I would never bring you that, but I would also fully expect you to reject it because it's not what we have represented, and that's not what works for the city.

So, yes, you are still free to reject that bond document when it comes.

Okay, so it I'm hoping this is when I say it sounds too good to be true, but you're telling me you're gonna prove it to me, and it'll be in the documents.

I will.

And I'll have it in writing.

I will.

All right.

Now, thank you.

I I appreciate all your I appreciate all your efforts on this, and I appreciate everybody in this room who's come together and is collaborating and working together to get this done anywhere from you know, for-profit developers, nonprofit developers, you know, it takes everyone to come together to do this.

And so I I appreciate everyone that's come down in support of this, and everyone that will continue to work on affordable housing in our city.

So thank you all for coming down, taking the time to come here and speak to us about it as well.

Thank you.

And then thank you.

Council member Goodwin, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um if I could speak with Jody, please.

Thank you, Jennifer.

You're off the hot spot for a moment, maybe.

First of all, I just wanted to um kind of set the record straight, and it's been said many times, but essentially we've got 40 million dollars that will then spur development for 1900 homes, rehab, single family, conversion, multi-family.

But the boundaries are coming to Woolworth, 50th to the river, correct?

Correct.

And so I think on its head, I I love that we're building and we need to have housing everywhere because we all know we're in a crisis.

I think what I get excited about secondarily is bringing in the small developers and not only providing them with the opportunity to co-develop.

Uh, but can you tell us again how you see that working because essentially you have community development law that will not allow this project to go north of coming?

So I think that what I have to be confident in how this investment can potentially catalyze development through some of those co-op opportunities.

Can you talk a little more about that, please?

Um, yeah, both on the emerging developer side and the and the geography and area that we're serving.

Yes.

Um, so the fund the fund is open on an ongoing basis.

Um, there are no kind of bids or calls.

It is open at all times as anyone has a project that they would like to review, including new and emerging developers.

As anyone has a project that they would like to review, including new and emerging developers.

We have a loan fund manager who takes meetings anytime anybody can submit a project idea and sit down and meet.

We're happy to help on the technical assistance side to get a project to a point that it's able to be funded.

And then we work closely with our partners who are also providing technical assistance and building capacity through education, through classes, through Spark Developers.

So we work closely with those classes and developers.

But we plan to continue to grow that, continue to get feedback to survey developers and the ecosystem about what the barriers are and how we can be moving, changing our own programming and financing as well as policies and other issues that we can help address to reduce barriers in addition to financing, because I think as we mentioned, this is one tool, but this isn't the only tool.

So in addition to this set-aside fund, we also have other financing that is available to other areas of the city.

And we plan to continue to work to grow that fund as well so that we don't have to turn good projects away because of the area that they're located in.

To date, we have not had to do that, and that's our goal is to continue to make sure that we have enough funding available across the city to serve all neighborhoods.

Yeah.

Thank you for that clarification.

And I know something that's been said, and probably it's more of a city statement versus a district two statement, but from highway 75 to 20th Street to Cumming Street to Meredith Avenue, there are a hundred acres of eight can lots.

And we're probably going to need that collaboration of the smaller developers if we're looking for in-fill development to happen with potentially single house housing.

Is that correct?

Yeah.

We we absolutely need all of that.

We need developers of all sizes, and we need all different housing types to meet the needs.

There are a lot of opportunities for infill and for small and missing middle developments.

So that's something that we'll continue to monitor and report out.

We have on our website a list of all the projects that have been funded to date, and we plan to continue to publicly share what projects are being funded and also monitor where where we're seeing needs and where we're not seeing projects that are responding to the community's needs, so we can try to help support that.

And so I've seen your fund uh open in cycles.

Is it the case now that there's a fund that a developer could say, hey, I own a two parcels of land, I'm looking to build, they could come to front porch.

Yeah, and we did used to have two competitive cycles, and this year we changed that.

So now it's open on an ongoing basis, um, both so that we can help make sure that it's flexible and meets the deadlines that developers are working against as they're getting projects ready.

Um just to make that open, and also so we can provide more technical assistance.

We don't want to force people to apply for a project when they're not ready.

We would rather spend more time helping them get the project ready so that it's successful.

So that's another reason for that shift.

So it is open currently, and we we are still open to taking projects at any time.

Thank you, Jody.

Thank you, President.

Thank you.

Councilmember Rowe, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I just wanted to uh thank everybody and everyone that's in the uh the room today as well for their collaboration and their work and their interest in affordable housing.

You know, it's been something that's been important to all of us that sit around this um dio here.

Affordable housing is something we know that we need to address when we need to get some things done in a hurry because we're way behind the eight ball, as Mr.

Besterson said.

So I from the very first time I uh was briefed on this proposal.

Um I was for it.

And even now I'm more for it as I hear Councilmember Melton jump on board and and uh and have heard all the other testimony, and I appreciate that.

I think the one thing I do want to say though is that um we've got to take some more steps.

We can't, you know, we can uh we can put the developers into a into a position where they can do a project, but we need to take the next next step.

And I guess this is for Mr.

Fanslaw.

Uh Dave, we were in a briefing the other day, and we talked about the affordability uh action plan, the app plan.

And what what's the next step for our HAP plan to uh remove barriers that are that cause problems for a developer to make a project affordable?

Sure.

Yeah, Dave Fansless Dave Fanswell City Planning.

Uh councilwonder, I think there's a lot of things we can do, and and we're working on the HAP as you know.

Um there's been a number of committees I've asked my staff for um a schedule for the rest of this year and what those committees will be doing and some updated goals and some updated um items that we can get done.

plan the hat plan and what what's the next step for our hat plan to uh remove barriers that are that cause problems for a developer to make a project affordable sure yeah day fans list day fans law city planning uh councilmore i think there's a lot of things we can do and and we're working on the hap um as you know um there's been a number of committees i've asked my staff um for um a schedule for the rest of this year and what those committees will be doing and and some updated goals and some updated um items that we can get done we're obviously going through I'll switch gears a little bit we're obviously going through the rewrite of the comp plan which will inform us and you all um on what we can do as far as um the comp plan goes and what other types of code amendments should follow the comp plan um I have to mention that I'm been designated the chair for the task force for decent and affordable housing that mayor ewing has put together um we are gathering um the the members of that committee and other committees but since we're talking about affordable housing we we are in the process of finalizing the list of that task force so I think there's a we have a lot of momentum we have a lot of interest um and we we we intend to get uh quite a bit done on affordable housing here in the next you know six eight months ten months a year and and and even after that right no matter what we put in place for co changes or no matter what the task force comes up with it's not um something that will you know just end there right there's follow through and there's always other things we can investigate and other things we can do to help move this forward thank you Dave I I appreciate your mentioning the task force because I think that's uh an opportunity to really have a laser focus and look at um individual things that are an issue for a developer for a builder for a for a potential homeowner that we can look at and not sacrifice safety in our homes not sacrifice zoning and and do away with all all the things that are important to us but I think we have an opportunity to re-look at at those things that make sense that allow us to to be a much more affordable thank you Mr President thanks and thanks to my colleagues this was a great discussion and everybody here today thanks for coming we one of the comments made I wrote down a lot of comments and one of them I can't remember what speaker there's been so many but she used a phrase it's very hard hard work and there is no easy solution but as you can see by the time invested um this is a plan to get that gap financing to help spark the growth and the rebuilding in the urban core for affordable housing council member melton mentioned this morning while she she discussed as she always does her homework does a good job as everybody up here does that there's no risk to the taxpayers miss Taylor are you still back there can you just once again reiterate that is there any risk to the taxpayers for this there is no risk to the taxpayer or the city to be obligated to repay any of these funds these funds the the bond will be sold potentially to a bond buyer and the terms that bond will obligate uh repayment from tax financing revenues generated from the district in the core only if and only if those revenues are available to them under certain circumstances thanks and there are a lot of the speakers today uh Mr Woodling and Mr.

Caban amongst others that the the gap financing to help with the crisis we have to start turning the tide on the affordable housing challenges we have this is a great step and thanks to the planning department and and everybody for for guiding us through this and I'm glad to support this today we had a motion and a second can we have a roll call please melton row festerson goodwin hug Mr.

President aye motion passed six to zero consent agenda any member of the city council may cause any item placed on the consent agenda to be removed I'm just removed from the consent agenda shall be taken up by the city council immediately following the consent agenda and the order in which they were removed unless otherwise provided by the city council rules of order.

The public hearing on agenda items 14 through 18 were held on September night 2025 any council discussion motion and a second roll call melton roe festerson good one hug Mr.

President I motion passed six to zero the public hearings and agenda items 19 through 28 are today if you wish to address the city council regarding these items please come to the microphone indicate the agenda item number you wish to address identify yourself by your name address who you represent if you're a proponent or opponent I will now open the public hearing are there any proponents I counsel the Basilio Swantas 1006 Howard Street Omaha Nebraska 68102 co-owner and uh acting as now the new manager of bar for one five thank you are there any other proponents here today proponent ma'am or are you a proponent?

Co-owner and uh acting as now the new manager of bar four one five.

Thank you.

Are there any other proponents here today?

Proponent, ma'am.

Are you a proponent?

Okay.

Did you want to come up?

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

My name is Felicia Smith.

I'm the ACV director for the Omaha Housing Authority.

Um, I am here and proponent for uh item number 26, which is a renewal of the contract with the Omaha Housing Authority to administer vouchers for uh disabled families.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

And a motion and a second roll call.

Melton.

Yes.

Row.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Hug.

Yes.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed six to zero.

Item 29, a resolution to approve the issuance of one or more series of its general obligation bonds to finance the rehabilitation, construction, improvement, equipping, and furnishing of the CHI Center.

Council discussion.

Is there a motion?

Motion and a second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed.

Six to zero.

Item 30, a resolution to approve a settlement agreement for Catherine Belcastro Gonzalez versus City of Omaha in the amount of $500,000 and 160,000 in attorney fees.

I will open the public hearing on item number 30.

Are there any proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Got a motion.

Motion is second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Rowe.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Hug.

No.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed.

Five to one.

Item 31.

In ordinance to approve an option for a two-year extension of the DPS LLC contract for transportation of sludge cakes.

Public hearing is now open on item number 31.

Are there any proponents here today?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Item 32, an ordinance to acquire private property for the signal infrastructure phase F2 project.

Public hearing is now open on item 32.

Are there any proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Item 33, an ordinance to approve a street, a street light maintenance agreement with Cryton University.

Public hearing is open on item 33.

Is there any proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Item 34, an ordinance to accept the bid of cash law in the amount of 95,478 dollars 36 cents for food concessions and supplies for the parks department.

Public hearing is open on item number 34.

Are there any proponents?

Seeing none, is there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Item 35, an ordinance to approve the contract with Thompson Reuters for books and services for the law department.

Public hearing is open on item number 35.

Is there any proponents?

Seeing none, is there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Non-action items, items 36 through 47 do not require public hearing or city council consideration at this meeting, but will be placed on a future agenda for public hearing and our vote.

The reason for non-action is noted after the item on the agenda, as well as the date the item is expected to appear on an agenda for consideration.

Got a motion to adjourn.

Motion to adjourn.

Motion and a second roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Good one.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed.

Six to zero.

Meaning is adjourned at 358.