Fesserson.

Good one.

Harding.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

And millions of vulnerable families going without their food stamp or SNAP benefits.

To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a family of four net income after certain extensions expenses can't exceed the federal property line, which is thirty-two thousand dollars per year.

Last year, SNAP assisted nearly forty-two million people, about two-thirds of whom were families with children.

In Nebraska, a hundred and fifty thousand or nearly eight percent of our families depend upon SNAP.

As a former food pantry administrator, I can remember having to tell a mum mother of four that four dollars over her income put her over the eligibility for SNAP food assistance, which emphasizes the barrier that so many working families face.

What a quarterback does.

And I'm looking at this and I'm kind of freaking out a little bit.

I'm like, what do I do?

Do I go get a cup of water and dump it on that?

Absolutely not.

So I called 911, and it's station 34 up from my house.

Who this summer I hosted those firefighters down for a grill out.

And I called 911 and within it seemed like seconds.

Is there smoke coming out?

It's not my house isn't on fire, but that plug is going up the wall, and it's raised my attention.

And I I called 911.

The operator was absolutely great.

Firefighters arrived in no time, and they took care of the issue.

We got the breaker shut off.

And before I I think that had I gone to bed and not gone downstairs, there's no doubt, my house would have been on fire.

And I had two smoke detectors, not one in the back there where I should have.

So the lesson I want to tell people is to have a plan for your family on those spring forward fallback days.

And also what I don't have that I'm getting is a fire extinguisher.

And there's all kinds of fire extinguishers out there.

A couple of webs, a website and a phone number, or great fire department has.org.

If you go to that website, there's great information on smoke detectors, how you can get free smoke detectors for people that are elderly or they can't afford them.

It's a great it's a great website, and also you can call the public education office at 4024 3560.

So I I just in a public service announcement to have a plan and get a smoke detector, make sure your smoke alarms are working and check on neighbors and family members, because if you don't have that, you're putting yourself and your family at risk.

And also the brave men and women of the fire department.

That as I gave an example, they responded, and I want to thank them.

I always give those guys a hard time.

They hit their horn when they go by my house at two in the morning sometimes.

But I saw their dedication and their professionalism.

I stood back and watched, and I was in awe of how great they are.

So I hope somebody at least takes that with them today to help out a family member and always check your smoke detectors.

Thank you.

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

Good afternoon and welcome to the meeting of the Omah City Council.

As a courtesy to those in attendance and to facilitate the conduct of our business, we ask that you please silence or turn off all electronic devices.

A reminder 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, we read them.

Finally, council members, we ask that we pull our microphones up.

Everybody's been doing that.

That's great.

So those in the public can hear us speaking.

Also, if you come down to the microphone, do the same, have that microphone in front of you so people in home can hear us and the audience can as well.

Item six to consider a class C liquor license for Sip and Spice located at 6610 South 168th Street, suite 10.

Public hearing is now open on item number six.

Is the applicant here today on Zoom?

Yes.

I'm here.

Hi everybody, my name is Moulish.

I'm the co-owner of Sip and Spice, speaking on the liquor license.

Can we get your address as well, please?

Yes.

6610 South 168th Street, suite number 10, Omaha, Nebraska.

68135.

Thank you.

Is there any proponents here today in item number six?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Got a motion and a second roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed.

Seven to zero.

Item seven, a resolution to approve the preliminary plat for Indian Creek Village, located southeast of 192nd and Fort Street's planning board and planning department.

Recommend approval.

I'll open a public hearing on item number seven.

Is the applicant here today?

Oh, sorry.

Um is the applicant here.

There he is.

Sorry.

Thought he was on Zoom.

Only one on zoom.

Yeah.

Well, I'm Joe Foley with Foley Shawled Engineering, uh, 3930 South 147th Street.

Here on behalf of the applicant.

Um really just here for questions.

We think it's a pretty good fit for this site, uh 63 lot single family residential.

And I'd just be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Thank you.

Is there any proponents here on item number seven?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Motion is second roll call.

Melton, roe.

Festerson, good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed.

Seven to zero.

Item eight.

A resolution to approve the preliminary plat for Orchard Hill, replant 18, located west of 40th and Franklin Streets, Planning Board and Planning Department.

Recommend approval.

I'll open the public hearing on items nine through 11.

8.

Okay.

Okay.

I'm totally missing it.

Okay.

Item 8.

Open public hearing on item number 8.

Proponent.

Applicant.

Good afternoon.

Randy Kushock with Lamper Nearson.

14710 West Dodge Road, Omaha, Nebraska.

Um here on behalf of the applicant, Holy Name Housing Corporation.

Here to answer any questions you may have today.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents here today in item number eight?

Eight, right?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed seven to zero.

Items nine through eleven can be considered together for MH Landing Replat 3, located northeast of 70th and Grover Streets, Planning Board and Planning Department.

Recommend approval.

Items nine and 10 are resolutions to approve the preliminary plat and final plat.

Item 11, a resolution to approve the subdivision agreement.

Public hearing is now open for items 9 through 11.

Is the applicant here?

Good afternoon.

Yes, thank you.

My name is Becca Hall.

I'm with Lamp Rangerson.

My address is 147-10 West Dodge Road, and I'm here on behalf of the applicant, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you have.

Thank you.

Is there any proponents here for items nine through 11?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Second.

Motion is second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Roe.

Festerson.

Yes.

Goodwin.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed.

Seven to zero.

Items 12 through 15 can be considered together for Old Town Village Replat 1, located north of 14th and William Streets, Planning Board and Planning Department.

Recommend approval.

Item 12, an ordinance to rezone this property from GI district to MBD district.

Items 13 and 14, resolutions to approve the preliminary plat and final plat.

Item 15, a resolution to approve the subdivision agreement.

Public hearing is now open for items 12 through 15.

Mr.

McClay, good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Tom McClay, uh 1323 South Twelfth Street.

Here, uh Claire Development Company, on behalf of Clarity Development Company, the developer of these projects.

Um as part of this project.

Uh just lift this up, right?

Yeah.

Uh you might recall.

Oops, sorry, is it gonna come up there?

No, okay.

There you go, Tom.

Okay.

Uh we were uh in front of you a couple of months ago uh in regards to these projects, Little Bow Village, Lilbo Historic Tax Credits, as uh we've referred to them.

Uh it is uh on a series of different parcels.

Uh we worked really hard on this project to interweave this development into the neighborhood.

Uh retaining the historic buildings by using state and federal historic tax credits to to do so and to uh uh uh put new construction in and out, kind of so to speak, um, in a smaller scale.

Three stories, two stories sometimes.

Uh we do get to almost five stories on the podium building, uh which has the uh parking garage underneath it.

Uh this is an angle from 13th and William Street.

Um you'll see as we go along.

I assume we'll get called uh as we proceed here into multiple plates.

They're all really effectively the same project.

This is 13th William View.

This is then the 14th and William View.

As you'll see, this is the old town village plat.

This would be the Zlata Husa Platte.

Zlatahusa is Golden Goose and Czech.

That was the restaurant that was here that we are using historic tax credits to bring back, along with the donut stop on 14th Street and these two buildings, which date from the 1880s.

We've retained there's four houses as well here that are dating from the 1890s to 1905 that we're going to retain to try to continue to have a little bit of that history that's part of the neighborhood.

We have 154 units of new construction that we're looking to develop in the location.

We are seeking TIFF.

I believe that's part of something that will be coming up here later is the agreement for TIFF.

We have been in front of you previously on TIFF already on the plan itself.

Hopefully you all remember that.

Happy to answer any questions or any details that might need to be discussed.

You'd want to have.

So we've really had an opportunity to get out, talk amongst the community.

Mr.

Begley came to uh one of the business improvement district board meetings, as well as a representatives from the planning board and the the public works department.

So one of the things that I did want to talk a little bit about, I think it's neglected oftentimes.

I come up and stand and speak with you, probably too long, more often than not.

Uh, but I am just the tip of the iceberg of the folks that work on a project like this to make it happen for Omaha.

It is a private side, it's a public side, uh, and I don't think they always get enough credit.

Uh it seems as if it's just kind of me standing up here.

Um here with me, uh Zach Scott from sorry, Zach Scott from TD Squared, our civil engineers, uh Matt Smith, uh, who along with Bruce Yoder, our one by two architects, our architects, uh Zach Bowman, we have multiple Zachs, uh, Zach Bowman, yeah, who's our CFO of Clarity Development Company, Sidney Shinost, who runs our property management department, who I think you did hear from on our last hearing.

Um, and this is just a tiny, this is the the str the small team, SEAL Team Six, if you will, in this project.

Uh, in addition to Zach here, uh, I'm gonna I wrote some of these down just to try and give you an idea of how many people get involved, um figuring out what's the best use of this project, how to make it the strongest and the best for Omaha.

Uh Joe Deflas and Kiff Squire, TD Squared, um, the whole ETI team, Justin Vyke, uh, is the the leader there.

Um, this is not even getting into all of the construction folks that will be on this project, which will actually probably end up being in the hundreds between carpenters, plumbers, masons, electricians, drywallers, pipe fitters.

Uh you it goes on and on with the number of folks that will be a part of this project on the private side.

In addition, the creation of this, that we have a number of venues that will be uh bar and restaurant venues.

You have weight staff, you have back of house, uh, the folks in the culinary department.

Um, we'll have additional property managers.

There is another wave of folks that are have to be involved to make this operational and functional uh to you know, have our community flourish really.

In addition to all that, then we have the public side uh that has to uh weigh in, work with uh the the public works department headed up by Mr.

Stuby.

I've already seen on this project, Brian Lotus, Austin Rouser, Ryan Haas, Jeff Rieselman, all of who have looked, evaluated, given input, refined, changed this project on the public sector side.

And I'm planning uh led by Mr.

Fanslaw, of course, here.

Also Eric England, Mike Carter, Jed Moulton, Tim Freeze, uh, the economic development piece of it, Bridget Hadley, Don Seaton, who might be here to get some credit, uh, Jacqueline Morrison who I did see here, who's been wonderful to work with.

Uh and even then, I know there's people behind them that are working on this with them to make it happen to bring our city something special, something unique.

And there doesn't get enough attention.

You hear me blather on for a while, and then and then we move on, and they don't work, they don't they work outside the spotlight, so to speak.

So I think that was important, and I hope I hope you all agree it was a worthwhile uh little uh tangent there, so to speak.

Um the uh the project itself, as I indicated, um is is really made a very concerted effort.

Uh Matt and Bruce and myself and our civil engineers, our structural engineers.

I mean it'll it's down to the inches with this project because it is in a historic location.

We didn't want to disturb the integrity of all those historic buildings throughout this project.

So we got down into that type of granular, but I think that is what it takes to make it really happen.

Um have received a ton of support from folks in the neighborhood since we've uh started talking about this.

Um here's a series of quotes that that I've uh been given here recently.

You might need to zoom out.

I don't know if I can do that myself or right here.

Well, we'll get there.

The excitement that I've seen on this project is might be more than any project I've ever worked on.

And I believe it's because it has the ability to transform Omaha's front door, has ability to transform a neighborhood that has seen a lot of disinvestment over many decades.

Uh the neighborhood has suffered through lots of self-storage, lots of scrapyards, lots of things that are not helping it.

It's its high point in the 1950s was a dense commercial district.

Almost the entire area that we're talking about was residential, was commercial spaces.

Uh 13th and William was the epicenter of Little Bohemia.

Uh that was all part of this neighborhood that made it so great.

And then things changed uh into the 70s and the 80s, uh, there was a real exodus uh in the exterior uh to the to the exterior suburbs, which led to that kind of great disinvestment.

This project, I believe has that opportunity to finally change that course and that trajectory of little bohemia to be what it can be, something really special.

They're over course, a few naysayers.

That always happens.

Uh they they do uh appear.

Uh the the naysayers, I think in this instance have taken a tact of the I always say that those folks are anti-development, and honestly, the folks that we've seen here have been anti-development on every single project.

Their their best friend is red tape.

More more studies, more this, more that paralysis by analysis, keep dragging it.

We can't do this.

Well, we have to do this, we have to do that.

We just did and the hope is you just tire, you fatigue.

The project dies from time from that that paralysis that sets in with just chronic going over and over.

Um that is what we've seen.

We really hope and appreciate we can get the city council's support.

Uh, we've appreciated the recommendation from the city planning uh department for this project for this rezoning and this replatting, uh, and as well as the TIFF agreement, which of course we've already uh had the plan before you.

Uh so that is now uh the the agreement itself.

Happy to answer any questions.

Our civil engineers, our architects are here as well to answer any questions uh that you uh may all have.

Uh again, really appreciate the support.

And one of the things too is the city to make a project like this happen.

I you have to say you have to go back about 10 years or so, uh 20 maybe on the on the public side.

As you all here on the city council know, we have a future land use plan that our planning department put tens of thousands of hours, man hours to put together that future land use plan, which then dictates how we anticipate seeing our city grow.

What are the right uses?

What are the right locations?

This project, the front door of Omaha, the doorstep of downtown.

This is in that future land use plan indicated for this use for this type of density, and I believe they're wholeheartedly correct.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents here on items 12 through 15?

Come on down.

I better answer my wife is here as well.

Sorry, I'd be in big trouble.

Good afternoon.

I am Caroline McBride, 1222 South 12th Street.

My company is Rebel Interactive on South 13th Street, as well as Chicks in Charge Commercial Real Estate, where I hold a number of buildings on 13th Street.

I'm here today in support of this project.

In the over 20 years that we've been downtown and operating successfully, we've been waiting for this type of project to come along.

And we're very excited about it.

And throughout this whole process, what's become clear to me is the need for a continued dialogue on both sides of the aisle on in Little Bohemia on all issues.

As more development continues to come into 13th Street as a result of this project, I think it's really important for us to come together, disagree, agree to disagree, and work with the City Council and our officials on getting rules and regs changed that we think fit our neighborhood.

Little Bohemia isn't necessarily a one-size-fits-all neighborhood.

And I think it's very special as well, and I think it deserves a lot of extra attention.

So again, this is not a BID board and for endorsement.

I'm endorsing as an individual, but as a BID member, I know this fits the neighborhood and suits it well.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other proponents here today?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Donnie, please shut your phone off for us.

Thanks.

I was trying to turn it off.

Thanks.

Good afternoon, members of the council.

Thank you for the opportunity to present today.

My name is Dave Hempel, 1255 South 13th Street.

I'm here to discuss how the recent developments have impacted parking and how the newly proposed development will worsen the situation.

I am hoping for the sake of the neighborhood, the city, and the developer, we can find some solutions.

Little Bohemia is experiencing significant growth and change, and I want to applaud Tom and his team because they have done a great job.

With the new business's uh residential developments and an increase in population, it's essential to ensure the parking and safety is taken into consideration.

I propose that the council prioritize the idea of doing a more comprehensive study prior to approving the requested zoning changes and using the already approved walkability study in conjunction with the parking analysis to accomplish this.

I've handed all of you out a packet with substantial detailed information that requires careful consideration.

Contents include pictures, a parking study, a petition, a parking analysis extract from the 2018 walkability study, a letter from someone from the BID, and a letter from Paul Verendi Monument Company who couldn't be here today.

First, there are picks.

This is a picture showing 14th Street where this development was going to happen.

Looking north on a Sunday morning or Sunday from between 12 and 12:30, these pictures were taken.

This is looking south on 14th Street from the dog park bar.

All parking spots are full.

This is the entrance to the to the warehouse of Chicago Lumber, where trucks are coming out in and out every day with the product.

This is 12th and Williams Street, looking south from Briggs.

You can see that all the parking spots are full.

This is the parking lot adjacent to where I took that picture, which is Little Bow Bungalow parking, which is empty because of the due to the costs is what we're hearing.

The next item is a parking study, which I did myself.

I use Google Earth and walk the area accounting houses and parking places, both on and off street.

I used the national averages of number of vehicles for houses, apartments, and commercial spaces.

You can see the current situation with the recent development.

We're 98 spaces short.

And with the new proposed development, we will be 313 spaces.

I didn't take into consideration all the people that Tom brought up today that will be working down there.

I have a petition signed by over 50 residents, property owners and business owners combined asking for a comprehensive study, evaluating the new development center.

Your three minutes is up, Dave.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thanks for being here tonight.

Thanks for the information you gave us.

Are there any other opponents?

Good afternoon.

I'm Hall City Council, Donnie R.

Johnson at John City Christian Foundation and Northern How Concerned Citizen Foundation.

4928 North 52nd Street.

I would like to take this opportunity to say we all have benefited from the Bohemian Cafe going back to the 1960s in Little Italy.

I think it's a wonderful project.

I just want to make sure that the state called me other day and saying the let's go car system is not getting consideration.

So we'll put electrical outlets for their electrical cars in the future generation of the Bohemian to have a place to park to have beautiful cars.

Thank you.

Are there any other opponents here today?

Items 12 through 15.

Good afternoon.

My name is Sean Colterman at 1446 South 13th Street.

Thanks, Council.

Um, in collaboration with the Little Bohemia BID with neighboring businesses and residents of Little Bohemia, I am here to support a recent request by a member of the Little Bohemia BID board for a parking study to be conducted before rezoning of a very nicely designed series of projects by Clarity Development is approved.

As context for this issue, my office sits adjacent to Boho Flats, which is a recently constructed multifamily uh apartment building that has commercial space on the main level.

And for this project at city planning and at city council, parking issues were brought up.

Uh parking versus occupancy is a big delta.

So 59 residents, 24 spots.

Parking was presented as actually increasing at the building perimeter, but our company has lost five street parking spots on Pine due to no parking signs, and a pedestrian node swallowed two more of the spots on 13th Street.

So the net change in street parking is actually negative seven.

Now cars have been towed from Pine Street, uh parking wherever they can despite the no parking signs.

And two individuals recently gave our masonry company that had absolutely nothing to do with their cars being towed, one star Google reviews because they wrongfully thought that was us.

Um so these are little things that we foresaw and tried to troubleshoot at planning and at City Council, and I I believe these are little things that proper planning could have prevented, but they weren't, and now my staff has to deal with the outcome on a daily basis.

Mr.

McClay mentioned earlier a sizable team of professionals that have worked on his projects already.

Um why does so much disinterest or perhaps even resistance exist with the appropriate planning for parking?

And to illustrate that, uh, amongst the Little Bow bungalows and flats that's proposed, uh Little Bohemia Village rather that's proposed, Boho Flats.

Um, there are approximately 546 either units or projected employees and customers that could be at that space at any given time.

546 versus parking spaces that are being created for those buildings of 119.

So that leaves a shortage at any given time of a of 430 parking spaces.

Is that sustainable without planning?

Does that sound like it's been carefully planned?

Is the question that I ask it?

I would just submit no and the request to have a parking study to help solve some of those problems before the damage occurs, like it has in Blackstone and other places where a parking structure have had to be built after the fact after business have closed down.

Uh Sean, your three messes up.

Thanks, Mr.

Coltman.

Thank you.

Are there any other opponents here on items 12 through 15?

Miss Bluvis, good afternoon.

Welcome.

Good afternoon.

I don't know if I'm really an opponent, but I have some questions and comments.

Uh Karen Bluvis, 824 Worthington Street.

Uh, and I live in the Dalman area, which encompasses this.

I'd like to also add that all four of my grandparents grew up in Little Bohemia.

So I know the area very, very well.

I have friends who like to come down and would like to join more of the things happening on South 13th Street, but they tell me they can't find parking.

So they don't come.

Is this going to be another one of the uh uh activities like that happens in uh Blackstone and whatever where businesses will go out of business because people can't get to them?

I hope not.

I hope we can uh take care of that.

Um residents discouraged because of parking.

I ask you, as others have before me to postpone this vote until a walkability parking analysis or whatever can be completed so we can make this project successful.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other opponents here?

Terry White, 1951 South 11th Street, Omaha, Nebraska, 68108.

I was thinking about some other neighborhoods and how they thrived.

Vincent Street on Venton Street uh two hours, two big buildings on Vinton Street between 16th and 18th were removed, and houses behind uh those commercial businesses were moved, and that created a lot of parking, and that's why they thrived in South Omaha N Street, between 24th and 25th, the large area was removed, and that created parking there, and between um 24th and 25th, on 25th, half that block was removed, and that created parking.

What we're doing here is uh putting in apartment buildings when we should be thinking about parking first for the existing businesses and then development that's gonna need some of that parking.

And and and you were uh at the you mentioned a meeting of the BID for the neighborhood.

Most of those people there had negative comments about the development plans, especially about parking.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other opponents here?

Items 12 through 15.

Larry Store, 5015 Lafayette Avenue, Omaha 68132.

I'm against this uh public hearing and vote because I really don't think we need to waste the time.

It's already decided, so why spend the time doing this and the taxpayers' dollars?

But I remember going back away as when this all started.

I believe this gentleman said five or six hearings ago.

Well, very few citizens know that there's that many hearings, and very few citizens know that it's cut and dried before it gets here.

All we're doing today is waiting for the signature by the mayor.

That's the truth of the matter.

But this is also about changing culture.

We used to talk about little bohemia.

Now I'm not off topic.

Some of the other people were slightly off topic, so don't call me out of order.

It's not Little Italy, as Don called it, it's little Bohemia.

This ordinance, the way it's written, does away with that language.

Is also destroying that culture and the retail and the people's enjoyment of their own neighborhood.

And I'm seeing this happen in Dundee.

You're a block away from my street now.

Multiple people in small houses bring many different cars, and they plug up the narrow streets in Dundee.

It's happening all over the city.

This is part of your mobility plan, so people will have to ride the bus someday, but they don't.

Somebody ought to ride the bicycle someday, but they don't.

But let's keep narrowing the streets down more with more streetcar projects and stuff.

And we can't build big garages all over the city, like you're forcing them to do in uh in Blackstone.

Where are you gonna build big parking garages down in Little Bow?

It is Little Beau.

It's not Little Italy, and it's not Old Town.

So let's stop changing the culture of Omaha.

We hired you to preserve it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other opponents here today on items 12 through 15?

Ms.

Kelly on Zoom, can you hear me?

Uh yes, I can.

Yeah.

Can we get your I give your name and address, please?

And the floor is yours.

Yes.

Um, my name is Grace Kelly, and I'm a current resident of 3308 North 53rd Street in Benson.

Um, and up until July, I lived on South 10th Street across the Cabrini Church in the historic Cornish apartments.

In the few short months that I've lived away from Little Bohemia, I've already witnessed changes that worry me about its future and so-called development.

I'm a statistician by training, so in the lead up to this meeting, I did some number crunching.

I recorded the rent and square footage of 26 available units on McLay's current Omaha apartment properties.

The average rent of these properties was 1350 with an average square foot of 690.

According to a September 2025 market report by Apartment Advisor, the median rent in Omaha is 925 and square footage is 826.

Omaha ranks as the 74th least expensive American city.

However, the prices at McClay's apartments are much higher comparable to more expensive cities like Portland, New Orleans, Denver, and Fresno, California.

They are also approximately $300 more expensive than the Omaha median and have less square footage.

I also couldn't help but notice that many of McLee's apartment listings have bonus incentives such as months of free rent and reduced moving costs, which lead me to believe that the vacancy rates at these properties are high.

Last year I attended many we make Omaha strategic planning sessions.

Not once in those meetings, did I hear someone from the Little Bohemia neighborhood say we need to overpopulate this area, take away parking, and build 150 more expensive apartments.

Instead, some themes from this analysis were affordability and choice, beauty and vibrancy, including historic architecture, vibrant green spaces, and cultural identity, and connectivity and accessibility.

As many have mentioned, taking away parking with this plan, making people reply rely on Ubers and transit to get to the area, we lose accessibility and less in connectivity.

By adding expensive apartments, we lose affordability and less in choice, as other nearby apartments rise in price.

By overcrowding the neighborhood, potentially adding in national national chains and a pickleball court, we scrub little bohemia of its historic and cultural identity.

I loved living in little bohemia.

I am not fully a nacer on development, and I loved seeing the area revitalized as new small businesses like Mossoluna, Platypus, and Pop Fiction have been incrementally added.

However, the extensive plan as it stands is not for the development of the little Bohemian neighborhood.

In my opinion, it primarily enhances developer profits rather than truly revitalizing this historic enclave.

I implore the council to think about who benefits from this plan and how we want to shape the future of our city.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other opponents?

Anybody else on Zoom?

Any other opponents on 12 through 15?

Public hearing is closed.

I'll I'll just a couple questions, Mr.

McClay, if you can.

Um I know you had several meetings, and I attended the one you mentioned.

I know there was concerns about parking, and those are always challenges with developments.

What's your response just on the parking in general for the area, all the development that's going on?

As I mentioned last meeting, iOffice there uh every day.

There are hundreds of parking spots that I stare at every day.

Those pictures uh that were displayed were I think the right per right phrase would be cherry-picked uh for specific times, specific moments that you have some parking on a specific street.

Oftentimes the the picture uh, for instance, on 12th Street, that's the corner that I'm at where that picture was taken.

There is never any parking to the there is abundant parking to the south of that picture.

If it simply would have been turned around, it would have occurred.

A one time occurrence on a Sunday morning of a picture.

It's this perception that seems to be perpetuated by the opponents of the project that have opposed every project down there.

There does not seem to be a desire for improvement in the neighborhood for that group.

That group also opposed the very creation of the business improvement district, uh, which uh all of you who are here were on the city council done.

So that idea and perception of parking being an issue is just that.

It is a perception.

You all have uh seen a lot of developments we've done through the years.

The parking and not just myself, other developers, and I think we've got a really strong group of developers in Omaha, particularly in the urban core, creating a more vibrant uh place working with our planning department hand in hand, uh, the public works department that we evaluate, they indicate what it is that makes sense, where the right density is, where the parking is located.

Of course, this parking does have an entire ground floor level of garage parking that's part of it.

That density is needed, that density and the parking use on let's keep in mind this is parking on public streets.

I mean, this is open to the public.

Any road we drive on is a public road.

These are public streets.

Um one of the gentlemen had mentioned Dundee.

Uh I live in Mr.

Festerson's district, district one.

Uh I live uh within a block of downtown Dundee.

And there are very frequently people who park in front of my house, park in front of my street, because it is a public street, and that is where they park.

That ability to use parking across things.

We most parking is used maximum of eight hours a day.

There's 24 hours in a day, as we all know.

The parking garages when we built them, which was uh unbeknownst to me working with the parking department of the city of Omaha, it's the the flow of parking is the most important thing you can establish because of that.

It's only sitting there for eight hours.

If we continue to say, well, we're gonna build a parking spot to park for eight hours and another parking spot to park for eight hours and another parking spot, we end up with three times the number of parking spots, a whole lot of a whole lot of concrete, a whole lot of nothing, and wildly inefficient.

A number of studies have been done, and I presented at the last uh TIFF hearing that indicate the biggest enemy of affordable housing is the parking requirements that are still out there in some locations, but I will applaud our planning department for being at the forefront of this analysis and understanding uh Mr.

England who works for Mr.

Fanslaw had said at the BID meeting we are over a billion parking spots in the United States.

It has to end.

We have to create efficiencies, and those efficiencies are created through public partnerships, oftentimes where that one parking spot gets used three times, not just once.

It's just common sense at that point.

I think I I can go on and on about this issue, and I I apologize if I've already gone on too long.

But at the fundamental issue is to look at efficient use of parking, not just look at it as this myopic, we're gonna build what's the phrase, we're gonna build a church for you don't build a church for Christmas and Easter.

That is partially at the root of this.

There's always gonna be a moment where parking is in demand.

That's not how you build parking.

It's wasteful.

Thank you.

Councilman Hugg, you're recognized.

Good afternoon.

And just for the record, that's not your daughter.

Well played, councilman.

Um have you seen the picture of package that was distributed to us?

Uh-huh.

Okay.

Well, I saw it here as it was presented, but I had not seen it before.

I I just got a couple of questions about it just for clarity.

Um, but there's two pictures of the same parking lot at Little Bo Bungalows.

And it says not utilized due to cost.

I mean, the parking lot does look empty.

If you're gonna be asked about pictures, you should probably thank you, Council Melton.

Um, I'm gonna define Can you pull the microphone towards you there?

Thanks.

Sure.

Um the great part, Sydney Shinost, who uh runs our property management department.

I think would be a great one to answer this.

Sydney.

Um Sydney Shyness 1323 South 12th Street.

That lot is fully leased.

There's 13 spots there, all leased and they're all being paid for.

And okay, there and they're leased to residents.

So the residents lease parking spots.

Yep.

And and there's how many parking stalls in there?

13.

13, okay.

Um that picture was, I think I described cherry-picked.

Um, our residents work.

They work at Offit, they work at the zoo, uh, they work downtown, they might work in West Omaha.

Uh they are gone during the day because they're out working.

Uh, that's that was likely, it looks to be daylight in that picture, was likely a weekday in which that parking occurred.

That that picture occurred.

Well, looking from the shadow, I would say it was probably afternoon, but that's just a guess.

I I do have a question for Mr.

Hemple, Mr.

President, if I may.

That be permissible.

Would you mind?

Of course.

Morning, Mr.

Hemple.

Hi, Councilman Hugg, how are you?

You and you you you know that I'm familiar with this neighborhood probably as much as anybody.

Yes, you are.

By the way, those pictures were taken July 6th, Sunday at noon.

Okay.

All the pictures.

All the pictures.

Okay.

So noon.

They're not cherry-picked.

Noon on noon on Sunday.

Okay, well, thanks for that clarification.

You're welcome.

Um that's all I really had for you.

I just want, you know, I also this no pay is coming from the people across the street.

You saw it on the news last week from one of the neighboring houses that use pylons to the case.

Dave, you got to stay on the question that he asks you.

Okay.

Okay.

You have another question, Rob.

Uh no, I I just wanted to cla uh clarify that because I was looking at the shadows of the pictures and the directions, trying to determine.

I mean, it it did look to me like other than the parking lot picture, I would say look to me like it may have been afternoon, but the rest of them look like based on the shadows to be taken in the morning.

No, I have documentation of when those are taken as well if you need it.

Okay.

I I just this one of that for clarification.

Any other questions you folks have, please ask.

Mr.

Hempel, thanks.

We're here to collaborate.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate that.

Any other questions, Councilman Huggins?

Um I I Tom, would you come back up?

And and we have talked about this before.

And but in all frankness and honesty, you are not the genesis of the redevelopment of little Bohemia.

That distinction goes to Donald Perhaps.

I believe was the true genesis of this and the redevelopment of the hotel at 13th and William Street, which still stands today as a testament to his vision, which I believe again was a genesis of this whole redevelopment of an area that you know goes back five generations of my family.

So just for the record, you you know how I am.

You know you know how how I feel about it.

You know, I I had the uh the privilege of working with Don many years ago uh before his passing, and uh he was a great man, and I agree.

I I think he he started it, and and hopefully uh those of us who are uh picking up the torch can can do him proud.

Thank you.

I'm done, Mr.

President.

Thanks, Councilman Hugg.

Council member Goodwin, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

This question is, or I believe it would be the planning department about the 2018 walkability study.

Um but first, Mr.

Hemple, I wanted to just acknowledge that I appreciate this information and the work that uh you put into it.

Um it shows that you you're you care about um your neighborhood and and and care about making sure that we have the proper information for decision making.

Um Mr.

Fanslaw.

Um this is a 2018 walkability study.

It's 2025.

Um how long are these studies usually considered relevant?

Um city planning.

Um it it I don't think there's any one specific time frame I can put on a walkability study, although I do believe that a new one is being commissioned.

So to update that 2018 plan.

Um, 2018.

Um we had just started experiencing maybe a few or years a few years before that.

Kind of a uh uh a rebirth of the area.

A lot of the property along 13th Street was zoned GI.

Um we we started seeing requests and we were able to support some requests to rezone that property to NBD neighborhood business district.

As you know, 13th Street has um on street parking.

Um it's within a commercial note in our current master plan.

Um it it encourages um commercial um businesses to be located.

I I I think if you look up and down 13th Street 10 years ago, uh a lot of the commercial businesses were in that um GI zone property, which is probably inappropriate.

So again, a number of years ago we started entertaining requests to rezone it to NBD.

It seemed like a good time in 2018 to commission that walkability study, and I believe an update of that is happening currently.

Thank you for that.

So I just would like a little more clarity.

Um I see here the walk at least page 20 that's provided in this packet by Mr.

Hemple, but then I see a response from the mayor's office is about uh the request for a walkability study.

It does not include parking analysis, although the page 20 of the 2018 walkability study does.

So I just want to understand like the reason if just from I think maybe it would help us all to understand why a walkability study is not included in this um new study that's being provided okay.

So I'll I'll I'll try there.

I don't have the information that you have in front of you, so and it's well I'm gonna sit here and read it if you'd like me to do that.

So I I probably won't have time to read this.

So what your your question is why not the parking study?

Right, because it was included in the 2018 um study.

Yeah.

Well walkability plan study.

Um I again 2018, we're in 2025, seven years later.

During the entertainment and the conversations around this project and other projects that have come that way, our way in in that amount of time.

Again, some of those properties changing over from GI to NBD.

Although the 2018 walkability plan mentioned a parking study, we just it is our true belief that it's just not required as part of this development plan.

We haven't required it in another development plans along 13th Street.

Again, this is um the mixed-use boundary in that area isn't just focused on 13th Street, it it bleeds to the east, it bleeds to the west.

Um we don't think it rises to the level of an entire parking study for the area at this time.

And again, I I I didn't read up on the 18 study, and I surely didn't read the emails that you received with it.

No, and I can appreciate that.

Uh perhaps there's more clarity that can be brought later because there does seem just to be a difference between the information provided in the walkability study in 2018 versus the analysis that's provided in the new plan.

And I I'm wanting just to learn, not really, and just to understand where that gap lies.

Yeah.

So I mean we can talk offline, we can talk about much more if you if you want in the in the future.

Thank you.

Sure.

Thank thanks, Councilmember Goodwin.

One quick question for Director Stuby, please.

Bob Stuby, public works.

Bob, we had a walkability study that the council voted on, if I recall correctly this past summer, correct?

Yeah, that's correct.

As Mr.

Fanzlong indicated, uh, the study was done back in 2018 because of the change with regard to kind of the um the addition of uh apartments in the area.

Also, we're looking at traffic impact uh traffic flows for 2050 versus 2040.

So that's part of the reason for the the study.

Um it will take place uh starting fall of this year.

There'll be a public engagement late winter, and they should have a report coming out in the spring of 26.

It's just not looking at walkability, it's looking at traffic, um, multimodal safety, bicycle and pedestrian amenities, and also um transit interaction in the corridor.

Okay.

Thanks, Mr.

Stoobey.

Councilman Fezerson, you recognize.

Thanks, Mr.

President.

I'm supportive of this item today.

I do think it's revitalizing one of our great historic business districts in the city.

I think most testifiers today are trying to achieve that same thing, just trying to find the best balance between its future and its great history.

Um I think that's also what the business improvement district is trying to accomplish too, and I can see a great future for this part of our city.

Um I did have some follow up questions on the parking.

I think that's the one issue that's really being identified today as an item of concern.

But I think um Mr.

Bagley and Mrs.

and Ms.

uh Goodwin.

I already asked my questions, and uh that Mr.

McClay did a good job of answering the philosophy behind the planning department's analysis in this respect.

So that answered the question for me for now.

And I'll go ahead and move approval for items 12 through 16.

Second.

Uh roll call.

Milton.

Yes.

Row.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Yes.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Yes.

Mr.

President.

I motion passed seven to zero.

Item 16 through 19 can be considered together.

First the Lada Hooza plat located northwest of 13th and William Streets.

Planning Board and Planning Department recommend approval.

Item 16, an ordinance to rezone this property from GI District, MPD district.

17 and 18 resolutions to approve the preliminary plat and final plat.

Item 19, a resolution to approve the subdivision agreement.

Public hearing is now open on items 16 through 19.

Calling for proponents, the applicant here today.

Tom McClain, uh 1323 South Twelfth Street.

Feel like I was just here.

Yes.

Uh this is um uh the as I indicated before.

There's a sweet just scrape everything, and one of the things I I should have mentioned, the easiest thing for any developer to do would be to scrape every building on this site and build new.

That would also be the most profitable for any developer to do.

We chose not to do that.

We chose to save the various elements that I had talked about previously from the Zlato Husa, which is where the Golden Goose, which is the name of this plat, which encompasses these parcels, um, to then um the donut stop, sorry, the donut stop, which is located here, the old donut stop, actually the home of the Bohemian Cafe originally back in the 1950s.

Uh the uh additionally these 1880s buildings that we refer to them very creatively as 1880s buildings, and um these additional four homes that we're retaining.

So, because of that, we couldn't just do one big plat.

Uh we are in a series of four plots.

So, in addition to the Zlatahusa Plat, which is in check, uh, there's also the Greco Platte.

Uh the Greco refers to the Greco family grocery store.

Uh, they were at 12th and William uh for many decades.

I have one little picture of it from the 1950s that I've seen.

Uh Nino Greco, uh, when I say uh uh reached out uh when his mother, Grandma Greco, I think passed away.

Uh, and that was really the edge of little Bohemia.

I'm sorry, little Italy, uh, right there at 11th.

Uh, Greco's uh being an Italian family.

Uh, that is one of the other plats that I believe is still to come here uh on the agenda uh that is uh in this same kind of location.

And really, I think all the discussion previously, I I will say I'll uh ditto uh for this project, but I'm happy to answer any questions.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents here on items 16 through 19?

Seeing none, are there any opponents on 16 through 19 I Sean Colterman, 1446 South 13th Street.

Um reading a letter I was asked to present.

We find it ironic that we look to the planning department for advisement on zoning, but it doesn't allow any planning for parking.

We need to work for a common goal, which is for different types of businesses to work in the same neighborhood.

Mr.

McLay has called the industrial owners opposed to development.

This is not true.

We rent our property to Lumen Brewing, an idle wine shop, and we want nothing more than for them to succeed and thrive.

What we don't want is for incoming businesses and developments to alter our way of life so drastically that it makes it difficult for us to do our work.

We have been on 13th Street since 1988 and have seen our share of changes too.

Now more than ever, there are businesses that have foot traffic.

We constantly must call the Southeast Police District for people parking in front of our garage door.

This hinders our schedule and our workload.

We are afraid without proper planning, this issue will only be worse.

An able-bodied younger person may not mind walking several blocks to their favorite bar or coffee shop.

Many of our customers are elderly and struggle to find a parking spot close to our business.

That creates a real challenge for them.

Often they come in and want to be angry with us about my lack of parking options along the street.

I tell them it's every person for themselves out there now.

We think it seems unfair to business owner Leah Thrasher of the Dog Bar who tried to get rezoned NBD but was denied four years ago, only to have Little Bow Village allowed this designation with ease.

I have attended town hall meetings, city council meetings, and BID meetings, waiting to hear solutions on parking, and have yet to hear anything but cryptic answers like parking is like water.

We like to hear real answers to where in the world everyone is going to park.

Transparency seems to have put up a lot of barriers in the area that could have been softened by a little give and take by the developer in the parking department.

All businesses, new and old, as well as residents, need to work together toward a common goal.

Thank you for hearing our concerns.

Polvarente Monument Company, Ryan and Kimberly Norton.

Again, the numbers, almost a 430 person or parking spot difference in residents and employees brought with the new developments compared to parking spots being provided.

Almost a 430 person or parking spot difference in residents and employees brought with the new developments compared to parking spots being provided.

Thank you.

Are there any other opponents here?

Good afternoon.

I'm Hawai City Council, Donna Yard Johnson, the Johnson Equestion Foundation, and North to Hall, Northamahaw Concerned Citizen Foundation.

I want to show you.

Yes, sir.

Mr.

Bigley.

4928, North 50 Seconds, or excuse me.

Yeah, 4928, North 50 seconds.

Got some other names in my head.

In the meantime, I think there's some problems here.

And I was going to ask if Mr.

Harding and Mrs.

Goodwin can press straighten this out.

And they my generation, you could come into the school.

And if you go on 30th Street, which is Mrs.

Goodwin District, and Mr.

Begley Hoot and Mrs.

Melton, who was at Concord, which will be my generation of parents or grandparents.

But in New York in Manhattan, every time I go to the World of Historia, there's no cabs or not, or no parking anywhere.

Everything is done by caps.

So Umhaw is moving forward.

If you get to Dodger on 42nd, that guy's complaining about historic landmark.

Doesn't make any sense.

So in the meantime, if it's a historic landmark, what about all the trees we remove?

And just that was a restored, wasn't it?

So let's go back and they're on the right track.

But this parking, Mr.

Taketti and I, we worked on it back when he was in City Council.

And San Francisco, no parking.

So if we get that part, we might have to move forward towards Manhattan.

You come in there with a cap, you get out of there with a cab.

Thank you.

Are there any other opponents on items 16 through 19?

Seeing none.

Public hearing is closed.

Got a motion and a second.

No lights, roll call.

Melton.

Rowe.

Festerson.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed seven to zero.

Items 20 through 23 can be considered together for Greco Platte, located northeast of 12th and William Streets.

Planning board and planning department recommend approval.

Peace communication and opposition.

Item 20, an ordinance to approve a PUR overlay district.

Items 21 and 22.

Resolutions to approve the preliminary plant and final plat.

Item 23, a resolution to approve the subdivision agreement.

Public hearing is now open on items number 20 through 23.

Is the applicant here before I call for proponents?

Mr.

McClay.

Still me.

I apologize.

Tom McClay, 1323 South Twelfth Street.

I think the best thing is a ditto, perhaps on these as well.

Happy to ask.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents here today?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Sean Coulterman, 1446 South 13th Street.

Thank you, Council.

When city planning passes the buck on unaddressed issues that are asked about parking, traffic, safety.

City council considers concerns previously expressed at city planning meetings, like parking traffic and safety in material because planning already had approved the project at its level.

Again, Ryan Norton brought it to my attention as a former city of Omaha traffic engineer that it seems common sense that someone from city's leadership should guide long-term planning because new properties affect the core environmental issues of parking traffic and safety.

So rather than leaving it up to local residents and businesses to advocate for themselves with limited time compared to the years of time acquiring properties and formulating plans a developer might have spent, hypothetically, with far fewer resources.

Most residents, businesses, or even business improvement districts, don't operate with the capital leverage of developers.

And with incomplete information that is all too often delivered at the 11th hour, despite the fact that this data was available months earlier.

The process ends up being inequitable and clearly favors the developer.

We knew coming here today was basically a lip service and and uh that the plans would be approved.

Um the category under which I have to stand here and speak, even though I support the development.

I just support somebody having common sense to take a minute to look at the real parking issues and how those impact safety.

13th Street parking issues mirror the challenges.

We have gotten to know all too well on Farnham Street at Blackstone.

Problems that have driven restaurants out of business, problems that have made many of us visit other places where it's not such a struggle to park.

So we don't want that same thing to happen here in little bohemia.

I want to repeat that.

Um City Council and planning seem to be asking detailed neighborhood planning or city planning to take care of itself.

That's how it appears, to find its way, all of its own accord without wanting to invest the time and energy to do it carefully.

And my question is just is that the way you would landscape your own yard?

Let water find its own way, uh, allow several trades to joust it out without any guidelines to control the outcome and do it all without an overarching long-term collaborative plan.

Instead, why don't we take a little bit more time on the front end to analyze, evaluate, and address the potential problems now instead of waiting until after the damage is done?

So for future developers that are coming here, wouldn't it make sense to have a plan that they could clearly understand so that this kind of conflict doesn't have to happen?

We wish um Claire.

Thank you.

And we look forward to that improvement in the neighborhood.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Congrats, Tom.

Are there any other opponents?

Seeing none, public hearing is closed.

Second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Yes.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed seven to zero.

Item 24, an ordinance to rezone property located southeast of 42nd Avenue and Weiss Street from R 435 district to R5 District.

Planning Board and Planning Department recommend approval.

I will now open the public hearing on item number 24.

Before I call for proponents, is the applicant here today.

Do we know?

Is the applicant here for item number 24?

Are there any proponents on item 24?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

4928 North 52nd Street.

And I think they may have misunderstood I was trying to say back in the 60s in my generation.

Senator Chambers come to our school all the time.

In the meantime, uh Concord on 100, what is it?

Donnie, we need to stay on the topic of the property located on 42nd and Y Street.

Yeah, that property in South Doma, right?

It is But if Mrs.

Goodwin and Mr.

Hardy, we could cross over each other and communicate.

I think it would be good.

Because if they get out to 168, go down on 30 at the name, the first of the month.

Oh Donnie, you're getting off topic.

Oh, sorry.

That's okay.

Thank you.

Is there any other opponents here?

Item number 24.

Public hearing is closed.

Second.

Motion is second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Rowe.

Festerson.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

I.

Motion passed seven to zero.

Item 25, an ordinance to rezone property located at 5835 and 5839 North 28th Avenue from R 435 district to R4 district.

Planning board and planning department recommend approval.

I will open the public hearing on item number 25.

Is the applicant here before I call for proponents?

Are there any proponents here on item 25?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Motion of second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Roe.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed seven to zero.

Item 26, an ordinance to approve a PUR overlay district.

Look at it at 3115 Pacific Street.

Planning Board and Planning Department recommend approval.

I'll open the public hearing on item number 26.

Is the applicant here?

Good afternoon.

Hope you enjoyed those Olsen's donuts this morning that you were getting that I saw you sneaking in.

They didn't last long, I'll tell you.

Me neither.

There's some leftovers up here.

Dandels all Air Hard Griffith Associates 3552 Farnham.

I'll be brief.

Uh Urban Village has a series of cases coming up.

Uh all of them.

Urban Village, as you know, is a very reputable, probably one of the finest developers in town.

They specialize in these redevelopment projects.

We have a 20 in this particular case, we have 20 units over at 19 car parking garage at 31st and Pacific.

We're here.

I'm here with Laura Tarpinian, who is ordinance representative.

She's here to answer questions as well as myself if you have any.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents here today?

Item 26.

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Any opponents on item 26?

Public hearing is closed.

I got a couple questions.

Laura or one of you, if you could please.

It's on the corner, there are thir 32nd Pacific.

How long has that been just grass and empty lot for you know?

I think it's been at Laura Tarpena, 9140 West Dodge Road, Suite 285.

I want to say it's been at least 13 years.

Um I know we've owned it for at least 10 years.

And I do believe there was a previous like multifamily structure there that was eventually demolished.

I I if I recall correctly, it was due to a bad fire that happened there at the time.

And Urban Village, you guys have invested and done development in that Leadworth Neighborhood Association area off of Park Ave, south of Leavenworth.

Is that fair to say?

That's definitely fair to say.

So I've been a part of the Urban Village team for a little over 10 years.

So I wasn't quite around for all of the Park Avenue redevelopment when it started back in 2008.

But um Scott Simrad and Jerry Reimer have been partners in Urban Village and have rehabbed or built uh ground up new construction, probably to the tune of 600 units down in the midtown um area core, and then um since I've been there in the last 10 years, we've probably done at least a hundred to two hundred units a year throughout the greater Omaha area.

Okay, and I appreciate talking.

I talked to Mr.

Semrad prior to this hearing this week, and I talked to you as well.

What what kind of outreach did you have with the people in the neighborhood and neighborhood associations?

Yeah, we did do a neighborhood meeting.

Um it was August 14th, and we had sent out notices uh the week, it was seven to ten days prior to that meeting, and we did that down at Oak Investment on uh 31st and Leavenworth Street.

We had and we did all three um properties at within one meeting, and we had five to six attendees, I would say mostly curiosity about learning more about what was what our plans were.

I would say there was general familiarity with Urban Village and what Urban Village has already done in the last decade plus down in the midtown area.

So I didn't hear from it any major items of concern, more interest in what we're doing.

Um awareness around the construction logistics uh was something we talked about.

I am scheduled to go to the Leavenworth Neighborhood Association um November 17th.

It was going to be October, but they had a prior speaker scheduled, so I'll be uh presenting at the Leavenworth Neighborhood Association coming up soon.

I appreciate you doing that outreach.

And I I know in our prior uh items that we discussed here, parking is always an issue.

I know we had a development a block or two away from here a couple years ago when I was new to the council, and I I know I learned in that development that I I think didn't materialize.

That was a challenge.

On this one, if I'm seeing the information correctly, Laura, it's 20 units that you're gonna have here, correct?

It's 20 units, that is correct.

So it's the first story is uh parking of 19 stalls, and then two stories of apartments, 10 units a floor above that.

So almost a one-to-one ratio there.

Uh generally, we we know there needs to be some amount of parking.

I think um Mr.

McClay hit well on discussing the balance and how that can be a challenge between maximizing efficiency of parking and creating a vibrant, walkable um community-oriented neighborhood.

So I can relate to that, and I think we're trying to be mindful of having uh as best of ratio as we can there.

Sure.

And is there gonna be any availability if I have a bike and I'm gonna live there, or is there anywhere to put a bike?

Yeah, the the planning staff uh comments did address that, and we are intending to have a bike rack included in the um in the garage structure.

Okay, I appreciate um you taking the time to talk to me, and I know that there was a petition going around that people that love the area that were maybe not in favor of the development, but and I I appreciated hearing from the people in that petition, and I corresponded with several constituents.

Um I am gonna be supportive of this item today.

Um and I do recognize the challenge with the parking, but also a question for Mr.

Fanslaw if I can.

Yep, Dave.

Dave Fanslaw City Planning.

Dave, is as we work through each of these developments that come before the council.

I know the mayor has got a great focus on affordable housing going forward.

Is it fair to say that one of the ways to address the affordable housing issues?

There's different many tools in the toolbox to do that.

Is one of them, Dave, to get more density in the urban core to help with that?

It's it's almost like you heard me say that before.

Yes.

One of the ways we can address um affordable housing in our community is to add to the inventory.

So yeah, these developments and others that want to densify existing neighborhoods, new neighborhoods, it's the more product that's on the market, the cheaper they all become.

And that'll help people not only in the Lever Neighborhood Association, but also the city in general as we continue to the challenge of affordable housing that we work every day towards the correct.

You know, it's I'll add one thing.

It's it's the number of units that we we put into production, it's also the different types.

So not everybody wants to live in a single family home.

Not everybody wants to live in an apartment, and there's a lot of options in between.

So what we're trying to do is densify um all areas of the city with a number of different housing types for people to choose from.

Thanks.

And I there's other lights on.

I appreciate again, Laura, for being here today.

Um I am supportive and and recognize those challenges, but you got the mill and leavenworth, a lot of development going on very nearby the streetcar.

Um I'm guessing there'll be students at UNO and Creighton and the Med Center, or if uh grandma or grandpa want to retire and not leave Hanscom Park or Leavenworth, then maybe they might want to live here in this new development.

Is that a fair analysis of who you're targeting?

I would say that's a very fair analysis, yes.

Okay, thanks.

Uh Councilman Rowe, you're recognized.

Thanks for waiting, Don.

Thank you.

Uh Laura, I think thanks for coming down today.

And and um Dan, I appreciate that.

I you know, and and I I look at the developments that your team has put together in the last you know 20 years, probably, maybe more.

Um you've done some remarkable work with you know missing middle housing across the you know uh Douglas and Sarpee County.

You did the infill projects on Park Avenue, and I guess my question is we did get some feedback on the parking issue, which I don't think is very valid personally, just looking at the numbers.

But I I was wondering if you could speak to your experience with the parking where in those areas where you are um increasing the density, like on Park Avenue.

What's your experience been with parking issues in those older projects?

I generally feel like it's kind of in that realm of trying to maximize the use of the parking spaces, right?

So um there can certainly be peak hours where it's gonna be harder to find a spot, but overall the properties function well and our residents can find adequate parking.

It may not be as convenient to get to as if you're out west polling into a Walmart parking lot, so to speak.

Um but it functions and it works.

And um I think one thing that was occurring to me as we were having parking discussions earlier is you know, trying to ask ourselves, and it's a hard thing to solve too, right?

But what do we want to lead design, the design of our communities?

Do we want cars to dictate how we go plan?

Or do we want to plan for humans first and how can we do that?

We use parking efficiently.

Appreciate that answer.

I appreciate uh Mr.

Fanslaw's comments because this is the direction that we've been heading for some time.

It's what we've been laying out expectations for developers.

And so it'd be disingenuous of us to to vote no on projects that that appear to be checking all the boxes.

So thanks for doing what you do on affordable housing.

We appreciate it, and uh you know we recognize the need.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Goodwin, you're recognized.

Thank you, uh, Mr.

President.

And this just goes back to I think this is a great discussion because we've had several developments come forward, um, and parking has been a part of all of the discussions.

I have a connecting question to some of the comments that uh council member uh Rowe mentioned for Mr.

Fanslaw, and that is how this factors into transit oriented development, even when you don't maybe have that zoning.

How does a um a zoning for PUR plan unit redevelopment overlay factor into transit oriented development?

Sure.

So there are only uh Dave Fanslaw City Planning.

There's only um, you know, not TOD is not um permissible everywhere in the city, much like a PUR or PUD does.

So in those areas that aren't designated for TOD and TOD in the future, we use the PUR tool, use the PUD tool.

Um I think it's important to note that for PURs, much like um TOD zoning, they're required to um follow our urban design code.

So um, you know, building materials, addressing the street, making it walkable.

So it's it's the a PUR and and TOD are similar, but they're just not used in the same areas of town.

So again, you're the expert here.

But what I'm gathering is we're moving toward more denser, more walkable communities with less parking is somewhat the end goal in many of these zoning types, correct?

Yeah, no doubt.

So we have, you know, the planning department and and some of our you know partnering uh departments in in the city have known this for a number of years, right?

We've we've um we've done our best to to promote this type of development.

I we've all had the conversation about you know, we don't have an infinite amount of land left to develop, so we've been, if you will, we've been steering this ship for about 20 years, and we're starting to see some some some fruits of our labor and some traction in this area, and it's only gonna continue.

All right.

And so if I might just make the comment that it's not that we're not listening to neighbors who have reasonable concerns about today um and how they might park, but we're trying to factor in what we learn and know from our not only our developers, but also the departments that you know guide us in our decision making.

So thank you for that.

But can I comment?

Sure.

So the reason why we are able to and developers are able to bring these projects to the department, to the planning board, and to the city council, is because we've all worked in cooperation, putting those tools in place that get people here in front of the council for projects just like this.

And you know, we're we're we do a darn good job upstairs to make sure that the projects that come to the council that receive our positive recommendation follow those policies and those zoning codes that that we've that this council and past councils have supported.

So we appreciate it.

And so would it be fair also to say that not only is there a city master plan, which we know we are updating, but that many of these neighborhoods do have corresponding plans that developers are supposed to be guided by?

Yes.

That's true.

Okay, thank you.

You're welcome.

Motion to approve.

Second.

Got a motion and a second.

So that our great clerk, Miss Butler is putting me back on task.

So I believe, Ms.

Butler, we are on proponents, correct?

Correct.

Okay.

I I got a little sidetracked, so I appreciate you keeping me in line there.

Um are there.

Okay, so is it okay that councilman Fetch remained a motion?

And I'll second that.

Now then I call for my question.

Yeah, she's asking about that.

But can I ask a propo are you a proponent?

Uh well, it's not, it's really uh it's just a question about how they're planning to do.

Okay, well let me get through the proponents and opponents.

Thanks.

Okay, are there any other proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents here on item number 26?

I guess they can fall under that.

How do you make this work?

I don't think we've actually used this car before.

There you go.

Oh, okay, cool.

Okay, you can see that.

So there you go.

Perfect.

Make sure you stay by the microphone so we can hear you in people at home can I'm gonna and give your name and address and the floor is all yours.

Sorry, I'm just turning up the brightness so you can actually see that.

Okay, so uh my name is Alexander Liu, uh 9505 South 27th Street in Bellevue, 68147.

Um I just had a question for uh the developers over here, uh and actually pretty much all of them because I haven't heard anybody mention uh ADA and how you guys are actually counting in the spaces you're supposed to be including.

Um the thing I have on my phone here is I have to pull up the 2010 standards of Title II of ADA, which require that you include a specific number of spaces based on how many spaces you have, and they do include street parking.

I know you guys like to say it, that doesn't matter, but it does.

So you have to have a certain number of spaces based on the amount of total spaces for your property, and that is an actual like requirement of ADA, which is federal law.

And you said disingenuous, and you don't want to be disingenuous, but it is very disingenuous to give a total number of spaces that you are giving, whether this is residents of the like you know of your apartment building or just the general people coming to visit the area, but then you're not giving an actual total number because if they are not disabled, and you know, you say you have say 20 spaces, well, those 20 spaces, they're only gonna have maybe 19 or 18 of those, right?

Because two of those are gonna have to be designated disabled spaces.

So then you don't actually have 20 spaces, do you?

And that's assuming you're actually following it, because this is an actual problem we have here in Omaha, and it's something I had to file an ADA complaint with the city for.

So nobody's addressed this, and it's kind of a problem.

Also the walkability aspect, you guys keep saying that too.

We want to get rid of parking, and I'm all for you know doing that because the environment is important, and I'm you know a big proponent of that.

However, we do need to take into account, you know, disability as well, because especially with all the construction going around, we keep closing down as you know, all these different parts of uh even like the bus routes and things, and people who are disabled cannot get around the city.

So if people are saying like there are blind people, like people who are in the NFB with me who cannot get to downtown because you've closed down certain areas of the bus route and they're inaccessible.

So what are we gonna do when you make it that we s uh so that we cannot get to certain areas of the city because you know it's walkable, say, but then the people who have mobility issues can't actually walk there.

So I'm just you need to clarify these things in your plans, and you are not taking us into account, and it does violate federal law.

So I'm just pointing that out, and it would be appreciated if you do take us into account when you are planning these out.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I really appreciate you bringing that up.

And if I Laura Dan, you want to answer that on the 88.

Appreciate the question.

Dan does all the heart gripping.

Um yes, in every job we do, we provide accessible entry into the building.

We provide accessible parking lots.

Um the count does include the handicapped stall, it's not exclusive of it.

So when we say excuse me, 19 stalls, we you you're required to have one stall per 25 to be ADA.

So the 19 stalls would have been 20 without the ADA because you have you lose the spot for the unload zone for the for the handicap stall.

So we do have the stall on the inside.

I have had projects, this isn't one of them because we're not working past the curb where we've had to provide a handicapped stall in the street.

There's a policy about that, but we're not doing that now because we're not we're not dealing with any public improvements in this particular project.

Okay, thank you.

Okay.

Are there any other opponents?

Item 26.

Public hearing is closed.

Council member hug, you are recognized.

Sir, would you come back up?

Um I don't know if I like the name, Hanscom Place.

I got a better name for it.

Go for it.

Brando Place.

Because Brando Marlin Brando's birth home is just catered corner across the street to this northeast, north northwest.

Well, you know, I'm 31 I think I'm a pretty I'm pretty good engineer, but I'm not a name player.

That would be an owner, that would the owner call on the names and all that, but I appreciate well.

You can take my suggestion back to them.

I'll I'll mention that too.

Thank you.

We had a motion right.

Thanks.

No further lights, roll call.

Melton, roe, festerson, good one.

Yes Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

I motion passed seven to zero.

Items 27 and 28 can be considered together for property located at 536 and 540, South 29th Street, planning board and planning permit, recommend approval.

Item 27, an ordinance to rezone this property from R8 district to TOD2, M U R district.

Item 28, an ordinance to repeal the ACI overlay district for this property.

Public hearing is now open on items 27 through 28.

Applicant, error griffin so this 3552 Farm Street.

Um we'll just answer questions, but I would like to I would like to jump on what Dave said earlier, but there's a there is a long process to get to this point, and it's a pre-ep meeting that's dealing with the city.

Small jobs are big jobs.

Sometimes the small jobs are the hardest because they're so compact and there's so many things to consider.

It's one of the things that I love about urban urban design is that it's an intricate puzzle and intricate dance to get to where you want to be that benefits the community as well as the developer and what they're investing.

Um the the planning department, the public works department are top notch in working with us, and they're open to ideas.

They're not closed minded about anything if we come in with a solution and they might not have thought of their they consider it.

Sometimes it's accepted, sometimes not.

But I just wanted to I just wanted to uh give an accolade out to those folks.

Anyway, we're here for questions.

Same group.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents here on items 27 through 28?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Good afternoon, Omaha City Council, Donnie R.

Johnson at Johnson Equestion Foundation and North Omaha Concerned Citizen Foundation, 49, 280, 52nd Street.

Uh again, I'm considering I've listened to Mr.

Big Harding and I listened to Mrs.

Goodwin.

We're wanting them to exchange some programs and names because I think we should say in the beginning about no food stamps, it's gonna be a big problem.

So if they work together, I think we'll get that.

Donnie, we got to say on the topic here, thanks.

Are there any other opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Second motion and second, roll call.

Melton roe, Festerson, yes, good one.

Harding, hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion pass seven to zero.

Items 29 and 30 can be considered together for property located at 3206 Levenworth Street, planning board and planning department recommend approval.

Item 29, an ordinance to rezone this property from GC District to TOD2 MX District.

Item 30, an ordinance to repeal the ACI overlay district for this property.

Public hearing is now open on items 29 and 30.

Dan Dolezall Air Griffin, 3552 Farnham.

I'll just stay quiet and answer questions if you have to.

Thanks, Dan.

Are there any proponents here on 29 and 30 items today?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Larry Store, 5015.

Larry, can you move the microphones closer to you so people can hear?

There you go.

Great.

Thank you.

Larry Store, 5015 Lafayette Avenue.

Omaha 68132.

I'm against this.

Uh for lots of reasons, but I drove by there today, and you know what?

The buildings are already gone, the hole is already dug.

So why are we wasting our time and money on something that was decided a long time ago?

All it needs right now is a mayor's signature.

You're implying to the people here with a public hearing that you they have a chance to stop this, and that's not the case.

She usually does.

But all that's left for this is for the mayor to sign it.

But that hole is already dug, ladies and gentlemen.

The buildings that were there are already gone.

The building is not torn down there.

So stop trying to pull the roll over our eyes.

Don't even waste our time.

Don't waste our building has not been torn down.

Thank you.

Laura, can you come up with the case?

There's other people off topic today, sir.

Lau Laura Tarpena, 9140, uh West Dodge Road, suite 285.

We have can you clarify 3206 Leavenworth?

Has that been torn down?

No, there's no nothing's been torn down.

The site has been left as it's been existing for the last numerous years.

So we have not started any work at all.

Thanks.

And I when I drove by there this morning was still up, so I'm assuming it's still not torn down.

It's still there, yes.

Thanks.

Are there any other opponents?

Larry, you're out of line, please.

You're not at the microphone.

Thanks for respecting the rules of the meeting.

Thank you.

Motion and a second roll call.

Oh, I'm sorry, let me close a public hearing.

And now we got a motion and a second roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion pass seven to zero.

Items 31 and 32 can be considered together regarding the 2025 annexation package.

Planning board and planning department recommend approval.

Item 31, an ordinance to amend the official zoning map of the city of Omaha.

Item 32, an ordinance to approve an amendment to the future land use element of the Omaha Master Plan to include the extraterritorial area expanded as a result of the annexation.

Public hearing is now open on items 31 and 32.

Mr.

England.

Good afternoon.

Yes, thank you.

Eric England, Planning Department.

Thank you, President and other members of the council.

This is a follow-up to the most recent uh City of Omaha annexation that was effective on July 30th that incorporated in uh several hundred acres of Douglas County land previously.

So these items are related.

One of them is a zoning conversion, and the other would be an amendment to adopt our land use designations on the future land use map.

Here for any questions.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents on items 31 and 32?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Motion is second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Goodwin.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed.

7 to 0.

Item 33, a resolution to approve the special use permit to allow scrap and salvage services in the GI district located at 10409 Ice Street, Planning Board and Planning Department.

Recommend approval.

Public hearing is now open on item 33.

Is the applicant here today?

Are there any proponents on item 33?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Motion is second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug?

Yes.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion pass seven to zero.

Item 34.

A resolution to approve the special use permit to allow daycare services in the R4 district located at 17525 Redman Avenue.

Planning Board and Planning Permit recommend approval.

I'll open the public hearing now on item number 34.

Is the applicant here today?

Are there any opponents?

I'm sorry, are there any proponents?

Proponents on item 34.

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Motion and a second roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Goodwin.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed seven to zero.

Item 35, a resolution to approve the special use permit for development in the ED Overlay District, located at 6820, Northern Hills Drive.

Planning Board and Planning Permit recommend approval.

Public hearing is now open on item number 35.

The applicant here today.

Elizabeth Hunter with Snyder and Associates.

I represent Keith Edquist Engineering and Planning.

And your address, please.

Oh, I'm sorry, uh 11850, um, Nicholas, Omaha.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents here today?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Motion is second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Row.

Festerson.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion pass seven to zero.

Items 36 and 37 can be considered together for property located at 506 North Skyline Drive.

Planning board and planning department recommend approval.

Item 36, a resolution to approve the special use permit to allow custom manufacturing in the CC district.

Item 37, an ordinance to amend the boundaries of the ACI 4 PL overlay district to incorporate this property into that district.

Public hearing is now open on items 36 and 37.

Applicant, good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Kyle Vole with the UNA Consultant Group here on behalf of the applicant.

Uh just here for questions today.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Motion is second.

Roll call.

Melton.

Rowe.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion pass seven to zero.

Items 38 through through 41 can be considered together for property located north of Missouri Avenue and L Street.

Planning Board and Planning Department recommend approval.

B is communication and opposition.

Item 38, a resolution to approve the special use permit to allow recreational club in the R7 district.

Item 39, an ordinance to rezone this property from R7 District and GC District to R7 District.

Item 40, an ordinance to amend the boundaries of the MCC overlay district to incorporate this property into that district.

And item 41, an ordinance to approve an amendment to the future land use element of the city's master plan from office commercial and low density residential to high density residential.

The public hearing is now open on items numbers 38 through 41.

Applicants, good afternoon.

Afternoon.

Thank you.

Hi.

Candy Jones, Girls Inc.

of Omaha.

Uh 4811, North 45th Street.

Here to answer any questions.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents here today?

Items 38 through 41.

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Uh good afternoon.

I'm Hawaii City Council, Don ER Johnson at Johnson E.

Christian Foundation and Northam Hall Concerned Citizen Foundation, 4928 North 52nd Street.

As I was saying, uh Mr.

Maurice Goodwin back in my generation, 1967, who's only African American at this particular white school.

And we work together just like these couple.

So that's why I went with Mr.

Goodwin, or Mrs.

Goen and Mr.

Hardy.

We got to stay on topic.

Thanks.

Are there any other opponents?

Public hearing public hearing is closed.

Councilmember Fesserson, you're recognized.

Thanks, Mr.

President.

I just wanted to say I support these items and was able to attend the groundbreaking for what is going to be the new Girls Inc.

uh location in South Omaha, just blocks from South High School.

And it was a great ceremony that day.

Uh Candy, I appreciate your passion that was on display that day for sure, along with all the strong, smart and bold girls that were there.

So it was fantastic, and I look forward to seeing this come to fruition.

And I'll let uh councilman hug from South Omaha make that motion.

He took the words right out of my mouth.

So moved.

Second.

Got a motion and a second roll call.

Melton.

Rowe.

Festerson.

Yes.

Goodwin.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed seven 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 42 through 47 were held on October 28th, 2025.

Any council discussion?

That is approved.

Got a motion and a second roll call.

Melton.

Rowe.

Festerson.

Yes.

Good one.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed seven to zero.

Public hearings and agenda items 40 48 through 66 are today.

If you wish to address the city council regarding these items, please come to the microphone, indicate the agenda item and wish you care to address.

And if you're a proponent or opponent, I will now open the public hearing.

Are there any proponents on items 48 through 66?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Got a motion and a second.

No lights.

Roll call.

Melton.

Rowe.

Festerson.

Yes.

Goodwin.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Yes.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed.

Seven to zero.

Item 67, an ordinance to approve the Little Bow Historic Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment Agreement.

Ace Communication Opposition.

Public hearing is now open on item 67.

Mr.

Seaton, good afternoon.

Don Satan City Planning.

Here for any questions you may have.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents here today?

Item 67.

I'm back.

Hopefully it'll be much uh quicker this occasion.

Uh this is the agreement portion of the plan that uh you all approved uh a couple of months ago now, I believe.

Uh I do want to add I did not uh thank uh Jen Taylor for all of her work on the we were wondering if we were gonna do that because we caught you on it.

So thank you.

Okay.

Thanks, Mr.

McClay.

Are there any other proponents here?

Item 67.

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Item 68, an ordinance to approve the Little Bow Village mixed use tax increment financing redevelopment agreement.

Public hearing is now open on item 68, Mr.

Seaton.

Yeah, non seat and city planning, and again I'm here for any questions.

Thank you.

Are there any proponents?

One and I believe final time today.

Tom McClay, 1323 South Twelfth Street.

I have uh happy answer any questions.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Item 69, an ordinance to approve a grant agreement with Project Harmony in the amount of 400,000 dollars over a period of five years to fund a crime analyst to assist in Project Harmony's anti-trafficking initiative.

I'll open the public hearing and now on item number sixty-nine.

Are there any proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Item 70, an ordinance to accept the bid.

Oh, I beg your pardon.

Councilmember Fesserson, the floor is yours.

Thanks.

I just wanted to have a short word on this item, uh, which I'll be supportive of next week or two weeks from now when we vote on it.

Um the opportunity to attend Project Harmony's annual community meeting last week.

Uh they're doing fantastic work.

They had a very uh powerful presentation about uh sex sex trafficking and child abuse in our community, which is in a really important issue and one that is more prevalent than uh most people believe.

Uh the city of Omaha and Omaha Police Department now have over 50 uh dedicated detectives at that site working on this issue, and this will mean in addition to that by adding this crime analyst.

So something uh I think we're all supportive of and uh I appreciate their partnership and uh work in the community.

Thank you.

Thanks, Pete.

Item 70, an ordinance to accept the bid from Great Plains Realty Auction Company to provide for auctioneering services for the Omaha Police Department impound facility.

I'll open the public hearing now on item number 70.

Are there any proponents?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Councilmember Fesserson, gotcha, you're recognized.

I think you did from our left from before.

The one time you recognize.

I got you.

I blue, all right.

Item 71, an ordinance to approve an agreement with the women's center for advancement in the amount of $52,000 and to authorize funding from the City of Omaha's fiscal year 2024.

Stop violence against women grant award.

Public hearing is now open on item number 71.

Are there any proponents here today?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Councilman Fesserson, your lights on, you're recognized.

I want to recognize you every time.

Now it disappears on me.

Okay, thanks.

Item 70.

Item 72, an ordinance to amend various sections of Chapter 54 of the Omaha Municipal Code to help ensure that private residential pools meet updated safety standards to provide guidelines for instances of noncompliance with these safety safety standards.

I'm going to open the public hearing now on item number 72.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

Eric Bradley, Division Chief Environmental Health for Douglas County Health Department.

Um I have Russ Hayden here, who's our supervisor of sanitary engineering for Douglas County Health Department, as well as our health director, Dr.

Lindsay Hughes.

Um address is 1111 South 41st Street.

Um for the past decade or so um this ordinance has required a fence to be installed around the residential pool.

Um if it was an above ground pool with sides taller than four to eight inches, a a cover, a mechanical cover could be used.

Um within the last couple years, we had a homeowner who did not want to put in a fence, um, who reached had a private attorney review and give an interpretation on this ordinance saying that a um fence basically saying a mechanical cover could be used in lieu of a fence.

Um we have the city attorney review it, and they agree that the way the current ordinance is written, that is an interpretation that can be made.

Um since then we have had a few that have gone in that do not want to put in a fence, and we've had to just have them resubmit their application and change that they were gonna put a fence in and say they're gonna put a mechanical cover in.

Um the proposal that we're presenting to you today um actually changes the language back to what the original interpretation was, saying you must put in a fence.

Um if you do have an above ground pool, we do allow um the size of that pool if it's 48 inches or higher.

That can be considered as part of the barrier, part of the fence.

Um, but otherwise you cannot mechanical cover cannot be used in lieu of a of the fence.

Um we're also proposing some fines for failure to obtain a permit before beginning pool construction.

We have a handful of contractors that do this every year.

Um they start building the pool and then when they reach out to get permits from the city.

The city is like, well, you need a poll permit from the health department, and they reach out to us.

Currently, all we can do is really chase after them to get them to fill out the application and pay the permit fee.

This will allow us to do a hundred dollar fine on the first time plus two times the fee.

Um second offense would be two hundred dollars plus four times the fee, and then moving on from that it'd be a five hundred dollar fine plus what four times the fee.

Um and the other changes are basically just cleaning up the language in the code.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Are there any other proponents here?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Councilmember Fesserson, you're recognized, big guy.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

I'm not just messing with you those days.

All right, all right, all right.

I'll just say I appreciate this update.

I will support this in a couple weeks uh for all the reasons just noted here.

I think there was outreach to the pool installation community and those businesses.

The other thing I think it's important to point out too is item G in this ordinance, which is any current pool who may have fencing and may have some of these things in place, uh, would not have would not automatically be in violation of this ordinance.

It would only be if they had substantial renovations or reconstruction of those pools.

We can all think of them in our residential areas.

So this would not apply to them immediately, only if they had major changes.

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

So this is prospective should this be approved in two weeks.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Item 73, an ordinance to amend various sections of chapter six of the Omaha Municipal Code regarding wildlife chickens and other fowl.

I'll open the public hearing now on item number 73 proponents.

Eric Bradley Division Chief of Environmental Health.

As I mentioned, Russ Hayden and Dr.

Lindsay Hughes are here from Douglas County Health Department as well, 1111 South 41st Street.

The first part I'm gonna read here is what we submitted with our survey that we sent out to the Backyard Chicken Group that we reached out to in on Facebook.

Sustainability in backyard chicken keeping is crucial for ensuring environmental, economic, and social benefits.

Raising chickens at home can promote sustainable food production by providing fresh eggs, reducing food waste as chickens can eat chicken scraps and producing natural fertilizer for gardens.

Additionally, backyard chickens can contribute to biodiversity by controlling pests and improving soil health.

However, regulatory control is essential to balance sustainability with public health, animal welfare, and community concerns.

Proper regulations help prevent issues such as overcrowding, disease outbreaks, noise disturbances, and waste management problems.

They also ensure humane treatment of the chickens and safeguard local ecosystems for potential environmental impacts.

So as I said, we reach out to this group and we've received 35 responses, which have been provided to you.

Provide them with a copy of the uh proposal proposed ordinance and also gave them the email of the city clerk so they can send any responses to you by um November 18th, which is the third the third reading of this ordinance.

Um the main changes of this ordinance that we were limiting the number of chickens to 10.

Um there was no limit in the original code.

Um it was basically just based on square footage for the coop up to four square foot per chicken.

Um if you're on two or more acres, then you do not require a permit, so you do not need to worry about um any of this.

Um we do have in there based on five years from whatever this is adopted.

Um anybody with more that is currently permitted with more than 10 chickens does have five years to get their number down to 10.

We won't be making them immediately get rid of those chickens.

Um roosters are not allowed in the city.

It is currently not specified specifically spelled out in this code, and we've been using the noise portion of the nuisance ordinance to address the roosters.

We want to put it in here and specifically new roosters.

As mentioned during our meetings last week, and we had four active rooster complaints at that time.

So that is basically our biggest um complaint regarding this program.

And it also allows the Board of Health to set a fee structure for initial applications and annual renewals.

Currently, we receive no funding to um or any fees to do this program.

We want to set a decent fee to help us um on the initial application so we can review the application, talk with the owners, go out and actually put our put eyes on the chicken coop to make sure it's built properly and is good for the chickens, then an annual or newer fee, which would be small just to kind of cover our our expenses on addressing the complaints as they come in.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Are there any other proponents here on item number 73?

Seeing none, are there any opponents?

Public hearing is closed.

Council member Goodwin, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um I just wanted to say we appreciate just the update, Eric, on the outreach you've already made.

Uh, as we discussed in pre-planning today, there was some concern from constituents that perhaps they wanted more information or didn't have that opportunity to speak with you.

Maybe they didn't know about the survey.

So we appreciate you being proactive in that regard.

It sounds like this ordinance is really to bring clarity uh to some process and procedure that you've been doing maybe without the the teeth of of an ordinance.

Uh is that correct?

That is correct.

Yes.

So you talked about the active roosters technically.

Can you explain?

Because I think there's also a little bit of um maybe information about how roosters play a part in active coops and are they necessary?

Um actually, if I can defer to my supervisor Russ Hayden here, he's more familiar with that, those specifics.

Hi, Russ Hayden, uh supervisor for the Douglas County Health Department, 4102 Woolworth Avenue.

Um roosters do play a role somewhat in coops.

Um they can be kind of a protective animal in some ways.

Uh I mean it's not great protection if a if a fox or anything like that is coming coming up the the rooster really isn't gonna provide any protection.

Um it could provide some protection maybe from rats or mice and stuff like that.

But uh normally uh chickens, you know, I have four chickens of my own.

Um no rooster, uh they produce eggs, you know, normally just fine.

Um I live out in the country, they protect themselves pretty normally.

Uh so I don't see an actual need for the roosters um as what a lot of people say as a protector of their flock.

Thank you.

And in terms of the outreach to some of those community groups, what will be that process?

Can you repeat that again?

I know you mentioned it in the middle.

We provided them basically with the same language.

We s we um sent the chicken group on the survey basically saying that um the city council requested us to reach out to your to use you and get you can provide feedback.

Um provided them a copy of the ordinance, kind of listed out the main changes that I told mentioned today um and and provided them with the city clerk's email so they can send any comments to the city clerk and they can provide them to you uh with a deadline of um the third reading of the of the ordinance.

Thank you.

So about two weeks.

Thank you.

Thanks, Mr.

President.

On the number of foul that will be allowed as as I read that paragraph.

It it seems that you're limiting it to ten.

But you're also I I I got the impression from the way it reads that it is not until you introduce a different foul that then the one per four square foot comes into play.

Can you have more than ten?

Still ten, is it it's still still still be ten um total.

Um the four square foot would be I think the size of the coupe would we'd have to make sure it's four square foot.

So e because way re uh and maybe we can look at it.

We have a couple weeks to look at it, but I just want to make sure that we're clear on that language because I think as it reads today, it doesn't say that you it doesn't say that you're limited uh per one per four square foot if it were all just chickens that it's just one per square foot if you introduce another foul in addition to chickens.

Okay, look at that or something like that.

Okay.

Thank you for bringing that up and take a look at it.

Thank you.

Okay.

Harding.

Yes.

Hug.

Mr.

President.

Aye.

Motion passed seven to zero.

Read this in okay.

I will state for the record the purpose of the executive session is to only discuss personnel matters.

Executive session will include the following.

The city attorney, the city council, the city clerk, and the city council chief of staff.

Yes.

And also the finance director.

I'll keep him for the record.

You can keep those for the record.

Okay to go now.

Okay.

Okay, restating the only topic discuss an executive session was personal matters.

Got a motion in a second.