The Omaha City Council met on July 21, 2026, at 1:45 PM in legislative chambers. The meeting began with a remembrance of city council staff member Liz Burkle Letty, followed by a proclamation honoring Sharon K. Olsen. Mayor Jean Stothert presented the proposed 2027 city budget, highlighting a flat property tax levy, historic parks investments, and public safety staffing. The council then conducted public hearings and voted on liquor licenses, subdivisions, zoning changes, and tax increment financing (TIF) projects. The meeting adjourned at 3:45 PM.
And we're parting hug Melton. Here. Row Mr. President. Please stand for the Pledge Allegiance. It's probably one of the hardest days to give remarks that I've in all my years on city council, but the Omaha City Council staff lost one of one of the members of our family over this last week. Liz Burkle Letty was our city staff assistant. If any of you have ever done anything or had a parks complaint that you sent to any one of our council members, and you got it fixed. Liz was the one that helped us do that. Liz was an absolutely fabulous member of our city council staff. In fact, she started working for the city council about the same time I came on the city council. She was in the Omaha Planning Department in 2013, and she came and joined the Omaha City Council in 2014. And she has just been an instrumental part of everything that we do here on the city council. How much she was so proud of her boys. She always talks so highly highly of them, so proud of them. One of her boys was on the honor roll, I think, just this last year, and she was just so very proud. She's going to be uh severely missed. She's actually a lifelong resident of Omaha. She graduated from Bryan High School. Um, she went to Cornell College, and then she got her master's degree in urban studies from the University of Nebraska, Omaha. But Liz was not just a wonderful person for the work she did for the citizens of Omaha for everybody that's sitting up here on our staff, but she was also a volunteer. Uh she cared a lot about her community, and she did a lot in the community, uh, including teaching Sunday school, which she enjoyed quite a bit. And even in the end, Liz was still giving to others, and she was an organ donor, and her organs were able to be used, and we're someone else is able to live because of Liz. Um, so I I just wanted to take this time to number one remember Liz. She was just here last Tuesday. I mean, the family was getting ready to go on a big trip to Hawaii, and she was extremely excited about it. Um, and unfortunately had uh a heart, something happened with her heart uh last week on Tuesday night, and she was not able to recover. So it's with great sadness that we announced that today. Um, but also I think we should remember Liz, and Liz would want us to remember her for her humor, her generosity, um, and everything she's done. So to Mike, Aaron, and Ryan, and the whole Birkle Letty family. Um you're in our prayers, and we will always remember your wife and your mom for the wonderful woman that she was. And Mr. President, unusual that I the council member has remarks, but I would like the rest of my remarks. Um I would like to allow other council members to say anything if they would like to. Thanks, Councilmember Melton. You struck a chord with beautifully remembering Liz for the great public servant that she was, and our hearts go out to Michael, Aaron, and Ryan as well, and you're in our prayers, and council member Melton summed up beautifully. There's a lot of people heard, not only you guys, but also the the staff for the city council. Liz was family to us, and although her heart failed her, her heart lives with you forever, and her legacy is that of a happy, decent, wonderful public servant, mom, daughter, wife, and she will be deeply deeply missed, and we grieve with you today and going forward for this. Councilmember Goodwin, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you, Councilmember Melton, just for your eloquent words. I think that I can speak for the council and say that we're still wrestling with the fact that this time last week, Liz was in our presence working very diligently, and and that's something that I want to express not just to the community and to her family, but how kind and warm and easy to work with. Liz was, you know, her office sits somewhat toward the back of our our council uh offices, and my last interaction with her was her busily working. I could see the top of her head, busily working on something for all of us. Um and it just struck my heart to say, hi Liz, even though the first thought was, oh, she's busy. But we exchanged that last um, you know, interaction. And it just reminds you how you never know the last time you may interact with someone who you just take for granted seeing on a regular basis. I also wanted to say that Liz always went the extra mile in her role as a liaison with parks, code enforcement. Um, you know, we were working on a uh project to really tighten up how all that works internally and externally. And she brought to the table that she was working on a capstone that was really part of her own professional development, but was going to bring to the forefront to do extra research and extra work to ensure that our work here was going to be more successful.