The Omaha City Council met on August 4, 2026, to address a variety of items including a proclamation for the Tenant Assistance Project, multiple liquor license approvals, several zoning and development proposals, a TIF presentation, and public hearings on bond proposals and towing fee adjustments. All voting items passed unanimously (6-0).
Melton Roe, Festerson is absent. Goodwin. Mr. President. By Councilmember Goodwin. Well, good afternoon, everyone. You may be seated. I wanted to talk a little bit about public safety as it pertains to traffic safety as we go back to school. Many of us will have kiddos and grandkids going back to school in the next couple weeks. And I had the opportunity to partner with Public Works last week for a pop-up event at the Metro Area Transit Center on Thirtieth Street. And the message really was to all drivers just to please slow down. With specifics to Ames Avenue, unfortunately, a hundred and two people were killed or seriously injured on Ames over the past ten years. So we're advocating for safer streets, safer speeds, and safer choices. A reminder that you will have three minutes to speak on an agenda item. Please stay on topic. For those not providing in-person testimony and would like your comments entered into the public record, you can email the city clerk's office at City Clerk at City of Omaha.org. Council members receive these emails and read them. Finally, council members may ask members of the public back up for clarifying questions, but not for extra time to speak. I would like to remind council members to speak clearly into their microphones so audience members in attendance and at home can hear and folks that are coming up to speak today, make sure you're between those two microphones for the same reason. We can all hear you here and at home as well. We now have a proclamation by councilmember Melton for the tenant assistance project proclamation. Councilmember Melton. Thank you. If I could invite everybody from the tenant assistance program who's shown up today to come on down to the podium. Whereas since its launch in Omaha in 2021, the tenant assistance project, otherwise known as TAP, has helped more than 12,000 residents navigate housing instability and eviction related legal issues, dramatically transforming access to justice and reducing same-day evictions from the overwhelming norm to fewer than 1% of cases for tenants who actually appear in court. And whereas the positive impact on youth has been profound, with TAP indirectly supporting at least 6,299 children since 2022 by providing vital legal defense and stabilization to families facing the immediate threat of displacement. Whereas national housing research and Omaha's TAPS, Omaha TAPS own demographic data demonstrate that eviction disproportionately impacts racial minorities and low-income households, with 42% to 48% of tenants served identifying as black or African American, 57% to 60% identifying as women, and a majority reporting incomes at or below the federal threshold for extremely low-income households. And whereas the extraordinary success of Omaha TAP is driven by the legal community's commitment to public service, including well over 100 volunteer attorneys and dozens of law student volunteers who have donated their time and expertise to provide critical courtroom representation, intake, and outreach. Whereas TAP serves as a powerful economic investment in Omaha by helping families secure rental assistance, maintain employment, keep children enrolled in school, and avoid downstream costs to local emergency emergency shelters, health care, child welfare, and public safety systems. Now, therefore, be it resolved, the City Council of the City of Omaha do hereby proclaim August 2026 as tenant assistance project month in Omaha, and urge all residents to recognize and celebrate the dedication of the volunteer attorneys, law students, courts, community organizations, and local leaders who work together to protect housing stability and justice for Omaha families. In witness whereof we have set our hands and caused the seal of the city of Omaha to be affixed on this fourth day of August 2026. I'm Josh Henningson. I'm the current managing attorney of the tenant assistance project. We have some of our uh past managing attorneys here with us today. But more importantly, we want to thank you for being one of our longtime volunteers for the project. The project's been built by dozens of members of the Omaha legal community that have been willing to donate their time and talents to represent people facing eviction in Douglas County. Uh some of them, like Dave Pantos are here today. Uh as you mentioned, our biggest success story is that we now prevent same-day eviction in more than 99% of the cases that we handle. Uh and over the past five years, we've worked closely with other organizations like Legal Aid of Nebraska, the Creighton Legal Clinic, Together Omaha, and the City of Omaha, uh, the City Council, the mayor's office, and staff all across multiple departments that help us to assist the people that we serve. Uh, we've also developed productive relationships with the attorneys that represent property owners and work together every day to negotiate mutually beneficial settlements. Umfortunately, the need persists, and we look, but we look forward to uh continuing to work together to prevent homelessness and promote housing stability across Omaha and Douglas County. Thank you. Thank you. And you know, it's it's I want to note something. I called you down here because I can't believe, first of all, that it's been five years since we started the tenant assistance program. Time has kind of flown. But in five years, the difficulty of keeping up with, you know, volunteers are always willing, attorneys are always willing when you first get started. You got them all, and then it starts to wane. Um and I know all of you have remained dedicated. Um, and I really appreciate that.