Omaha City Council Meeting – September 15, 2026

The Omaha City Council met on September 15, 2026, to consider a range of items including liquor licenses, land development plats, a settlement agreement related to streetcar construction, and bid appeals. All votes were unanimous (7-0) across all action items.

Proclamation

• Councilmember Brinker Harding proclaimed September as Prostate Cancer Awareness Month and highlighted the Cruising for a Cure event on September 20th, offering free prostate cancer screenings (blood test) at 132nd and Pacific. He noted one in eight men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and stressed early detection.

Consent Calendar

• Items 20–26 (public hearing held September 1, 2026) were approved unanimously without discussion.

Public Comments & Testimony

• David Molota (5225 North 168th Street, adjacent property owner) spoke as a proponent of the Cedarhurst development (items 13–18) but requested that the applicant clean up overgrown scrub, trees, and trash on the property before the next growing season to prevent thistles from blowing into his yard. Council suggested he meet with the applicant after the meeting.
• Larry (Lafayette Avenue) opposed item 39 (speed limit reduction on Leavenworth Street from 35 to 30 mph under Vision Zero), calling it unnecessary and comparing Vision Zero to a “Marxist, totalitarian society.”
• Doug Lane (7325 Pinkney Street) opposed item 42, questioning the $700,000 settlement for property damage caused by a streetcar contractor. He asked whether an engineer had assessed the damage, who was at fault, and urged the council to hold the contractor responsible rather than taxpayers.
• Tony Driscoll (City of Omaha Golf Manager) appeared as a proponent on items 27–40.

Discussion Items

• Items 6–8 (Liquor Licenses): Class I license for Stephanie Moss Salon (16811 Burke Street), Class SI license for Maru Sushi Korean Grill (5036 South 108th Street), and Class D license for ExpressMart (5825 North 30th Street) were approved after public hearings. Councilmember Goodwin noted he supports the ExpressMart license but wants the council to develop a framework for evaluating liquor licenses in areas with community concerns.
• Items 9–18 (Land Development): Preliminary and final plats, rezoning, and subdivision agreements were approved for Woodbrook Valley South (185th and Kansas), North Streams (202nd and N Street), and Cedarhurst of Omaha (168th and Grand). Cedarhurst items included rezoning to R5, an MCC district boundary amendment, a special use permit for assisted living, and subdivision agreements.
• Item 19 (PUD Overlay Amendment): A major amendment for a PUD overlay at 1999 Veterans Drive was approved.
• Items 27–40 (Various): Approved en bloc after a public hearing that included opposition to item 39 (speed limit reduction).
• Item 41: Contract with West Side Community Schools for uniformed police officers and cruisers at West Side High School and Middle School was approved.
• Item 42 (Settlement – $700,000): The council approved a settlement of claims related to property damage from the streetcar project. Councilmember Melton stated that the city will acquire and demolish the property, then resell it to recoup taxpayer money. The Law Department noted that the settlement also avoids litigation delays and gets the streetcar project back on track.
• Item 43 (Real Estate Purchase): The council approved a $7.82 million purchase agreement with Nebraska Builders District 3 LLC for property between 16th/17th and Mike Fahey/Cass Streets, the next major phase of the Builders District. Development expected to begin mid-2027.
• Items 44–48 (Ordinances): Approved: major amendment to Cattail Creek Commercial mixed-use district agreement; rubbish/recycle container pickup for Omaha Public Library (bid to Papillion Sanitation); drug trafficking grant agreement with Jennifer Bongdenov; Class A flammable liquid storage district at 146 South 243rd Street; three-year animal control agreement with Nebraska Humane Society.
• Items 49–54 (Bid Appeals):
  • Item 49: 10-4 Golf appealed rejection of their bid for point-of-sale enterprise replacement for golf. CEO Jonathan Ride explained that FedEx failed to deliver the required bid security (cash) by the August 19 deadline despite shipping six days early. City attorney Jeffrey Bloom stated the city code requires receipt within seven calendar days and provides no discretion for late arrival. Council denied the appeal 7-0.
  • Item 50: Sean Nagus Construction appeal (residential street plowing) – appellant not present; denied 7-0.
  • Items 51–54: OHMS NE LLC appealed rejection of four bids for sidewalk snow/ice removal (Northwest, Southeast, Northwest, Southwest quadrants) because they did not include the required $100 bid security, mistakenly believing the $50,000 threshold exempted them. City attorney stated the bid specs explicitly required the security. Appellant Faust acknowledged the misunderstanding but the council denied all four appeals 7-0.

Key Outcomes

• All action items on the agenda were approved unanimously (7-0).
• Bid appeals (items 49–54) were all denied 7-0.
• Item 65 was postponed to the October 27, 2026 meeting.
• Meeting adjourned at 2:52 PM.