THIS IS A TEST CAPTION. THIS IS A TEST CAPTION. THIS IS A TEST CAPTION. THIS IS A TEST CAPTION. THIS IS A TEST CAPTION. THIS IS A TEST CAPTION. >> PARTING HUG. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN GOODWIN MR. PRESIDENT. >> HERE, PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. AND REMAIN STANDING FOR OPENING REMARKS BY COUNCIL MEMBER RON HUG. >> UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. PLEASE BE SEATED. >> OH MY. >> ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL TUESDAY. >> AFTERNOON IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA. I THINK WE'VE ALL HEARD OF THE ANOTHER TERRIBLE TRAGEDY OMAHA EXPERIENCE THIS MORNING. I HAVE NOT HEARD THE FULL DETAILS ON IT, BUT I WANT TO ASK YOU TO REMEMBER THE VICTIMS. IN YOUR PRAYERS AND THOSE VICTIMS ARE EVERYBODY INVOLVED AND ALSO IN YOUR IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND YOUR PRAYERS. PLEASE REMEMBER, DEPUTY BRAYDEN ARCHER, BY THE GRACE OF GOD IS HERE WITH US TODAY. YOU KNOW, THAT BULLET WOULD, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER. WE WOULD BE MOURNING HIS DEATH. SO I WANT TO THANK DEPUTY BRAYDEN ARCHER FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO SERVING AND PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY. AND AGAIN, PLEASE KEEP HIM IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. AND I'LL ADD TO THAT, THANKING THE OMAHA POLICE FOR THEIR QUICK RESPONSE. AND I STOPPED BY AT LUNCH STATION 34. THAT'S RIGHT BY MY HOUSE. AND I TALKED TO THE PARAMEDICS THAT RESPONDED TO THAT AND THANKED THEM. SO WE GOT GREAT FIRST RESPONDERS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT KEEP US SAFE. SO I'LL ECHO WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER HUG SAID TO THANK OUR FIRST RESPONDERS. >> 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. WELCOME TO THIS MEETING OF THE OMAHA 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 THAT YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK ON AN AGENDA ITEM. PLEASE STAY ON TOPIC. FOR THOSE NOT PROVIDING IN-PERSON TESTIMONY AND YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR COMMENTS ENTERED INTO THE PUBLIC RECORD, YOU CAN EMAIL THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE AT CITY CLERK AT CITY OF OMAHA DOT. COUNCIL MEMBERS RECEIVED THESE EMAILS AND READ THEM. FINALLY, COUNCIL MEMBERS MAY ASK MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE BACK UP FOR CLARIFYING QUESTIONS, BUT NOT FOR EXTRA TIME TO SPEAK. I ALSO REMIND MY COLLEAGUES TO SPEAK CLEARLY UNDER THEIR MICROPHONES, SO AUDIENCE MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE AND AT HOME CAN HEAR IN THE SAME. WHEN PEOPLE COME UP TO THE PODIUM, MAKE SURE THOSE MICROPHONES ARE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU SO EVERYBODY CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU. >> ITEM SIX TO CONSIDER A CLASS C LIQUOR LICENSE FOR CLIO, LOCATED AT 2835 SOUTH 170TH PLAZA, SUITE 200. >> PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN ON ITEM NUMBER SIX. I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT IS ON ZOOM. >> YES, SIR. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. GET YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. >> SO THIS IS COLE CARPENTER. MY HOME ADDRESS IS 7915 BARTLETT STREET, OMAHA, NEBRASKA, 68122. >> THANK YOU. IF WE GOT ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL POP RIGHT BACK TO YOU. ARE THERE ANY PROPONENTS HERE ON ITEM NUMBER SIX? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT. I MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. ITEM SEVEN TO CONSIDER A CLASS C LIQUOR LICENSE FOR CASSIDY'S WINE AND SPIRITS, LOCATED AT 6610S 168TH STREET. SUITES THREE AND FOUR. >> PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN ON. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN IS THE APPLICANT HERE TODAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. PRESIDENT. COUNCIL MEMBERS DAN MCDOWELL APPEARING ON BEHALF OF THE APPLICANT. >> CAN WE GET YOUR ADDRESS AS WELL? >> 4506 WATERFORD AVENUE, PAPILLION, NEBRASKA. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY PROPONENTS HERE ON ITEM SEVEN? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT, I MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. >> ITEM EIGHT TO CONSIDER A CLASS C LIQUOR LICENSE FOR ANTHEM LOCATED AT 1205 HOWARD STREET. >> PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN ON ITEM NUMBER EIGHT. I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT IS ON ZOOM. MISS. >> THIS IS COLE CARPENTER. OH. >> GO AHEAD. I CAN. >> HEAR YOU. COLE CARPENTER AGAIN. YEAH. ADDRESS 7915 BARTLETT STREET, OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68122. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY PROPONENTS HERE ON ITEM EIGHT? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. >> WOULD YOU APPROVE? >> I'LL SECOND GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT, I MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. ITEM NINE TO CONSIDER A CLASS D LONG FORM LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION FOR A T A GROCERIES LOCATED AT 3247 NORTH 42ND STREET. >> THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN ON ITEM NINE. MR. HORTON, GOOD AFTERNOON. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCILMAN BEGLEY. I THINK MR. WILSON WAS GOING TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL BEFORE. >> I CAME UP. RYAN. SORRY I SKIPPED YOU THERE, BIG GUY. I DIDN'T SEE YOU BEHIND ME. >> THAT'S OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. RYAN WILSON, DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY. THIS APPLICATION FOR LIQUOR LICENSE IS BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON THEIR LONG FORM APPLICATION TO CONTINUE OPERATIONS AT A LICENSED PREMISES. WHILE THE APPLICATION OR REQUEST FOR LONG FORM WAS DOWN AT THE LOCAL LIQUOR CONTROL COMMISSION AND THE NEW APPLICATION WAS BEING SUBMITTED, WE ENGAGED IN A DIALOG WITH THE LICENSE HOLDER TO DISCUSS A NUMBER OF ISSUES THAT WERE PRESENT AT THE LICENSED PREMISES AND POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS THAT WE COULD AGREE TO THAT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO WRITING AS A NUMBER OF STIPULATIONS FOR CONDITIONS TO BE ATTACHED TO THE LICENSE THAT THE COUNCIL IS CURRENTLY CONSIDERING TODAY. THESE CONDITIONS INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT THAT THE LICENSE HOLDER OR OTHER DESIGNATED MANAGER SHALL BE PRESENT AT THE LICENSED PREMISES DURING ALL HOURS OF OPERATION. WHEN THE LICENSED PREMISES IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, THAT THE LICENSE HOLDER SHALL EMPLOY A CONTRACTED SECURITY ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS FROM 5 P.M. TO 11 P.M. THE LICENSE HOLDER SHALL REGISTER AND INTEGRATE ITS EXTERIOR SECURITY CAMERAS WITH THE OMAHA POLICE DEPARTMENT'S REAL TIME OPERATIONS CENTER THAT THE LICENSE HOLDER SHALL MAINTAIN. AT A MINIMUM, THE CURRENT STATUS OF EXTERIOR LIGHTING ON AND SURROUNDING THE LICENSED PREMISES. THE LICENSE HOLDER SHALL ENSURE THAT EXTERIOR WINDOWS ARE CLEAR OF BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR ADVERTISEMENTS, SO THE LICENSE HOLDER STAFF CAN SEE OUTSIDE AND BE AWARE OF ANY DEVELOPMENTS OR DISTURBANCES THAT MIGHT BE OCCURRING IN THE ADJACENT RELATED OUTDOOR AREAS THAT THE LICENSE HOLDER SHALL COLLECT ON A DAILY BASIS. ANY TRASH, REFUSE OR OTHER LITTER FROM THE LICENSED PREMISES OR ADJACENT RELATED OUTDOOR AREAS, AND THAT THE LICENSE HOLDER HAS AGREED TO JOIN AND BE A REGULAR PARTICIPANT IN THE FAIRFAX NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND THE ABIDE NETWORK. THESE CONDITIONS AGAIN HAVE BEEN REDUCED TO WRITING AND HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE CITY CLERK. IF THE CITY COUNCIL WISHES TO ADOPT THESE CONDITIONS AND INCORPORATE THEM INTO THE LICENSE APPLICATION, THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD GET AN AFFIRMATIVE STATEMENT TO THAT REGARD FROM THE APPLICANT, AND THEN THERE SHOULD BE A MOTION TO AMEND THE APPLICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE WRITTEN STIPULATED CONDITIONS. THEN THAT WOULD BE FOLLOWED UP BY EITHER A MOTION TO APPROVE OR A MOTION TO DENY. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER. SO IS IT PROPONENTS AND NOW OKAY, PROPONENTS, MR. HOWARD, NOW YOU'RE UP. >> GOOD MORNING, MR. PRESIDENT. COUNCIL MEMBERS DAVID HOUGHTON, 2804 SOUTH 87TH AVENUE HERE ON BEHALF OF TNA GROCERIES, INC., DOING BUSINESS AS TNA GROCERIES, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 3247 NORTH 42ND STREET. I'M NOT SURE THAT I HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD OTHER THAN WHAT MR. WEISE AND I ALREADY WENT OVER, BUT WE HAVE NEGOTIATED A STIPULATION THAT WILL. THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE THINGS THAT TNA IS WILLING TO DO. I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL'S LEADERSHIP ON THIS ONE AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MY CLIENT, MR. ALI, IS HERE AND WE WOULD BE WILLING TO ADDRESS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPONENTS HERE ON ITEM NINE? >> GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL DONNY JOHNSON, THE JOHNSON REQUESTING. FOUNDATION. NORTH OMAHA. CONCERNED CITIZEN FOUNDATION, 4928 NORTH 52ND STREET. I LOOKED AT THIS PROJECT, 1964. I LIVED ON BEDFORD STREET. THAT'S WHERE I GOT MY MONEY AS A KID SHOVELING SNOW. I'VE BEEN IN NEGOTIATING WITH ACROSS THE STREET WITH THOSE FOLKS TO SELL MR. ALI SOME LAND. I TOLD HIM, LOOK, WHEN I WAS IN EGYPT, THEY DON'T EVEN LIKE ALCOHOL. HE'S FIGHTING FOR THE COMMUNITY. SO I UNDERSTAND THE CHURCH'S POSITION AS WELL. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, ALL THOSE KIDS ON TOP OF THE HILL, I SAID, WOULD YOU SELL IT TO ME SOME LAND SO HE CAN TEAR THE OLD STUFF DOWN AND MOVE ACROSS THE STREET? THEY HAVE STILL DEBATING THAT BECAUSE WE GAVE ALL THOSE KIDS FREE FLYING LESSONS. IN THE MEANTIME. THAT OLD BUILDING HE HAS TRYING TO UPGRADE. WELL, MAYBE THAT WAS SOME OF THE PROBLEMS. LET'S JUST GET RID OF THAT. HE'S GOING TO MOVE ACROSS THE STREET IF POSSIBLE. >> WE NEED TO STAY ON TOPIC FOR THE SPECIFIC ADDRESS THAT 3247. >> FOLKS COME DOWN AND SAY THEY'RE GOING TO SELL THEM THE LAND. OKAY. THAT'S FINE. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPONENTS HERE TODAY? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? WE HAVE A. OPPONENT ON ZOOM. IS IT MISS OR. MR. MR. CHAMBERS, CAN YOU HEAR US? >> I CAN HEAR YOU. CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> I CAN HEAR YOU NOW. YES. IF WE CAN GET YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. >> ABSOLUTELY. BISHOP KEVIN CHAMBERS, MOUNT CALVARY COMMUNITY CHURCH, THE INTERDENOMINATIONAL MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE, 5150 AMES AVENUE, OMAHA, NEBRASKA, 68104. SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO RESOLUTION 20260323 AS IT IS CURRENTLY PREPARED, OUR COMMUNITY, IF I CAN SPEAK FREELY, IS NOT REJECTING THE CONDITIONS PROPOSED BY THIS AMENDMENT OR THIS THIS RESOLUTION TODAY. IN FACT, IMPROVING LIGHTING AND STRONG SECURITY AND BETTER ENGAGEMENT ARE EXACTLY THE KINDS OF MEASURES THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR AROUND THIS AREA. THESE ARE THE VERY THINGS THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR. OUR CONCERNS ARE DIFFERENT. WE'VE LIVED THROUGH YEARS OF INCONSISTENT COMPLIANCE FROM THIS ESTABLISHMENT, AND WE'VE SEEN ARRANGEMENTS MADE, AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE, BUT THEY HAVE NOT BEEN SUSTAINED. PROMISES HAVE BEEN OFFERED BUT HAVE NOT BEEN FOLLOWED THROUGH. AND SO WITHOUT CLEAR MECHANISMS FOR MONITORING, WITHOUT ENFORCEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY. THESE CONDITIONS RISK BECOMING WORDS ON PAPER RATHER THAN REAL PROTECTIONS FOR THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE, WHO WORK, WHO WORSHIP IN THIS VERY NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO WE ARE ASKING YOU TO ENSURE THREE THINGS. ONE, THAT THESE CONDITIONS BE ACTIVELY ENFORCED. TWO, THAT THE COMPLIANCE IS REGULARLY REVIEWED AND TIED TO THE CONTINUED OPERATION OF THIS LICENSE, AND THREE, THAT THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD REMAIN THE PRIORITY OF YOUR DECISION MAKING ON TODAY. OUR GOAL IS NOT TO SHUT DOWN ANY BUSINESS. OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT ANY BUSINESS OPERATING IN OUR COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTES POSITIVELY TO THE SAFETY, THE DIGNITY AND THE LIFE OF THE PEOPLE THAT IT SERVES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO STAND BEFORE YOU DIGITALLY TODAY. GOD BLESS. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER OPPONENTS HERE TODAY ON ITEM NUMBER NINE? >> CHERYL WESTON 1822 EMMET STREET, OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68110. I JUST COME IN SUPPORT OF BISHOP CHAMBERS, WHO JUST SPOKE TO YOU. THERE'S NOTHING ELSE THAT COULD BE ADDED TO IT, AND I THINK THAT'S SUFFICIENT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER OPPONENTS? >> LARRY? STORE 5015 LAFAYETTE AVENUE, OMAHA, 68132. I'M IN OPPOSITION TO IT BECAUSE THE SPEAKERS SO FAR HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT OFF TOPIC. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER OPPONENTS HERE TODAY ON ITEM NUMBER NINE? SEEING NONE. SO WE CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING. PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER GOODWIN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE ORDER OF BUSINESS WOULD BE TO AFFIRM THEN TO MOTION, TO AMEND WITH A VOTE AND THEN MOTION TO APPROVE. BUT FIRST, I WANTED TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE COMMUNITY CONCERNS. I CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE THE COMMUNITY CAN FEEL LIKE THIS COULD BE JUST A A BAND AID MEASURE. BUT WE CAME TO THIS PLACE BECAUSE THE CHALLENGES OR THE ISSUES OUTLINED IN THE RESOLUTION CAME TO THE LAW COMMITTEE. AT THAT TIME. WE BROUGHT MR. ALI, ALONG WITH MR. HORTON, IN TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES. IT WAS THEN AGREED UPON BY THE COMMITTEE TO REQUEST FOR THE LONG FORM PROCESS, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO BEFORE THE LIQUOR COMMISSION. THAT'S ONE LAYER OF ACCOUNTABILITY RIGHT THERE. BUT THE GOAL AND MANY PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED WHERE WE LOOKING SIMPLY TO SHUT THIS LIQUOR STORE DOWN, THAT WE DO REALIZE SERVES AS A GROCERY STORE. AND THE ANSWER WAS NO. WHAT THE LAW COMMITTEE WAS LOOKING FOR WAS TO ELEVATE SAFETY FOR THE CUSTOMERS AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOOD. AND SO I THINK THAT I CAN AFFIRM TODAY THAT WE'RE HERE BECAUSE OF SEVERAL THINGS THIS RESOLUTION WILL REINFORCE ACTIVE ENFORCEMENT, HOW THAT REAL TIME CAMERA OPERATION CENTER IS A WAY FOR THERE TO BE ACTIVE MONITORING WHEN, WHEN NEEDED, AS WELL AS OWNERS ON SITE OR A MANAGER ON SITE AT ALL TIMES OF OPERATION. FURTHER, THE PRESENCE OF SECURITY ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS FROM 5 P.M. TO 11 P.M. BUT WE DO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS. AND ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN DO THAT IS THROUGH THE LAW COMMITTEE. WHEN INCIDENTS COME UP, THEY COME TO THE LAW COMMITTEE WHEN THEY ARE TAVERN REPORTS. AND SO THERE IS THAT ACTIVE MONITORING IN SPACE IN PLACE. I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH THOUGH, THIS IS GOING TO TAKE COMMUNITY COLLABORATION. I AM PLEASED THAT WE'VE COME TO THIS PLACE, AND I WILL THEN BRING. I BELIEVE, MR. ALI UP BECAUSE WE DO NEED AN AFFIRMATION. THIS IS THE FIRST STEP. DOESN'T MEAN WE SIMPLY WALK AWAY AND SAY WE HAVE A RESOLUTION, BUT I BELIEVE THERE ARE SEVEN GOOD TACTICS HERE THAT NOT ONLY CAN WE WORK IN COMMUNITY WITH MR. ALI, BUT I ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO HAVE THE CONCERN TO ALSO CONNECT TO THESE PLACES, LIKE THE FAIRFAX NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, THE ABIDE NETWORK, TO COLLABORATIVELY WORK TOWARD SOLUTIONS. SO, MR. ALI, CAN YOU START FIRST WITH STATING YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS, PLEASE? >> TARIQ ALI, 5432B STREET, 68106. OMAR. >> OKAY, AND SO YOU HAVE READ THE STIPULATIONS FOR LICENSE CONDITIONS, AND I DO SEE YOUR SIGNATURE HERE. CAN WE GET YOUR VERBAL AFFIRMATION THAT YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS? >> YES. >> OKAY. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? >> NO. I'M SURE THEY'RE GOING TO HELP. I KNOW IT'S IT'S VERY CHALLENGING AND IT'S NOT GOING TO SOLVE ALL THE ISSUES, BUT I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. >> I AGREE. AND YOU KNOW, AS I'VE DRIVEN PAST THE AREA SINCE THIS CONVERSATION HAS STARTED, NOT ONLY HAVE I OBSERVED THAT THE LOITERING HAS ALMOST DECREASED AND I'VE ALSO GOTTEN UNSOLICITED FEEDBACK FROM VARIOUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT THE LOITERING HAS DECREASED. AND SO I DO THINK THAT THESE THESE MEASURES AND THIS THIS PROCESS HAS ALREADY YIELDED A CERTAIN LEVEL OF POSITIVE RESULTS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE NEXT COURSE IS TO ALLOW FOR THE NEXT SPEAKER, OR DO WE NEED TO MOTION TO OUR MOTION TO AMEND. AND THEN WE CAN. >> WE HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND WITH THE CONDITIONS IN A SECOND. ANY OTHER LIGHTS? AND. >> NO, I JUST IF I HADN'T ALREADY WANTED TO THANK MR. ALI AND MR. HORTON FOR COMING TO THIS PLACE OF AGREEMENT AND WORKING SO COLLABORATIVELY WITH THIS COUNCIL AND AND ALSO AGREEING TO FUTURE AND IMMEDIATE COLLABORATION WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. WE HAVE NO FURTHER LIGHTS. WE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT, I MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. >> ITEM NUMBER NINE. >> AS AMENDED. SECOND. >> GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND, AS AMENDED, FOR ITEM NUMBER NINE. ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES, MR. PRESIDENT. >> YES. >> MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. ITEMS TEN AND 11 CAN BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER FOR PROPERTY LOCATED SOUTH OF 18TH STREET AND WILLIS AVENUE. PLANNING BOARD AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMEND APPROVAL. ITEM TEN AN ORDINANCE TO REZONE THIS PROPERTY FROM R FOUR DISTRICT AND R7 DISTRICT R7 DISTRICT. ITEM 11 AND ORDINANCE TO APPROVE A MAJOR AMENDMENT TO A PUR OVERLAY DISTRICT. >> PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEMS TEN AND 11 ARE TODAY. APPLICANT RIGHT HERE. GOOD AFTERNOON. HI. >> I'M MIKE HOLTON WITH EHRHART GRIFFIN AND ASSOCIATES 3552 FARNAM STREET, OMAHA, NEBRASKA 68131. THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HEARING THIS TODAY. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE PLANNING BOARD AS WELL FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE ALONG WITH THIS PROCESS. HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. AND WE ALSO HAVE THE DEVELOPER, BEN -- HERE WITH HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY PROPONENTS HERE TODAY? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER GOODWIN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. IF I CAN HAVE THE DEVELOPER COME TO THE FLOOR, PLEASE. THANK YOU. >> HELLO. I'M BEN -- WITH HOPPY DEVELOPMENT, 1620 SOUTH 84TH STREET, LINCOLN, NEBRASKA. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND WHY THE ESSENTIALLY THE REZONING IS IMPORTANT HERE. >> YEAH. SO THIS IS PART OF A LARGER EFFORT. IT'S ABOUT A 200 UNIT MIXED INCOME KIND OF INFILL PROJECT. THIS PIECE IN PARTICULAR IS PART OF AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT. WITHIN THAT. SO IT'S 131 UNIT PROJECT, INCLUDING THE 70 UNIT HISTORIC CHAMBERS COURT, WHICH WILL BE REHABBING AS PART OF THIS. THIS PARTICULAR ZONING IS RELATED TO 31 UNITS. OF THAT 131 UNIT PROJECT. THIS PUR WAS ALREADY APPROVED EARLY ON. THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO KIND OF CLEAN UP SOME OF THE DISCREPANCIES THAT HAPPENED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS PROCESS AND MOVE THE PROJECT TOWARDS CLOSING. >> AND WHAT ARE THOSE DISCREPANCIES? >> YEAH, I CAN SPEAK TO THOSE. SO A COUPLE OF THE ITEMS WERE THAT THERE WAS NOT A STORM SHELTER SHOWN ON EITHER OF LOT ONE OR LOT FOUR IN THE ORIGINAL PUR DOCUMENT. AS PART OF THE DESIGN PROCESS, WE ADDED THOSE STORM SHELTERS TO MEET THE MUNICIPAL CODE AND REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. AS A RESULT OF THAT, SOME OF THE LANDSCAPING ITEMS THAT WERE LOCATED IN THAT AREA NEEDED TO BE REVISED AND REVISED IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT IT WOULD BE BEST TO FILE AN AMENDMENT AND BRING THAT BACK TO THE TO THE COUNCIL FOR DISCUSSION. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THIS BEING A MIXED INCOME DEVELOPMENT, WHAT ARE THE LOWEST RATES AND THEN WHAT ARE THE HIGHEST RENTAL RATES THAT YOU ANTICIPATE? >> YES. ON PAPER, THE 131 UNIT PROJECT, ALL OF THOSE UNITS ARE. RESTRICTED TO 60% AREA MEDIAN INCOME. HOWEVER, WE'VE UNDERWRITTEN THE PROJECT TO COMPLY WITH KIND OF THE VOUCHER LIMITS AND MAKE IT ALL ACCESSIBLE TO VOUCHER TENANTS. THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL COMPONENT. IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE CLOSING, BUT IT'S PART OF THAT 200 UNIT EFFORT I MENTIONED, WHICH IS MORE OF A WORKFORCE OR MARKET RATE LOOKING PROJECT. THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL 68 UNITS ACROSS 18TH STREET FROM THIS REQUEST. >> AND WHAT TIMELINE DO WE HAVE ON, YOU KNOW, FROM START TO FINISH, WHEN CAN WE SEE THESE UNITS? I KNOW PART OF IT'S A REHAB AND PART OF IT'S INFILL. SO WHEN CAN WE SEE THE THE PROJECT COMPLETED? >> YEAH. SO WE PLAN TO START ACTUALLY VERY SOON. EARTHWORK HAS BEGUN ON SOME COMPONENTS, KIND OF AN EARLY START, BUT WE'LL START IN EARNEST KIND OF AROUND THE 1ST OF MAY. THE REHAB COMPONENT WILL SHOULD CONCLUDE AROUND THE END OF THE YEAR AND THE NEW CONSTRUCTION COMPONENT SHOULD CONCLUDE MID TO LATE NEXT YEAR. >> THANK YOU. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU. >> MOTION TO. >> GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND. NO FURTHER LIGHTS. ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT. I MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> ITEM 12, A RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE DOWNTOWN SOCCER STADIUM AND MIXED USE TAX INCREMENT FINANCING REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT PLAN. LOCATED NORTHEAST OF 11TH AND IZARD STREETS IN AN AMOUNT UP TO. $48,214,614, A'S COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT. B'S COMMUNICATION. OPPOSITION. >> THIS ITEM WAS POSTPONED FROM THE APRIL 7TH MEETING. COUNCIL DISCUSSION. COUNCIL MEMBER GOODWIN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I SEE MR. LEVY IN THE AUDIENCE. IF HE COULD COME FORWARD. >> COUNCIL MEMBERS, GOOD AFTERNOON, DAVID LEVY, HOME LAW FIRM, 1700 FARNHAM STREET, REPRESENTING UNION OMAHA AND DOWNTOWN SOCCER STADIUM, INC. >> THANK YOU, MR. LEVY, AND GOOD AFTERNOON. AND SO WE LAID THIS OVER FROM LAST WEEK BECAUSE WE HAD SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SCOPE OF THE BUDGET. AND SOME ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS CAME UP DURING PRE-COUNCIL TODAY THAT I DO THINK IS WORTH DISCUSSION. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE SITE? AND IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW, YOU MIGHT THINK THAT IT'S MULTIPLE PROPERTIES OR SITES. CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE SCOPE OF THE SITE? AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF LIKE SITE DEVELOPMENT AND REMEDIATION AS WELL. >> SURE. SO THE PARCEL CURRENTLY HAS A SINGLE PARCEL OF OVER 20 ACRES THAT IS CURRENTLY OWNED BY UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD. >> OKAY. AND THERE ARE A COUPLE PHASES. AND FIRST OF ALL, THE CITY HAS A CERTAIN COURSE OF PROJECTS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN, NOT QUITE ASIDE FROM THE STADIUM, BUT WILL BE THE SITE DEVELOPMENT THAT PREPARES FOR THE OVERALL PROJECT. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CSO PROJECT AND THEN THE CONNECTOR, OR IS THAT BETTER FOR MAYBE BETTER FOR JEN TAYLOR? BETTER QUESTION. >> I'LL DO MY BEST. AND THEN JENNIFER CAN CAN ADD ON. BUT COUNCILWOMAN, IN ALL SERIOUSNESS, YES, PART OF THE REASON MY UNDERSTANDING AND I'LL LET JENNIFER ADDRESS THIS, BUT THE CITY IS ACQUIRING THIS PROPERTY FOR A NUMBER OF PURPOSES. ONE IS THE SOCCER STADIUM AND MIXED USE PROJECT. OTHERS ARE THE COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOW PROJECT AND THE CONNECTOR WHERE 10TH STREET AND 11TH STREET WOULD CONNECT ACROSS. COMING AND OPEN THAT UP TO VEHICLES AND PEDESTRIANS NORTH TO SOUTH. >> OKAY. AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND SO MISS TAYLOR. SO THAT'S THE WOULD YOU CALL THAT THE FIRST PHASE OF SITE DEVELOPMENT FOR THIS PROJECT, WHICH WOULD BE CSO AND CONNECTOR? AND IF IT IS, WHAT IS THE BENEFIT IF THAT'S ALL THAT HAPPENS? WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT THE GOAL. BUT WHAT'S THE BENEFIT IF WE SIMPLY DO THE SITE DEVELOPMENT WITH CSO AND THE CONNECTOR PROJECT? >> SO MR. DIRECTOR CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG ON ANY OF THIS, BUT FROM THE CSO PERSPECTIVE, THE GRIT SCREENING FACILITY THAT'S GOING TO BE LOCATED THERE, WE'VE ALREADY DONE A MAJORITY OF THE DESIGN FOR THAT. IN FACT, WE ACCELERATED THAT IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE PURCHASE AND THE LOCATION ON THIS SITE. SO WE ARE IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN START THAT WORK. THEY'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY BID IT OUT, I BELIEVE, NEXT MONTH. SO THOSE PLANS ARE DONE. READY TO GO. THE LOCATION OF THIS PARTICULAR FACILITY CONNECTS TO. I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST HERE, BUT IT CONNECTS TO A FACILITY THAT'S ACTUALLY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF 11TH STREET THAT THE CITY USES. AND THEN IT IS IN A DIRECT LINE TO THE FACILITY THAT'S BEING PROPOSED TO THE NORTH AND THE EAST ON PROPERTY THE GALLUP OWNS ON THE WEST SIDE OF ABBOTT. THIS IS ALL GRAVITY FED SEWER ISSUES. SO IT'S THE LOCATION OF THIS FACILITY IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF. I'M NOT A PUBLIC WORKS PERSON. SO JIM TYLER IS PROBABLY LAUGHING RIGHT NOW, BUT IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THAT THE THE SEWER PIPES THAT GO TO THE NEW. THE OTHER FACILITY ARE GRAVITY FED. THERE'S. JIM. APPARENTLY I'M NOT DOING A GREAT JOB OF THIS. >> THANK YOU JEN. IF YOU GUYS CAN ALL STAY CLOSE. JIM CAN. JIM IS WITH PUBLIC WORKS AND IS THIS YOUR PROJECT? JIM, CAN YOU KIND OF FILL IN THE GAPS? >> JENNIFER WAS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB, BUT I'LL TRY TO. DO MY BEST TO CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT. WE HAVE TO LOCATE THE FACILITY AT THAT LOCATION BECAUSE UNDERGROUND, THAT'S WHERE ALL THE SEWERS COME TO. OKAY, SO WE HAVE TO GET THE WATER THERE. AND SO THAT'S WHY OUR FACILITY HAS TO BE THERE, BECAUSE THE SEWERS COME TO THAT LOCATION. SO WE ARE ALWAYS PLANNING ON PUTTING SOMETHING THERE. IT'S JUST THE TIMING OF HOW ALL OF THIS IS WORKING. OKAY, THIS IS WHERE WE'RE GOING. WE WERE ORIGINALLY TALKING TO UNION PACIFIC. NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT WE'RE GOING TO BUILD THIS ON CITY PROPERTY. OKAY. AND BEING ABLE TO BUILD IT ON CITY PROPERTY AND NOT NEGOTIATING IT SEPARATELY WITH UPS, A BIG ADVANTAGE TO US. OKAY. THE THIS AT THIS LOCATION, THE FLOW WILL DROP DOWN AND I DIDN'T BRING A FIGURE. THE FLOW WILL DROP DOWN INTO A TUNNEL THAT WILL BUILD IN THE ROCK AND THAT WILL GO UNDER THE PROPOSED SOCCER STADIUM AND TO, AS JENNIFER SAID, TO A PROPOSED FACILITY THAT WILL BE LOCATED ON LAND WE NOW OWN, WE PURCHASED THAT FROM GALLUP. SO THAT WILL BE PART OF OUR HIGH RATE TREATMENT FACILITY. THAT'S LIKE THE ONE THAT'S NEXT TO OUR BAXTER ARENA. >> SO HAS ANY OF THIS. I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT IT'S LAND. WE ALL OWN PLANNING AND DESIGN BEYOND PLANNING AND DESIGN. HAS ANY OF THIS PROJECT TAKE TAKEN PLACE ON THE GALLUP SIDE? >> THE THE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO WE ARE ACCELERATING THE WORK THAT IS HAPPENING IN THIS LOCATION BECAUSE OF THE SOCCER STADIUM. OKAY. THE THE WORK THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE GALLUP SIDE, WE PUT THAT DESIGN ON HOLD. OKAY, SO WE COULD ACCELERATE THIS PROJECT AND THIS WORK SO WE COULD GET DOWN AND UNDER THE SOCCER STADIUM AS THAT SOCCER STADIUM, YOU KNOW, SO WE WEREN'T IN CONFLICT AS THAT'S GETTING ONLINE. AND THEN WE WILL CONTINUE THE DESIGN OF THAT FUTURE SITE AS WE'RE GETTING ALL OF THIS DONE. >> OKAY. AND SO THEN MY SECOND QUESTION PROBABLY WON'T BE MY LAST, BUT THIS CSO PROJECT, HOW DOES IT BENEFIT THE CITY OF OMAHA IN AND IN AND OF ITSELF? >> SURE. THE, THE, THE CITY'S COMBINED SEWER LONG TERM CONTROL PLAN IS REQUIRED BY THE CLEAN WATER ACT. OKAY. IT IS A PART OF THE CITY'S ADMINISTRATIVE CONSENT ORDER WITH THE STATE OF NEBRASKA TO BASICALLY COMPLY WITH THE CLEAN WATER ACT AND MINIMIZE OUR COMBINED SEWER OVERFLOWS TO THE MISSOURI RIVER, PAPILLION CREEK. IT'S A REQUIREMENT. IT'S A FEDERAL LAW. IT'S A FEDERAL MANDATE. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT SINCE 2009. WE'LL HAVE THE OVERALL PROGRAM COMPLETED BY 2037. >> SO PART OF THE ACQUISITION OF THIS SITE, WHICH IS PART OF THIS IN IS TO ITS FEDERAL COMPLIANCE. >> YES, ITS COMPLIANCE WITH THE CLEAN WATER ACT. >> OKAY. AND CAN YOU REMIND US WHAT WHERE CSO FUNDS ARE GENERATED FROM. >> CSO FUNDS? CSO IS JUST A PORTION OF WHAT A RESIDENT OR BUSINESS PAYS WHEN THEY PAY THE SEWER PORTION OF THEIR BILL. THAT'S COLLECTED BY M U D FOR US, SO THAT SEWER USE FEE FUNDS CSO OTHER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, AND THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR COLLECTION SYSTEM. >> AND SO CSO IS A SEPARATE FUND THAT THE CITY. >> IT'S CSO IS WITHIN. OKAY. IT OUR SEWER REVENUE FUND IS THE SEPARATE FUND. IT'S AN ENTERPRISE FUND THAT FUNDS THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITIES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. CSO IS ONE OF THOSE BIG CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT FALL UNDER THAT SEWER REVENUE FUND. >> SO REALLY, THESE ARE SEWER RATE FUNDS IN WHICH THE CSO PROJECT FOR THIS SITE WILL BE UTILIZED. YES. OKAY. AND SO THEN MY, MY THIRD QUESTION IS THE CONNECTOR. SO AGAIN, THERE'S SOME PREDEVELOPMENT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN THAT THE, THE WORK THE CITY NEEDS TO DO. WE'VE ESTABLISHED THAT PART OF IT IS A FEDERAL COMPLIANCE THROUGH THE CLEAN WATER ACT. BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO A CONNECTOR, WHICH WOULD BE ALONG THE COMING STREET OR ABBOTT DRIVE AREA. JEN, CAN YOU TELL US THE BENEFIT OF THAT PROJECT FOR THE CITIZENS IN THAT IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD? >> SURE. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION. AND I WOULD JUST POINT OUT, AS JIM MENTIONED, THE ALTHOUGH WE ACCELERATED THE DESIGN FOR THE CURRENT CSO FACILITY ON THIS SITE TO ACCOMMODATE NOT TO BE IN CONFLICT WITH A POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE BALANCE OF THE SITE, THIS FACILITY HAS TO BE BUILT NO MATTER WHAT. SO IT WAS GOING TO BE THERE REGARDLESS. WE'VE JUST ACCELERATED THAT SO THAT WE GET OUT OF THE WAY AND ALLOW THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT TO HAPPEN WITH THE CONNECTOR PROJECT RIGHT NOW, 11TH STREET, AS IT COMES FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, AS IT GOES SOUTH, IT ACTUALLY, AS WE ALL KNOW, IT KIND OF CURVES THERE AND CONNECTS TO 12TH STREET AND THEN COMES OUT ONTO COMING UP THAT ESSENTIALLY THAT DOES HAVE A TENDENCY TO CUT OFF THE MILLARD COMMONS NEIGHBORHOOD A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE IT MAKES IT A LITTLE AWKWARD TO ACCESS. SO I BELIEVE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR SEVERAL YEARS ABOUT CONNECTING 11TH STREET TO 10TH STREET, THEREFORE, OPENING UP THAT CORRIDOR AND ALLOWING BETTER AND GREATER ACCESS TO NORTH OF DOWNTOWN, NORTH OF CUMMING STREET DEVELOPMENT AND NEIGHBORHOODS. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE BEEN WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH PAUL SMITH AND ASSOCIATES WHO DEVELOPED MILLBROOK COMMONS TO PUT ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON A PORTION OF LAND THAT THE CITY OWNS RIGHT AT 11TH AND IZARD, 11TH AND IZARD. BUT THEY CANNOT PROCEED WITH THAT DEVELOPMENT UNTIL THIS CONNECTOR IS MADE. SO THAT THEREFORE, THAT CURVE THAT CONNECTS TO 12TH STREET IS VACATED, AND THEN THIS CONNECTION IS MADE WITHOUT A MAP. IT'S I IT'S A LITTLE COMPLICATED, BUT WE'VE BEEN CONTEMPLATING THIS CONNECTOR PROJECT. IT'S BEEN IN AGREEMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD GOING BACK AT LEAST 4 OR 5 YEARS. SO IT'S BEEN A GOAL. IT'S BEEN IN THE CIP. IT'S BEEN A PLAN OF PLANNING AND THE CITY FOR QUITE SOME TIME. WE HAVE JUST BEEN NOT NECESSARILY ABLE TO ACQUIRE THE LAND NECESSARY TO GO THROUGH WITH THAT PROJECT. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION, WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME ACCOMMODATIONS WITH THE RAIL, WHICH MEANS THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD NEEDS TO COME BACK. AND SO WE ALSO HAVE THAT AS PART OF OUR AGREEMENTS, THAT THEY WILL TAKE UP THEIR TRACK AND MOVE IT TO THE EAST SO THAT WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT CONNECTOR. >> YEAH. SO VISUALLY, YOU CAN THINK ABOUT CHARLES SCHWAB STADIUM, RIGHT. AND THEN CROSSING OVER TO THE ASHTON, THE COMMON AREA FOR MAYBE FOLKS WHO MIGHT NEED JUST SOME LANDMARKS IN THEIR MIND AS TO WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. >> PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE COMING OUT ON THE EAST SIDE OF CHARLES SCHWAB OR THE WEST SIDE OF THE CHAI CENTER. 10TH STREET IS RIGHT THERE. IF YOU WANT TO GET TO MILLBROOK COMMONS, YOU'VE GOT TO GO TWO BLOCKS DOWN COMING TO 12TH, COME UP AND AROUND AND COME BACK TO 11TH. THIS WOULD ACTUALLY ALLOW YOU DIRECT ACCESS IN ITS FROM A CONNECTIVITY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S A GREAT BENEFIT TO THE CITY AND FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF THOSE PARCELS NORTH OF COMING BOTH IN MILLARD COMMONS AND TO THE EAST OF 11TH STREET. THIS CONNECTION IS, I THINK, VITAL TO THAT REDEVELOPMENT. >> THANK YOU. AND SO THERE'S SOME EXPEDIENCY IN THIS PROJECT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT SOME DESIGN ALREADY READY TO GO FOR A CSO PROJECT THAT WILL HELP US TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL CLEAN WATER ACT THAT CAN START NEXT MONTH, IF, IN FACT, WE WE CAN GET ALL THIS BUSINESS TAKEN CARE OF TODAY. AND THEN FINALLY, THERE'S ALSO THEN A ESSENTIALLY AN AGREEMENT WITH UNION PACIFIC ABOUT PACIFIC, ABOUT 14TH AND CAPITAL. 1421 CAPITAL. >> CORRECT. UNION PACIFIC IS INTERESTING. AND INQUIRING FROM THE CITY. THE SITE AT 1441 CAPITAL, WHICH IS THEIR OLD HEADQUARTERS SITE. AND ALTHOUGH THERE ARE TWO SEPARATE PURCHASE AGREEMENTS THAT THIS COUNCIL APPROVED BACK IN DECEMBER, THEY ARE ESSENTIALLY LINKED TOGETHER AS ONE CONCEPT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON BOTH OF THESE DEALS TOGETHER. >> SO WE HAD THAT AGREEMENT ALREADY APPROVED, AND YET WE'RE MOVING THEM IN CONCERT TOGETHER BECAUSE IT JUST EXPEDIENT TO DO. >> SO WELL. AND WE ACTUALLY APPROVED THIS COUNCIL APPROVED BOTH AGREEMENTS AT THE SAME TIME. THEY WERE PRESENTED ON THE SAME DAY, AND THEY WERE APPROVED THE SAME DAY. YOU KNOW, THE 14TH AND CAPITAL SITE IS GOT LESS COMPLICATIONS WITH IT. SO WE ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE CITY WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF GET ALL OF THESE MATTERS WRAPPED UP AND CLOSED ON BOTH PROPERTIES AT A SIMILAR TIME. >> THANK YOU. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. >> YOU'RE WELCOME. >> THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER HARDING, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU. THOSE ARE I MEAN, THAT'S ALL VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT I THINK MISS GOODWIN BROUGHT UP. BUT. ACTUALLY, IT'S. IF WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR THE PAST 4 OR 5 YEARS, AND IF THIS WAS BEING A CSO DRIVEN PROJECT, WHY WASN'T THIS BEFORE A SOONER. >> THE ACQUISITION OF THE PROPERTY. >> OR. YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE ABOUT TODAY. WE'RE HERE ABOUT THE STADIUM. THE CSO DEFINITELY IS IS A BENEFIT THAT COMES ALONG WITH IT. BUT I WOULD I WOULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT IF YOU WERE DOING IT IN THAT ORDER, THAT THE CITY SHOULD HAVE ACQUIRED IT SOONER, WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES WERE, AND THEN WE WOULDN'T HAVE SOME OF THESE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GROUND. >> WELL, ACTUALLY, PREVIOUSLY WE HAD NOT SOUGHT TO ACQUIRE THIS SITE. IT WAS UNDER CONTRACT AT ONE POINT IN TIME, I BELIEVE, TO THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY OWNER. >> THAT EARLIER YOU SAID, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS FOR THE LAST 3 OR 4, 4 OR 5 YEARS, I THINK IS WHAT. >> WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE CONNECTOR FOR THE LAST 4 OR 5 YEARS AND TRYING TO DO THAT. AS FAR AS ACQUIRING THE SITE FROM U P, I DON'T THINK THAT WAS IT WAS ACTUALLY BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE DEVELOPER OF MILLARD COMMONS FOR SEVERAL YEARS. WHEN WE UNDERTOOK THE REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT WITH THEM, IT CONTEMPLATED ACQUIRING THEM, ACQUIRING THE UP SITE AND PROVIDING US THE LAND TO MAKE THE CONNECTOR. >> OKAY. MR. LEVY, COULD I HAVE YOU COME UP, PLEASE? SO ONE OF THE REASONS WE ASKED FOR A LAYOVER LAST WEEK WAS WE HAD JUST RECEIVED SOME INFORMATION AS IT RELATED TO THE SOURCES AND USES OF FUNDS. I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU TO KIND OF GO OVER SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES. WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED. AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW IS THE SOURCES AND USES OF FUNDS FOR THIS. >> SURE. SO COUNCILMAN, AGAIN, DAVID LEVY FROM 1700 FARNAM STREET, THE TWO BIGGEST DIFFERENCES THAT YOU SEE HERE FROM WHAT YOU MAY HAVE PREVIOUSLY SEEN, ARE IN THE STADIUM COLUMN. AND THEY ARE THE TOP LINE, WHICH IS DEVELOPER EQUITY. AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM UNDER USES IS CONTINGENCY. SO DEVELOPER EQUITY IS DEVELOPER DIRECT MONETARY CONTRIBUTION TO CONSTRUCTION OF THE STADIUM, WHICH THE CITY WILL ULTIMATELY OWN. THAT'S NOT TIFF, THAT'S NOT E, THAT'S NOT TURN BACK, THAT'S NOT LEASE PAYMENTS. THAT'S A DIRECT CONTRIBUTION FROM THE SOCCER TEAM TO, TO THE PROJECT TO THE STADIUM THAT THE CITY WILL ULTIMATELY OWN. THE BOTTOM LINE IS CONTINGENCY. AND THAT NUMBER, AS WE ALL KNOW, THE COST OF THINGS IS GOING UP EVERY DAY, IT SEEMS LIKE, AND WE MADE THE DECISION TO PUT THAT THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT AS COSTS KEEP GOING UP, IF THIS PROJECT WERE TO GET DELAYED ANY FURTHER OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A NUMBER THAT THAT WE CAN WORK WITHIN TO CONSTRUCT THE STADIUM. SO THOSE ARE REALLY THE TWO CHANGES HERE IN THESE NUMBERS, OR THE TWO BIGGEST CHANGES HERE IN THESE NUMBERS. FROM WHAT YOU'VE SEEN PREVIOUSLY. >> SO WHEN ITEM ON THAT IS YOU HAD SAID, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE DO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN IT SAYS DEVELOPER EQUITY, YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S NOT EEA OR LEASE PAYMENTS OR ANY TIFF THAT YOU LIKENED IT TO KIND OF A DOWN PAYMENT. >> CORRECT. >> OKAY. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT. LP 13, 17, 13, 17 FUNDS THE TURN BACK. YEAH. SO THERE'S A $25 MILLION NUMBER ON THAT. AND I ASKED THE QUESTION LAST WEEK, IF TURN BACK DOESN'T, IF TURN BACKS NOT APPROVED ON THIS PROJECT, DOES THIS PROJECT MOVE FORWARD? >> AND I'LL SAY WHAT I SAID LAST WEEK IS AS I STAND HERE TODAY, AS I STOOD HERE LAST WEEK, I DO NOT SEE HOW THIS PROJECT PROCEEDS. THIS IS A CHALLENGING PROJECT AS IT IS FINANCIALLY. IT'S A BIG PROJECT. WE'RE BRINGING ALL THE TOOLS, WE'RE TRYING TO BRING ALL THE TOOLS IN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE TOOLBOXES TO BEAR HERE. AND IF A $25 MILLION PIECE OF THAT SOURCES AND USES DOESN'T COME TO FRUITION, I DON'T SEE HOW THIS PROJECT THEN PROCEEDS. >> OKAY, SO THE WAY WE THE WAY THE PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR THE LAND IS CURRENTLY, I THINK WE'RE SCHEDULED TO CLOSE ON, WE, THE CITY ARE SCHEDULED TO CLOSE ON THAT BY THE END OF THIS MONTH, APRIL 30TH, I BELIEVE. >> CORRECT. >> TURN BACK. WE WON'T KNOW THE ANSWER ON TURN BACK UNTIL. PROBABLY SOMETIME MAY. JUNE. >> SOMETIME YES. SECOND HALF OF MAY. FIRST HALF OF JUNE. >> IDEALLY, WOULD WE BE CLOSING ON THE GROUND BEFORE WE KNEW WHAT THE ANSWER WAS ON TURN BACK? >> NO. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I HAVE ON AGAIN, AND I SAY THIS LAST WEEK, I'VE SAID IT PRE-COUNCIL TODAY TOO. I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS PROJECT GO FORWARD, BUT I DO HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CARTS AND HORSES AND WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE CLOSING ON THIS GROUND WITH WITHOUT KNOWING THE ANSWER ON TURN BACK, BECAUSE THEN IF TURN BACK DOESN'T HAPPEN, THEN THE CITY OWNS APPROXIMATELY 25 ACRES OF GROUND. AND FOR FOR CSO PROJECT, I MEAN, IF IF THAT WERE TRULY THE REASON WE WERE DOING THIS, THEN WE WOULD JUST HAVE A, AN ORDINANCE IN FRONT OF US TO ACQUIRE THE GROUND AND SAY IT'S FOR THE CSO OR NOT. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. WE'RE DOING IT FOR THE STADIUM. SO I THEN GET CONCERNED ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES THAT WE KNOW ARE ASSOCIATED, AT LEAST IN PART, WITH THIS LAND. SO I KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, I'LL ASK PART OF THE CONTINGENCY IS, IS THAT WHERE THE THE 10 MILLION IS BUDGETED FOR REMEDIATION OR WHERE IS THAT? >> THE 10 MILLION IN REMEDIATION AS PART IN CONTINGENCY AND PART IN SITE WORK. >> OKAY. AND WHAT HAPPENS IF I THINK THAT THE ESTIMATE I'VE BEEN TOLD, OR AT LEAST THROUGH MAYBE YOU AND MISS TAYLOR IS THAT IT'S ESTIMATED. WELL, NOT ESTIMATED. YOU HAVE A $10 MILLION NUMBER IN THE BUDGET FOR THAT. I ASKED IT AT PRE-COUNCIL THIS MORNING ABOUT. THE CORRECTIVE MEASURES IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN THAT THAT WAS GIVEN TO UNION PACIFIC ON JULY 17TH OF 2018. AND I KNOW IT WAS A SHORT TIME FRAME TO ASK, BUT I ASKED FOR A COPY OF THAT OR WHAT THAT BASICALLY THAT'S PROBABLY, I'M GUESSING SINCE I DON'T HAVE IT YET, I'M GUESSING THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES ARE GOING TO REQUIRE TO THAT SITE FOR CERTAIN ACTIVITIES THAT MAY OCCUR ON THAT SITE WITH THE OH TWO AND OH THREE. >> SO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WILL BE REQUIRED ON THAT SITE, AS WE KNOW TODAY FROM THE REPORTS THAT WE HAVE, WHICH I DETAILED FOR THE COUNCIL IN A MEMO LAST WEEK. ARE NO GROUND FLOOR CONSTRUCTION, NO GROUND FLOOR RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION. NO. GRASS YOUTH SPORTS FIELDS ARE THE TWO BIG THINGS. WE DON'T HAVE INFORMATION SUGGESTING FROM ANY OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A A MASSIVE REMEDIATION REQUIREMENT. IT'S MORE OF A ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION, AS WE UNDERSTAND FROM THE INFORMATION WE HAVE, WHICH, AS WE KNOW, ARE HAVING THE CONVERSATION. WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET ON THE SITE UNTIL THE CITY CLOSES. BUT OUR WHAT, BASED ON EVERYTHING THAT WE KNOW, IT'S MORE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION WHERE IT'S A RESTRICTION ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT AND COORDINATION WITH THE EPA ON FUTURE DEVELOPMENT, RATHER THAN SOME KIND OF A MASSIVE REMEDIATION PROJECT WHERE YOU GO REMOVE TENS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF YARDS OF SOIL. >> AND WHEN THE ASSUMING THE CITY CLOSES ON APRIL 30TH. WE THEN WOULD BE TAKING D TO THE TITLE TO THE SITE AND WOULD THEREFORE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REMEDIATION THAT TAKES PLACE THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED. >> THE CITY WOULD. AND THEN. YES, THAT'S CORRECT. >> AND WERE THERE ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH IN NEGOTIATION ABOUT CAPPING THE CITY'S EXPOSURE THAT THE THE ESTIMATED, YOU KNOW, 7 TO $10 MILLION AND MAYBE ANYTHING ABOVE THAT THE BUYER OR THE SELLER WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. >> I DIDN'T NEGOTIATE. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT U P YEAH, I DIDN'T NEGOTIATE THAT AGREEMENT. SO I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS. >> CAN I ASK YOU REAL QUICK, MISS TAYLOR? THAT WAS EVER CONTEMPLATED. >> THAT WAS PART WE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH U. P DURING OUR NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT THAT. U P IS ALREADY OBLIGATED TO FULLY REMEDIATE LOT B WHENEVER IT IS WE DEVELOP LOT B, SO SOME OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH HOW THEY HAVE TO REMEDIATE LOT B, HOW THEY MOVE THAT DIRT, THEIR INTENT TO UTILIZE THIS SITE TO STORE THAT DIRT. SO AS PART OF THIS NEGOTIATION, I'M SORRY, THAT'S NOT HELPFUL. BUT AS PART OF THIS NEGOTIATION, THE REMEDIATION OF LOT B IS RELEVANT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HOME PLATE. SO THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD WITH U, P AND WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AT THE TIME AND EXECUTIVES AT THE TIME WAS, AS WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S THERE, BUT WE UNDERSTAND THERE MIGHT BE SOME NEED TO REMEDIATE. WE WOULD THEN OFFER THE PROPERTY AT A SIGNIFICANT DISCOUNT TO THE CITY. SO APPROXIMATELY $7 MILLION, THE ORIGINAL APPRAISED VALUE WAS 25.7 MILLION. I SENT YOU AN APPRAISAL. >> I GOT THAT JUST BEFORE. >> AND THEN OUR CURRENT PURCHASE PRICE IS ABOUT 18 MILLION. SO THAT WAS UP'S WILLINGNESS TO ACCOMMODATE ANY FUTURE NEED TO REMEDIATE THE SITE. WHEN IT COMES TO OUR AGREEMENT WITH OR THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE DRAFTING WITH UNION OMAHA AND DSI, THAT POTENTIAL $10 MILLION COST IS IN THE PROJECT BUDGET. AS MR. LEVY POINTED OUT TO ME WHEN WE DISCUSSED THIS JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, THAT PROJECT BUDGET COST IS WHAT IS BEING PAID FOR THROUGH THE LEASE PAYMENTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO EVENTUALLY, ACTUALLY THAT COST WILL BE ABSORBED BY DSI. IF THAT COMES OUT OF THE PROJECT BUDGET. >> WELL, THEORETICALLY, IN PART BECAUSE THEY'RE ONLY PAYING 23 MILLION OF THE PROJECT COSTS. >> WELL, BUT EVERYTHING THAT THE CITY ISSUES AND TAKES ON IN LEASE PURCHASE PROCEEDS WILL THEN BE OUR DEBT SERVICE. ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE WILL BE REPAID BY TURN BACK TAX, TIFF AND THE LEASE PAYMENT THAT WILL GUARANTEE OUR DEBT SERVICE. SO THEY WILL BE MAKING UP MOST OF THAT COST ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. SO EFFECTIVELY, THEY WILL BE PAYING THE PROJECT COSTS, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE REMEDIATION OR THE $10 MILLION BUDGETED FOR THE REMEDIATION. >> WERE YOU ABLE TO FIND THAT CORRECTIVE MEASURES, IMPLEMENTATION WORK PLAN? >> I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO LOOK FOR IT BETWEEN 11 AND TODAY, BUT I CAN FIND IT. IT WAS, I THINK, REFERENCED IN MR. LEVY'S MEMO. AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT IT HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY THE ENGINEERS AT ITS AT E.G. TERRACON THE ENGINEERS AT TERRACON, BUT MR. LEVY SAID, AND I THINK I MENTIONED LAST WEEK WE HAD WE HAD A PHASE ONE DONE IN 2007. THERE WAS A REPORT DONE IN 2018. THERE HAS BEEN SOME ADDITIONAL KIND OF PHASE ONE TYPE WORK DONE OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO WE DO HAVE EFFECTIVELY WHAT EQUATES TO A PHASE ONE, ESPECIALLY THE ONE THAT WAS DONE 2007. NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN. THEY HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING ON SITE SINCE THEN. SO WE DO HAVE WHAT EFFECTIVELY CONSTITUTES A PHASE ONE. PLUS WE KNOW WHAT'S UNDER LOT B. WE KNEW IT WAS UNDER C H I. WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL WORK THAT MILLWORK HAS DONE ON THEIR SITE, WHICH IS ALSO VERY SIMILAR. SO, YOU KNOW, THE RESTRICTIONS THAT MR. LEVY HAS INDICATED ARE THE RESTRICTIONS THAT EXISTED FOR. THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S DONE ALONG 14TH STREET, WHERE SLOWDOWN IS ALL OF THAT DEVELOPMENT HAD THE SAME RESTRICTIONS, ALL THE RESTRICTIONS THAT EXIST AT RIVERFRONT FOR RIVERFRONT TOWERS AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT THERE, SAME RESTRICTIONS. SO WE FEEL FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE WILL HAVE WILL BE THOSE THAT MR. LEVY INDICATED. NO GROUND FLOOR RETAIL, YOU KNOW, NO GRASS FIELDS WHERE YOU'RE DOING YOUTH SOCCER IN THE MAINLY YOUR GROUND FLOOR NEEDS TO BE KIND OF CONCRETE OR RETAIL. AND THOSE ARE ALL DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT CONSTRAINTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE PLAN THAT DSI HAS PUT TOGETHER TO DEVELOP THE SITE. >> OKAY, JUST A QUICK ASIDE TO I KNOW THAT THE YOUTH SPORTS IS A COMPONENT OF THIS, SO I'M ASSUMING THEN THOSE ARE ON ARTIFICIAL OR. >> THE YOUTH ACADEMY THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WOULD BE ON UNION OMAHA'S STADIUM SITE, WHICH WOULD BE TURF CONCRETE UNDERNEATH. >> CONCRETE UNDERNEATH. AND YEAH. >> SO IT WOULD COMPLY WITH THE CURRENT RESTRICTIONS THAT WE KNOW THE EPA HAS FOR THE SITE. WE JUST CAN'T PUT A, YOU KNOW, CURRENT TRANQUILITY SITE STYLE GRASS FIELD OUT THERE. >> OKAY. MR. LEVY, SO JUST A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS ON KIND OF SOME OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. I THINK. SO WHEN WE THEN GO TO SELL THE GROUND FOR THE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT THAT IS ANTICIPATED OR AT LEAST CONTEMPLATED FOR THIS PROJECT OR IS A COMPLIMENT, I GUESS ON THE SOUTH, HOW MANY ACRES WOULD THAT BE? >> THE MIXED USE AREA IS APPROXIMATELY SEVEN ACRES, BETWEEN 6 AND 7 ACRES. >> AND IT'S CONTEMPLATED THAT THERE WOULD BE A THAT WOULD BE A SALE. THAT WOULD BE A TRANSACTION AT MARKET RATE OR NOT. >> THAT WOULD BE A TRANSACTION OR A SERIES OF TRANSACTIONS. AND WHAT WE'VE DISCUSSED CURRENTLY WITH THE CITY IS THAT ON A SQUARE FOOT BY SQUARE FOOT BASIS, THE DEVELOPER WOULD PAY THE CITY FOR THAT LAND. WHAT THE CITY PAID UP FOR THAT LAND. >> OKAY. WHICH ACTUALLY. I THINK IT WAS JUST $17 A FOOT, I THINK IS WHAT. THAT'S WHAT THE CONTRACT PRICE IS WITH THE WITH THE CITY. THEN SINCE THEY WOULD BE TRANSFERRING DEED, BUT THEY WOULD NOW HAVE THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECT ASSOCIATED OR ATTACHED TO THAT TITLE, WOULD THEY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLEANUP OF THAT SITE AS WELL, OR WOULD IT WOULD IT BE CONTEMPLATED THAT THE SITE WOULD BE REMEDIATED IN ITS ENTIRETY ONCE THE CITY TAKES CONTROL, TAKES OWNERSHIP AGAIN? >> AS I SAID BEFORE, THE FIRST ANSWER TO THAT IS WHAT WE THINK IS THAT THE REMEDIATION IS REALLY HOW YOU DEVELOP THE SITE. AND AS MISS TAYLOR ALLUDED TO, THE DESIGN OF THE MIXED USE PROJECT HAS RETAIL AND PARKING ON THE GROUND FLOOR. THERE'S NO GROUND FLOOR RESIDENTIAL. THERE'S NO BIG AREAS OF LAWNS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. IF THERE WERE ADDITIONAL REMEDIATION THAT WERE REQUIRED, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE DEVELOPER WOULD DO AS PART OF DEVELOPING THAT MIXED USE SITE, JUST AS IF A PRIVATE DEVELOPER ACQUIRED ANY OTHER LAND. >> OKAY. LET'S SEE. I THINK THAT MIGHT BE IT FOR NOW. THANK YOU. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FESTERSEN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I THOUGHT IT WAS APPROPRIATE WE LAID THIS OVER LAST WEEK FOR THESE KIND OF DIALOGS AND QUESTIONS. THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS HERE AND IT'S A COMPLEX PROJECT, BUT I WAS SUPPORTIVE OF IT LAST WEEK AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF IT TODAY. IT'S A A $332 MILLION REINVESTMENT IN OUR CITY, DOWNTOWN AND IN A PROPERTY THAT'S BEEN HARD TO REDEVELOP IN THE PAST AND IS LITERALLY THE FRONT DOOR OF OUR COMMUNITY. WE'VE CONFIRMED THAT OF THAT $332 MILLION, APPROXIMATELY 140 MILLION OF THAT IS STADIUM RELATED, AND THAT THERE WILL BE A $24 MILLION CONTRIBUTION IN PRIVATE EQUITY FROM THE SOCCER, SOCCER OWNERSHIP INTO THAT STADIUM, AS LONG AS WELL AS A LONG TERM LEASE OVER THE LIFE OF THE BONDS TO COVER THE PAYMENT OF THOSE BONDS, WHETHER THAT BE 25 OR EVEN 30 YEARS. SO I FEEL LIKE WE'VE DONE THAT, THAT INVESTIGATION, TOO. I THINK WE'RE RIGHT TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY. THAT CONCERNS ME, TOO. BUT I THINK WE'VE DONE AT THIS POINT, ALL WE CAN DO ON THAT IN THE RESPECT THAT WE CAN'T GET ON THAT PROPERTY TO ASSESS IT FURTHER UNTIL WE OWN IT, AND THAT IS THE NEXT STEP. AND MISS GOODWIN IS CORRECT. THERE IS A RELATIONSHIP HERE TO PREVIOUS ACTION TAKEN BY THE COUNCIL WITH UNION PACIFIC THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THEIR ONGOING FUTURE HERE WITH THEIR MERGER AND HOPEFULLY EXPANSION IT ON CAPITOL STREET. SO I FEEL LIKE THAT IS AS FAR AS WE CAN TAKE IT AT THIS POINT. YET TODAY. BUT IT IS ABOUT MANAGING RISK. AND TO ME, THE MOST RISK WE HAVE IN THIS ENTIRE ENTIRE EQUATION IS STILL THE TURN BACK APPLICATION GOING TO THE GOVERNOR AND THAT COMMITTEE IN APRIL. AS HAS BEEN NOTED, THAT'S $25 MILLION OF EXPECTED FINANCING OF THIS ENTIRE SOURCES AND USES PICTURE. SO I WOULD NOT BE COMFORTABLE IN VOTING ON A REDEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT UNTIL THAT DECISION IS MADE. BUT I THINK THAT IS THE INTENTION IN THE TIMELINE HERE. THIS NOT BEING THE LAST TIME THIS PROJECT WILL COME BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL, AND I DO HOLD SOME PROMISE THERE AND THAT ALTHOUGH THIS PROJECT COUNTS ON $25 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM THAT TURN BACK MECHANISM, WE BELIEVE IT ACTUALLY PRODUCES ABOUT 52 MILLION. SO THE STATE WOULD SEE A WINDFALL OF SALES TAX SHOULD THEY APPROVE THAT APPLICATION. AND SHOULD THIS MOVE FORWARD. AND TO ME, THAT HOPEFULLY IS A POSITIVE INDICATION OF THE ACTION THEY WILL TAKE. SO HAVING SAID ALL THOSE THINGS, I THINK AT THIS POINT, THE REDEVELOPMENT PLAN SHOULD MOVE FORWARD AND I WOULD MOTION TO APPROVE. >> SECOND. >> HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND. NO FURTHER LIGHTS. ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. >> YES. >> HUG. YES. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT. I MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. CONSENT AGENDA. ANY MEMBER OF THE CITY COUNCIL MAY CAUSE ANY ITEM PLACED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BE REMOVED. ITEMS 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 IS AN AGENDA. ITEMS 13 AND 14 WERE HELD ON APRIL 7TH, 2026. ANY COUNCIL DISCUSSION? GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT. I MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. >> THE PUBLIC HEARING IS ON AGENDA ITEMS 15 THROUGH 32 ARE TODAY. IF YOU WISH TO ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL REGARDING THESE ITEMS, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE. INDICATE THE AGENDA ITEM NUMBER YOU WISH TO ADDRESS. IDENTIFY YOURSELF BY YOUR NAME, ADDRESS WHO YOU REPRESENT AND IF YOU ARE A PROPONENT OR OPPONENT. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. ARE THERE ANY PROPONENTS ON ITEMS 15 THROUGH 32? >> LARRY SAW. 5015 LAFAYETTE AVENUE. 68132. I AM IN FAVOR OF NUMBER 27, MR. TIMOTHY READER TO BE APPOINTED. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPONENTS? >> GOOD AFTERNOON, CITY COUNCIL. DANIEL JOHNSON, THE JOHNSON EQUESTRIAN FOUNDATION, NORTH OMAHA CONCERNED CITIZEN FOUNDATION. YOU KNOW, I KEEP THINKING ABOUT THIS MOVIE, THE NUTTY PROFESSOR, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, NUMBER 18, NUMBER 18 HERE. ELKHORN. CAN THEY ATTACH SOME MORE MONEY TO THAT? CAUSE THERE'S A DEBATE IN LINCOLN TO MOVE THE STATE FAIR TO ELKHORN A NUMBER 23, BECAUSE THE STATE FAIR IS IN GRAND ISLAND. NOW, TO MOVE IT BACK FROM LINCOLN SAID THEY DON'T WANT IT. AND NUMBER 23, CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THE POLICE GET SOME MORE MONEY? BECAUSE I WAS WALKING AROUND WITH BARE FEET. HE WANTED ME TO WRITE DOWN ALL THESE OUT OF STATE PLATES. AND AS I WALK AROUND THE POLICE STATION, I NOTICED ALL THEIR LICENSE PLATES WAS OUTDATED. I'M SAYING GIVE THEM SOME MORE MONEY BECAUSE THEY MUST NOT BE SPENDING THE MONEY, RIGHT? IF ALL THEIR CARS ARE PARKED AROUND THE POLICE STATION WITH NO PLATES AFTER OUT OF THE HARNEY. >> THIS IS NOT ON POLICE VEHICLES. >> NUMBER 23, THEY'RE GOING TO BUY A NEW FORD, GIVE THEM SOME MORE MONEY TO BUY SOME LICENSE PLATES TOO. >> FOR THE PARK MAINTENANCE DIVISION. >> FOR THE PARK? >> YEAH. >> OH I'M SORRY. THEY'RE SPENDING THEIR MONEY. RIGHT. >> ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPONENTS ON ITEMS 15 THROUGH 32? ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS ON ITEMS 15 THROUGH 32? PUBLIC HEARING IS SORRY. >> YOU HAVE TO LOOK UP BEFORE YOU RECALL IT CLOSED. >> THE FLOOR IS YOURS. LARRY. >> LARRY STORER, 505 LAFAYETTE AVENUE. 68132. I AM OPPOSED TO NUMBER 29. I BELIEVE IT IS. I BELIEVE THERE'S A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THAT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG. MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT. I MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. ITEM 33, AN ORDINANCE LEVYING A SPECIAL TAX AND ASSESSMENT TO COVER THE COST OF CONSTRUCTING SIDEWALKS IN DISTRICT NUMBER S R 2020 5-01 A'S. AMENDMENT OF THE WHOLE REQUESTED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. >> COUNCIL DISCUSSION. IS THERE A MOTION? GOT A MOTION. MOTION AND A SECOND ROLL CALL. >> HARDING ON THE AMENDMENT. >> OH. >> YES. >> SORRY. >> IS IT IS THE MOTION ON THE AMENDMENT OF THE WHOLE? >> THAT'S WHAT I SAID. >> IT WASN'T. >> BUT SO I HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR AMENDMENT OF THE WHOLE. >> CORRECT. >> THANK YOU. AND ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG? YES. MELTON. ROW. YES. FESTERSEN GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT. >> I. >> MOTION NO. WE'RE GOOD. MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. ITEM 34, AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AMENDMENT TO HEARTLAND BIKE SHARE AGREEMENT REGARDING THE BIKE SHARE, MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM. >> PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN ON ITEM 34. PROPONENTS. MR. FOLZ, GOOD AFTERNOON. >> GOOD AFTERNOON. COUNCIL BENNY FOLTZ 1144 NORTH 11TH STREET, OMAHA, 68102. AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPONENTS HERE TODAY? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER FESTERSEN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANKS. MR. PRESIDENT, I JUST WANTED TO THANK BENNY FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE PROGRAM OF BIKE SHARE THROUGHOUT THE CITY. WHEN YOU SEE CITIES THAT HAVE DONE THIS WELL, IT'S ALL ABOUT SCALE, RIGHT? AND BUILDING OUT AND MAKING IT CONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE AND AFFORDABLE FOR PEOPLE. AND I THINK WE'RE NOW ENTIRELY ELECTRIC IN OUR BIKE SHARE. RIGHT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. IN 2023, WE RELAUNCHED AS ALL ELECTRIC BIKES, THE FIRST IN THE COUNTRY TO DO SO. WE SAW ENORMOUS GROWTH AFTER THAT AND HAVE BEEN SEEING THAT. >> AND ANY FUTURE PLANS OR THINGS YOU'RE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT YET TODAY. >> WE HAVE A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT COMING ON MONDAY THAT YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO AT OUR SHOP THAT I HOPE YOU WILL ATTEND. SINCE THIS IS PUBLIC RECORD, I DON'T WANT TO SPILL THE BEANS QUITE YET. >> GOOD. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A GOOD ANNOUNCEMENT AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'VE DONE, INCLUDING A RECENT EXPANSION TO THE NORTH SEATTLE CREEK AREA JUST INSTALLED LAST WEEK. >> YEP. CORRECT. YEP. >> AND WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS A SIMPLE THREE YEAR EXTENSION OF YOUR CURRENT ARRANGEMENT. RIGHT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. WITH SOME NAME CHANGE AND SOME MINOR DETAILS. YEAH. >> LATER IN OUR AGENDA WE'LL TALK ABOUT METRICS COMMENTS A LITTLE BIT. THAT'S STILL WE'RE CURRENTLY LOCATED. >> THAT WE'RE MILLWORK COMMONS ADJACENT. YEAH. SO NOT TECHNICALLY IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH IS SEEING TREMENDOUS GROWTH, BUT OUR, OUR WE'VE BEEN IN THE BUILDING SINCE 2017, BUT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT EXPLORING A NEW VENUE. AND AT THAT TIME, I'LL PROBABLY BE VISITING WITH SOME OF YOU ON WHERE ROME SHOULD BE FINDING THEIR HOME OR BE CALLING THEIR HOME. SORRY. >> ALL RIGHT. GOOD. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT. I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS NEXT WEEK. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GOODWIN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. >> MR. FULTZ, I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TOUR YOUR FACILITY YESTERDAY, LAST WEEK AND LEARNED A LOT ABOUT JUST HOW YOU OPERATE. CAN YOU JUST TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU DO ON SITE? NOT ONLY THE OPERATIONS, BUT THE INNOVATION AND THE WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS? >> SURE. YEAH, YEAH. WE CONSIDER OURSELVES AS A VERY PROGRESSIVE BIKE SHARE PROGRAM, ONE OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY. WE WOULD ARGUE. YOU KNOW, I MENTIONED WE WERE THE FIRST TO RELAUNCH IT WITH ALL ELECTRIC BIKES. EVERYONE IS DOING THAT NOW. WE'VE PARTNERED WITH THE DOUGLAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND WE'RE A SECOND CHANCE FRIENDLY ORGANIZATION. SO FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE COMING OUT OF INCARCERATION OR HAVE HAD LAPSE OF EMPLOYMENT, WE'LL TRY TO WORK WITH THEM ON GIVING THEM A JOB. I CURRENTLY HAVE 12 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW WITH A VERY STRONG BENEFITS PACKAGE FOR A NONPROFIT AS WELL, WHICH WE'RE PROUD OF. WE GOT REAL GOOD AT A FEW YEARS AGO. THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE USE THE STREETS IS PRETTY EXPENSIVE. AND SO I WOULD FIND BIKE SHARE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT WERE NO LONGER WANTING TO OPERATE THEIR EQUIPMENT. AND I WOULD GO THERE AND REMOVE THE EQUIPMENT FOR THEM AT NO COST AND BRING IT BACK TO OMAHA. AND THEN WE HAVE A PAINT ROOM AND A SANDBLASTER, AND WE REFURB ALL THAT EQUIPMENT. WE ACTUALLY PUT SOME OF THAT EQUIPMENT BACK OUT ON THE STREETS, SAVING US HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS, BECAUSE THAT'S GREAT EQUIPMENT THAT CAN STILL BE USED. SO OUR TEAM HAS GOTTEN VERY GOOD AT THAT. I HAVE A VERY TENURED TEAM, WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON WHY WE CONSIDER OURSELVES ONE OF THE BEST BIKESHARE PROGRAMS BECAUSE OF OUR EXPERIENCE. >> AND HOW MANY BIKES DO YOU HAVE IN THE OMAHA METRO AREA THAT ARE ALL RIGHT NOW IN CIRCULATION? >> WE HAVE OVER 400, SOON TO BE 450 E-BIKES THAT ARE DEPLOYED FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC AVAILABLE 365 24 SEVEN. >> AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT OUR MOBILITY SOLUTIONS IN OMAHA? >> YEAH, I MEAN, WE REALLY FOCUS ON UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, BUT SINCE THE E-BIKES, WE HAVE EXPANDED ALL OVER. WE COVER 125MI ACROSS THE OMAHA METRO, WHICH INCLUDES COUNCIL BLUFFS. WE JUST PUT STATIONS IN LA VISTA AND RALSTON, WHERE AS FAR WEST AS MAHONEY STATE PARK. BUT ALSO WE JUST ADDED ONE AT LAKE CYWINSKI. WE'RE FAR NORTH AS MILLER PARK RIGHT NOW. WE'RE LOOKING AT ENTERING FLORENCE IN A MONTH OR TWO, WHICH IS EXCITING. AND AS FAR SOUTH AS BELLEVUE AND METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE. WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM, AND WE ARE FINDING THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE USING THESE E-BIKES AS THEIR PRIMARY FORM OF TRANSPORTATION. THOSE THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO A CAR MIGHT NOT HAVE A BUS STOP. YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE TO GET SOMEWHERE. AND IT'S EITHER THEY'RE WALKING OR THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE AN E-BIKE. SO MOST OFTEN, IF THEY HAVE THE OPTION, THEY'LL TAKE THE E-BIKE. >> GREAT. SO CONGRATULATIONS, THAT'S ON YOUR 16TH YEAR, RIGHT? BECAUSE I KNOW. >> YES, WE ARE. WE'RE IN OUR 16TH YEAR OF OPERATING BIKE SHARE. SO WE'RE ONE OF THE OLDEST BIKESHARE PROGRAMS IN THE COUNTRY AS WELL. >> GREAT. AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE LEADING THE WAY WITH INNOVATION AND, AND RECYCLING AND RESILIENCE AND ALL THOSE, THOSE GREAT THINGS. >> THANK YOU. YES. YEAH, WE LIKE TO WE'LL WAIT TILL MONDAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT THAT'LL. FLORIA. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER. HUGG YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> OKAY. EXCUSE ME, I I'M MISSING SOMETHING HERE THAT'S PROBABLY OBVIOUS, BUT IT SAYS BIKE SHARE, MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM. I NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM IS FOR REFERRING TO. APPARENTLY YOU ARE TOO. >> YEAH, I, I READ THAT TOO. I, I GUESS BECAUSE BIKE SHARE IS CONSIDERED TRANSPORTATION. THEY INCLUDED THE WORD TRANSPORTATION. >> THERE'S NOT ANOTHER COMPONENT. >> OH, NO. >> OTHER THAN BIKE SHARE. >> NO. CORRECT. OKAY. YEAH. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. >> THANK YOU. YOU BET. >> THANK YOU. AND A COUPLE COMMENTS. BENNY. YOU DON'T YOU DON'T HAVE TO RESPOND. BUT YOU SAID ONE OF THE BEST. I WANT TO GO AHEAD AND CHANGE THAT FOR YOU THAT YOU ARE THE BEST. THANK YOU. BECAUSE YOU CAN'T MANUFACTURE PASSION. AND WHEN YOU BROUGHT SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL AND APPRECIATE YOUR BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS. I'VE TOLD YOU THAT BEFORE. BUT IT'S GREAT AND I CAN'T WAIT TILL MONDAY. I WON'T TEASE IT ANYMORE. SO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND FOR ALL YOU DO. THANK YOU. THANKS. NO FURTHER LIGHTS. >> ITEM 35. AN ORDINANCE TO ACQUIRE PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE SIGNAL INFRASTRUCTURE. PHASE G ONE PROJECT. >> PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. ARE THERE ANY PROPONENTS ON ITEM 35? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. >> ITEM 36 AN ORDINANCE TO ACQUIRE PRIVATE PROPERTY FOR THE HELL CREEK AT WESTWOOD LANE PROJECT. >> I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM 36. ANY PROPONENTS HERE TODAY? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. >> ITEM 37 AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE A NON-EXCLUSIVE PUBLIC ROW LICENSE AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA FOR FUTURE INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF UTILITY FACILITIES IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY. >> PUBLIC HEARINGS OPEN ON ITEM 37. ARE THERE ANY PROPONENTS? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. >> ITEM 38 AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT WITH THE MILLER PARK TRUST FOR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. A'S COMMUNICATION AND SUPPORT. >> PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN ON ITEM 38. ARE THERE PROPONENTS HERE TODAY? MISS MORRISON? GOOD AFTERNOON. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, JACQUELINE MORRISON, CITY OF OMAHA MAYOR'S OFFICE HERE. ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THIS, BUT ALSO TO GIVE SOME INFORMATION AND CONTEXT AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE JUST WANTED TO. ONE, TALK ABOUT HOW WE WE GOT, I DON'T KNOW, AM I A TIME LIMITED? I'LL GO QUICKLY. NO. OKAY. TALK ABOUT HOW WE GOT HERE. WE HAVE BEEN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOZIER FOUNDATION WITH MILLER PARK FOR MANY YEARS, LOOKING AT HOW WE COULD BRING THE LEVEL OF THE PARK UP AND GIVE THE COMMUNITY MORE AMENITIES. AND SO WE WERE ASKED BY THE LOZIER FOUNDATION WHAT WERE SOME OF THE OPTIONS WE HAVE FOR OUR PARKS. AND SO REALLY, THIS STARTED AS WE LOOKED AT WE HAVE CURRENTLY AN AGREEMENT WITH TURNER PARK THAT WAS BEING HANDLED BY EAST CAMPUS REALTY AT THE TIME. ALSO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE LAKE CUNNINGHAM TRUST AND ALSO WITH MECCA WITH OUR DOWNTOWN RIVERFRONT PARKS. AND SO THIS IS A MODEL THAT WE HAVE EXPLORED AND THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR SYSTEM. AND SO WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR AGREEMENT AND ARRANGEMENT TO SEE IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE MILLER PARK TRUST AND ALSO LOZIER FOUNDATION WOULD BE INTERESTED IN. AND AT THE TIME THEY SAID YES. AND SO THAT STARTED THIS AGREEMENT IN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS. I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE MET WITH THE COMMUNITY SEVERAL TIMES. SO WE MET ORIGINALLY WITH THE MILLER PARK. I WILL SAY, KIND OF COMMUNITY THAT WE SENT OUT TO SOME TARGETED STAKEHOLDERS TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON WHAT THEY THOUGHT ABOUT AN AGREEMENT LIKE THIS. AND WE DID THAT AT THE NELSON MANDELA SCHOOL BACK IN, I BELIEVE IT WAS NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER. AFTER THAT, THERE WAS SOME SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOME PUBLICITY BEHIND THIS. AND SO WE OPENED THAT NEXT MEETING UP THE FULL COMMUNITY. EVERYONE FROM THE OMAHA COMMUNITY WAS INVITED, AND WE HELD THAT COMMUNITY MEETING AT THE NELSON MANDELA SCHOOL, AND IT WAS OPEN TO EVERYONE TO COME AND GIVE FEEDBACK. AND SO WE LISTENED. WE ALSO HAD A PUBLIC SURVEY TO GET FEEDBACK, TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE WANTED TO SEE IN THE AGREEMENT, WHAT THEY LOVED ABOUT THE PARK AND WHAT AMENITIES THEY WANTED TO SEE. WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK THERE. I HAVE PARTICIPATED OR I SHOULDN'T SAY PARTICIPATE, BUT I WAS ASKED TO COME TO A MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING AND SPOKE TO THEM DIRECTLY ABOUT THE AGREEMENT TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK. AND AFTER THIS DRAFT AGREEMENT WAS COMPLETED, I ACTUALLY WENT BACK TO THE MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WENT OVER THIS AGREEMENT WITH THEM, GAVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK THERE, AND ALSO ASKED IF THEY HAD ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK OR CONCERNS TO REACH OUT TO ANY COUNCIL MEMBER TO LET YOU KNOW HOW THEY FELT, BUT THEN ALSO TO REACH OUT TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE DIRECTLY SO THAT WE COULD GET ANY FEEDBACK INCORPORATED. IF THIS AGREEMENT DID NOT ADDRESS CONCERNS. AND SO I CAN SAY AT THIS TIME, I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANY NEGATIVE OR ANY FEEDBACK AT ALL. ASKING FOR CHANGES IN MY INBOX SINCE THAT PARTICULAR MEETING OR SINCE THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED ON THE CITY COUNCIL AGENDA. SO I WANT TO JUST GO OVER BRIEFLY SOME OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED AND SHOW YOU IN THE AGREEMENT WHERE WE HEARD CONCERNS, AND WE TRIED TO ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS. SO ONE, ORIGINALLY THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT LENGTH AND HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW LONG WOULD THIS AGREEMENT BE IN PLACE. AND SO YOU'LL SEE IN TERM TWO THIS WAS A FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXTENSIONS. AND SO INSTEAD OF ENTERING INTO A LONGER AGREEMENT, WE REDUCED IT TO FIVE YEARS TO SEE BASICALLY HOW THOSE CHECKPOINTS IS THE CITY GETTING. WHAT WE EXPECTED IS THE TRUST GETTING WHAT THEY EXPECT. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IS THE COMMUNITY GETTING WHAT THEY WANT AND ARE THEY SATISFIED? AND SO THEY'LL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY AFTER THOSE FIVE YEARS TO WEIGH IN. BUT I GUESS NOT AFTER, BUT THROUGHOUT. BUT I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT PART FOR YOU CITY COUNCIL IS IF YOU LOOK AT THAT VERY LAST SENTENCE, NOTWITHSTANDING THE FOREGOING, IF THE CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO DO SO, THEY CAN TERMINATE THIS AGREEMENT AT ANY TIME WITH 90 DAYS NOTICE TO THE TRUST. AND SO THE POWER IN THIS AGREEMENT ALWAYS LIES WITH THE CITY COUNCIL. AND SO IF EVER YOU HEAR FEEDBACK OR THE COMMUNITY SPEAKS TO YOU AND YOU WANT TO BRING THIS MATTER BACK BEFORE CITY COUNCIL, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FIVE YEARS. SO JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT IN THERE SO THAT THE COMMUNITY ALWAYS HAS THE POWER THROUGH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT ON PAGE THREE, NUMBER EIGHT WAS A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE TRUST AGREED TO DO WAS TO ESTABLISH A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL OF AT LEAST THREE INDIVIDUALS THAT WOULD MEET QUARTERLY STARTING OCTOBER 1ST OF 2026, THAT COUNCIL WOULD BE ABLE TO ADVISE ABOUT THE PARK AND ALSO ANY CONCERNS THAT THEY HAVE, BUT ALSO ANY IDEAS THAT THEY HAVE. AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT I, I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE THAT IN ANY OTHER AGREEMENTS, BUT THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY RESPONDING TO THE COMMUNITY HERE. AND THOSE PERSONS WILL HAVE TO LIVE IN A ONE HALF MILE RADIUS OF THE PARK, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE CONSTITUENTS ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE REPRESENTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE LOCAL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. ALSO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT NUMBER TEN, THAT SPECIFICALLY, A QUESTION CAME UP ABOUT THE USAGE OF USE OF SMALL AND EMERGING BUSINESSES. SO WE DID PROVIDE THE MILLER PARK TRUST WITH OUR ONE BIZ WEBSITE, AND THEY WILL HAVE TO REPORT EACH CALENDAR YEAR ON THEIR USAGE OF SMALL AND EMERGING BUSINESSES FROM THAT ONE BIZ PROGRAM. AND SO THAT IS ANOTHER LAYER OF ACCOUNTABILITY TO THE COUNCIL, TO THE COMMUNITY OF HOW ARE WE UTILIZING THOSE SEB'S? THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT CAME UP EARLIER TODAY THAT I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT, AND THAT WAS NUMBER 14, WHICH IS ON PAGE FIVE. HOW DO WE DEFINE MAINTAIN THE PREMISES IN THE SAME OR BETTER MANNER? AND SO THAT THAT'S SPECIFIC TO THOSE DUTIES THAT THE CITY WILL THAT WILL REMAIN THE CITY OF CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY. SO SPECIFICALLY, LOOKING AT THE GOLF COURSE, THE FENCING, THE OPERATION OF THE POOL, THE FOUNTAIN, THE PARKING LOTS, THE TRAILS. AND SO WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THOSE AREAS THAT WE'VE AGREED TO AND CONTINUE TO INVEST, AT LEAST AT THE IN THE AMOUNT THAT WE DO TODAY. I DON'T HAVE A DOLLAR AMOUNT OF HOW MUCH WE SPEND THAT WILL HAVE TO WE'LL HAVE TO BACK INTO THAT. I'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO RUN SOME CALCULATIONS. AS YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY AWARE, OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT RUNS IN, IN, IN DISTRICTS. AND SO EACH DISTRICT HANDLES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF PARKS. SO WE'LL HAVE TO SEE HOW MUCH OF THE PARTICULAR DISTRICT'S TIME WAS BEING SPENT AT THIS PARK, AND HOW MANY HOURS WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO SOME OF THOSE DUTIES. SO I'LL WORK ON SEEING WHAT THAT LEVEL IS OR IF WE CAN FIND A NUMBER. BUT I DON'T THINK WHEN THIS WAS PUT IN, IT WAS TO HOLD US TO A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT RATHER SO THAT WE DIDN'T WALK AWAY FROM THE PARK AND NOT KEEP UP THE DUTIES THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING OR THAT WE'VE AGREED TO IN THE AGREEMENT. SO THAT'S SPECIFIC TO WHAT THAT WAS REFERRING TO. SO THOSE ARE THAT'S KIND OF A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'VE DONE AND HOW WE GOT HERE. BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT MAY THAT YOU MAY HAVE. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPONENTS? >> HI. >> MY NAME IS NANCY CARTER, I MY ADDRESS IS 2720 IOWA STREET AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. HOWEVER, I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN AN UNOFFICIAL CAPACITY. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE LOZIER FOUNDATION FOR THEIR LONG STANDING SUPPORT OF MILLER PARK. IN RECENT YEARS, NEARLY $7 MILLION HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE PARK, DOUBLING THE PAVILION, ADDING A WALKING TRAIL, SPORTS COURTS, AMPHITHEATER, SOCCER WALL AND DOG PARK. MOST OF THAT MONEY HAS COME FROM LOZIER, AND THIS HAS TRANSFORMED THE PARK AND LIFTED UP OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT STANDS AS A TESTAMENT TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT INVESTING IN PARKS IS INVESTING IN PEOPLE. I'D LIKE TO THANK COUNCIL MEMBER GOODWIN FOR HER SUPPORT OF THE DELIBERATIVE PROCESS THAT HAS ALLOWED ALL SIDES TO BE HEARD, AND THE CITY AND LOZIER HAS, AS JACQUELINE POINTED OUT, HAS HELD TWO PUBLIC MEETINGS TAKEN WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT, PARTICIPATED IN TWO NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETINGS AND PROVIDE US WITH A COPY OF THE AGREEMENT. ONCE IT WAS READY. WE'D LIKE TO THANK JACQUELINE OF THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR THE THOUGHTFUL AND ENGAGED PRESENCE SHE PRESENTS. SHE BROUGHT TO THE DISCUSSION AND ALSO TO TANYA MARCUSSEN OF THE LOZIER FOUNDATION FOR HER RESPONSIVENESS OF OUR QUESTIONS. IT HAS BEEN AN EXCELLENT PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS. THE CHANGES THAT LOZIER AS. AS. AS JACQUELINE POINTED OUT, REFLECT THAT THEY HEARD. THEY HEARD US, THEY LISTENED TO US. BUT WE'D ALSO BE REMISS IF WE DIDN'T THANK THE PARKS DEPARTMENT FOR THE HARD WORK THEY'VE BROUGHT TO MILLER PARK AND OTHER PARTS. AND THIS IS NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES, BECAUSE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, PARKS ARE SEVERELY UNDERFUNDED. THE PARKS MASTER PLAN SHOWS THAT OMAHA WOULD HAVE TO SPEND ABOUT 40% MORE ON PARKS JUST TO GET TO AVERAGE OF THE EXPENDITURES OF OUR PEER CITIES. AND IT'S KIND OF A BAD POSITION TO BE IN WHEN YOUR ASPIRATION IS TO BECOME AVERAGE. GREAT CITIES HAVE GREAT PARKS, BUT NOT EVERY PARK WILL HAVE A BUSER FOUNDATION. SO WE KNOW WE'RE LUCKY. IT'S OUR HOPE THAT OTHER PARKS CAN SEE SIMILAR IMPROVEMENTS. SO WE APPLAUD MARY EWING FOR HIS EFFORTS TO BOOST FUNDING THROUGH PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. AND WE CERTAINLY HOPE THE PUBLIC PART BECOMES MORE ROBUST. THESE ARE DIFFICULT TIMES, BUT AGAIN, WE DO APPRECIATE ANY SUPPORT OUR PARKS GET. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >> ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPONENTS HERE TODAY? ITEM 38. SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? >> CHERYL WESTON 1822 EMMETT STREET, OMAHA, NEBRASKA. I COME BEFORE YOU TODAY AS A OPPONENT DUE TO SEVERAL ITEMS IN HERE. AND SINCE CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS HERE SAY YOU CAN'T BE PART OF BOTH. SO I'M GOING TO GO WITH THE PROPONENT. AND I DID AGREE WITH OPPONENTS. OPPONENTS. YEAH. OPPONENT. SORRY. THAT'S OKAY. OPPONENT. AND I DO AGREE WITH THE COMMENTS THAT MISS MORRISSEY MADE. THERE WERE THE MEETINGS AND I DID ATTEND THOSE. AND ALTHOUGH I HAVEN'T SENT ANYTHING DIRECTLY TO THEM, I DID MAKE NOTE AND I WANTED ON ITEM NUMBER 3 OR 8 ON PAGE THREE. I DO NOT FEEL THAT IT IS RIGHT THAT THREE INDIVIDUALS MEET QUARTERLY AND THE ADVISORY COMMUNITY COUNCIL MUST INCLUDE AN OFFICER OF THE MILLER PARK. NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WITH THE REMAINING MEMBERS, TWO MEMBERS WHO LIVE WITHIN ONE HALF MILE OF THE PREMISES. I MADE THAT COMMENT AT THE MEETING IS THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC PARK. ALL CITIZENS HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE IN THAT COUNCIL MEETING, AND I UNDERSTAND THE REASONING FOR. YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY THAT THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS FROM THE PARK. BUT IT'S A PUBLIC PARK. ALL OF US HERE IN OMAHA HAVE A RIGHT TO THAT PARK. AND AT THAT TIME, I MADE THIS NOTE. IS THAT TO PUT IT AT A HALF A MILE RADIUS IS UNFAIR TO OTHERS, ALTHOUGH I AM AND I'VE USED THAT PARK, MY WALKING PARTNER. WE LIVE PAST THAT, BUT SHE MAY WANT TO BE. I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THE COUNCIL SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. BUT I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE. THE CITY COUNCIL SHOULD LOOK AT THAT. THIS IS A PUBLIC PARK. THERE SHOULD NOT BE THAT. BOTH OF THOSE TWO MEMBERS HAVE THAT HALF A MILE RADIUS. THAT IS IN FAIR. AND WHEN WE TALKED AT THE MEETING, I MY QUESTION WAS, SO THE ADVISORY COUNCIL HAS TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT. BUT THE MEMBER THAT THE LODGER FOUNDATION TRUST WILL BE HIRING FOR THE MANAGEMENT PART. THERE IS NO STIPULATIONS. THAT'S UNFAIR. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE SHOULD BE CORRECTED. I THINK IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A RESTRICTION, IT SHOULDN'T BE WHERE IT'S RESTRICTING ANY MEMBER FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO LIVES IN NORTH OMAHA OR OUTSIDE. IT IS A PUBLIC PARK. THE PARK, AS THE MAYOR HAS SAID, IS STILL CITY. YOU OWN IT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER OPPONENTS? >> LARRY, STORE 5015 LAFAYETTE AVENUE 68132. I'M OPPOSED TO THIS FOR THE BASICALLY THE SAME REASONS THAT THIS LADY IS. I LIVE VERY CLOSE TO A NICE PUBLIC PARK, AND I DON'T WANT THE CITY MESSING AROUND WITH IT EITHER. BUT ALSO TO COMPLAIN THAT THIS WAS NOT A PRESENTATION. SO THE FIRST SPEAKER SHOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN WAY OVER THREE MINUTES. VIOLATION OF THE RULES, SIR. >> NO, IT'S NOT LARRY. SHE WAS PRESENTING ON BEHALF OF. >> THE VIOLATION OF. >> THE RULES. THANK YOU. PLEASE HAVE HIM REMOVED FOR DISRUPTING THE MEETING. THANK YOU. YOU'RE REMOVED FROM THE MEETING, LARRY. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER OPPONENTS HERE TODAY, MR. BURKHALTER? GOOD AFTERNOON. MR. DUNBAR, GOOD AFTERNOON. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS SCOTT DOMBECK. I'M VICE PRESIDENT OF AFSCME LOCAL 251, WHICH REPRESENTS CITY OF OMAHA CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. MY HOME ADDRESS IS 4309 SOUTH 61ST STREET. I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON THE COMMENTS THAT MISS WESTON GAVE IN RELATIONSHIP TO SECTION THREE EIGHT, WHICH IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD. WE HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD AND THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE NO INDEPENDENCE FOR THIS BOARD. THE BOARD IS GOING TO BE APPOINTED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TRUST, WHICH MAY BE APPROPRIATE FOR AT LEAST SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, BUT WE THINK IT WOULD PROBABLY ALSO BE OF INTEREST TO HAVE A MEMBER OF THE BOARD WHO WAS INDEPENDENTLY APPOINTED, WHETHER THEY WERE APPOINTED BY THE CURRENT OMAHA PARKS BOARD, WHICH THEIR MEMBERS ARE APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR OF COURSE, OR APPOINTED BY SOME OTHER MEANS. BUT TO HAVE A BOARD THAT'S JUST COMPLETELY. APPOINTED BY THE TRUST ITSELF, WE THINK COULD LEAD TO A BOARD THAT REALLY COULD BE NOT INDEPENDENT AND PERHAPS EVEN TOOTHLESS. WE THINK THERE'S ALSO A WEAKNESS IN THIS ASPECT IN THAT. NO POWERS OF THE BOARD OR OF THE ADVISORY BOARD ARE LISTED HERE. SO IT'D BE, I THINK, IMPORTANT TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT THIS ADVISORY BOARD CAN ADVISE ON WHAT WEIGHT THERE ADVICE WAYS. AND AGAIN. WHO THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD ARE. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER OPPONENTS? >> GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL MEMBERS. TONI BURKHALTER, 7058 GIRARD STREET, OMAHA, NEBRASKA. I'M CURRENTLY IN THE ROLE OF PRESIDENT OF LOCAL 251 WE REPRESENT THE PARK'S EMPLOYEES. OUR CONCERN WITH THIS TRUST IS, IS WE FEEL THAT THIS IS A TERM AND CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BARGAIN OVER THE IMPACT THAT THIS MAY HAVE AMONGST OUR EMPLOYEES. WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH TOMMY WARREN ON TWO OCCASIONS. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS BEFORE THIS IS PUSHED THROUGH, SIT DOWN AND HAVE A FORMAL CONVERSATION WITH OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND GO OVER THIS TO SEE WHAT EXTENT THE IMPACT WILL HAVE ON OUR BARGAINING GROUP. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. SO THANK YOU. >> THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. ANY OTHER OPPONENTS HERE TODAY? SEEING NONE, PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER GOODWIN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I APPRECIATE EVERYONE COMING UP AND EXPRESSING NOT ONLY THEIR CONCERNS, BUT GIVING US AN OVERVIEW OF HOW WE LOOK TO SEE THIS PARTNERSHIP WORK. SO I HAVE A QUESTION. THIS MIGHT BE FOR BOTH JACQUELINE AND IT MIGHT EVEN INCLUDE OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT. SO ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I DID WHEN I WAS ELECTED CITY COUNCIL, AND I WON'T SAY I DID IT, ACTUALLY, NANCY GARDNER REACHED OUT TO ME AND SAID, COME ON, COME TOUR MILLER PARK. AND IT'S REALLY BECAUSE SHE WANTED TO TO SHOW ME ALL OF THE MAINTENANCE ISSUES. AND WE AND PRIMARILY IN MILLER PARK, WE DID LOOK AT ISSUES BEYOND IN THE AREA. SO I DID A REC RECONNAISSANCE TOUR WITH NANCY. AND THEN SHORTLY AFTER I ENLISTED AUSTIN AND WE, WE DID A SIMILAR TOUR. THE AREA AND IT. AND IT RANGED FROM, YOU KNOW, DREDGING NEEDED IN THE, THE POND. THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, SEWER ISSUES. WE LOOKED AT MAINTENANCE FOR THE. KERRIE OROZCO BALLPARK. I MEAN, THERE WAS JUST A LAUNDRY LIST. AND SO, I MEAN, I WAS GLAD THAT, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN WAS LIKE, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THIS. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I BELIEVE THIS AGREEMENT IS ATTEMPTING TO ADDRESS IT, BUT I KIND OF WANT TO HEAR PROCESS, RIGHT? BECAUSE CLEARLY THOSE ITEMS WERE NEGLECTED, SOME LONGER THAN OTHERS, SOME DUE TO FEMA PAYMENTS AND JUST A NUMBER OF. NUANCES TO WHY THE CONDITION OF THE PARK WAS THERE. AND SO HOW DOES THIS AGREEMENT MITIGATE OR EXPEDITE? YOU KNOW, ISSUES THAT ARISE IN THE PARK AS IT PERTAINS TO MAINTENANCE? JACQUELINE, LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE STEPPING TO THE PLATE. THANK YOU. >> YEAH. >> I'LL ALSO JAKE IS UP THERE TOO. SO IF JAKE WANTS. >> CAN YOU SPEAK INTO THE MICROPHONE, PLEASE? >> BOTH OF THEM. I'M SURE. >> I CAN HEAR YOU. >> OKAY, I SAID I'LL I'LL TRY. AND THEN JAKE IS ALSO HERE TOO. YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT THAT WE. THERE WAS A LOT OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND THERE'S DEFERRED MAINTENANCE IN A LOT OF OUR PARKS SINCE MARY EWING HAS TAKEN OFFICE, WE HAVE ELEVATED PARKS IN A WAY THAT I WOULD SAY WE WE HAVE NOT TALKED HAD NOT TALKED ABOUT THEM BEFORE. AND SO WE ARE REALLY LOOKING AT HOW DO WE MAKE IMPROVEMENTS THROUGH ALL OF OUR PARKS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID DO SPECIFICALLY WITH MILLER PARK IS IN ANTICIPATION OF THE POTENTIAL FOR THIS AGREEMENT TO HAPPEN. THERE WAS A PUNCH LIST FOR ALL OF THE THINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE UPDATED, OR AT LEAST TAKEN CARE OF IN MILLER PARK. AND SO JOSH FREY, I BELIEVE JAKE HIMSELF, OUR PARKS FOREMAN, WALKED THROUGH THAT PARK AND WE LOOKED AT WHAT ARE THE TREES THAT NEEDED TO BE LIFTED? WHAT ARE THE STUMPS THAT NEEDED TO BE GRIND? WHAT ARE THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT NEEDED TO BE FIXED AND THE CARETAKER'S HOUSE. AND SO ALL OF THOSE PARTICULAR ISSUES WERE, WERE ADDRESSED AND BROUGHT UP TO A, I'LL SAY, A STANDARD LEVEL OF CARE. AND SO WE DID GIVE IT THAT THAT ATTENTION ONCE WE STARTED WORKING ON THIS. BUT THE NEXT THING IS BECAUSE THIS PARK WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF AND WE WILL HAVE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT IN THIS PARK THAT FREES UP OUR PARKS EMPLOYEES TO GO TO OTHER PARKS AND TO SPEND MORE TIME DOING THE WORK THERE. AND SO THIS IS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, NOT A DISPLACEMENT OF EMPLOYEES, NOT A DISPLACEMENT OF FUNDS, BUT REALLY ALLOWING US TO MAKE TAKE THAT TIME THAT WOULD BE SPENT, WHETHER IT'S MOWING MILLER PARK OR FIXING THE PAVILION. NOW WE CAN GO TO OTHER PARKS IN OUR SYSTEM AND, AND FIX THOSE UP. ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THAT, THE CARETAKER AT MILLER PARK WAS ACTUALLY IS NOW GOING TO BE AT LEVI CARTER PARK. AND SO ONE OF A GREAT CARETAKER WHO'S NOW GOING TO TAKE CARE OF ANOTHER PARK. AND I BELIEVE THAT ALSO ALLOWS US TO PUT A CARETAKER IN MANDAN PARK, WHICH WAS A POSITION THAT WAS UNFILLED. AND SO WE ARE ABLE TO REALLY LIFT ALL OF THE PARKS WHEN WE HAVE AGREEMENTS LIKE THIS, THAT HELPS US TO INVEST. DID THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION SOMEWHAT. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT ANSWER. SO IN PRACTICALITY, CITY COUNCIL MEMBER, WE ALL GET CALLS AND PARKS ARE HIGH ON THE LIST. SO NOW THIS TRUST IS IN PLACE AND CONSTITUENT READS OUT, REACHES OUT TO ME AND SAYS, YOU KNOW, THE GATE IS BROKEN AT THE PARK. YOU KNOW, HYPOTHETICALLY. HOW WOULD I REFER THEM? LIKE, HOW DOES THE COURSE OF ACTION CHANGE? BECAUSE I PROBABLY WOULD LOOP IN SOMEONE FROM OUR LIST, FROM OUR COUNCIL STAFF, ALONG WITH THE MAYOR'S HOTLINE, IS THAT PROCESS STILL IN PLACE? >> YES. SO IF YOU ON PAGE FOUR OF THE AGREEMENT, THE TRUST SHALL PROVIDE A MEANS FOR USERS OF THE IMPROVEMENTS AND PREMISES TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK, CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS. THE TRUST SELF CONSIDER WHERE THE SUBMITTER IS PROVIDED, CONTACT INFORMATION AND RESPOND TO A CONCERN OR COMPLAINT WITHIN 72 HOURS OF THE TRUST RECEIVING THAT COMPLAINT. AND SO WHAT YOU'LL HAVE HERE IS STAFF ON SITE FOR THE PARK. AND SO THEY'LL BE ABLE TO YOU'LL HAVE DEDICATED STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE ALWAYS ABLE TO RESPOND TO THOSE COMPLAINTS. BUT THEN THE TRUST WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE 72 HOURS TO RESPOND AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR CURRENT PARK SYSTEM. IF WE ARE, I'D SAY IF WE RECEIVE A COMPLAINT, WE PRIORITIZE THINGS THAT ARE SAFETY COMPLAINTS FIRST. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT'S WHAT ARE THE SAFETY ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE SYSTEM. AND THEN WE'RE WORKING ALL OF THOSE. ONE DISTRICT IS WORKING EVERYTHING WITHIN THE DISTRICT. THIS PARTICULAR PARK WILL HAVE DEDICATED PERSONS TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND. >> SO THEN THAT CALL IS REFERRED TO THE PARK AND NOT THE MAYOR'S HOTLINE. AND OUR COUNCIL STAFF. >> IT WOULD. SO I THINK THERE ARE MULTIPLE WAYS THAT CALLS COULD COME IN. SO IF THE MAYOR'S HOTLINE RECEIVED A CALL ABOUT MILLER PARK, WE WOULD FORWARD THAT TO THE TRUST. THERE WOULD ALSO BE A WAY THAT SOMEONE COULD CALL THE TRUST DIRECTLY AND REPORT THAT THEY WILL HAVE A DEDICATED COMMUNITY LIAISON STAFF PERSON WHO WORKS FULL TIME AT THE TRUST, WHO WOULD BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THAT. SOMEONE COULD ALSO CALL THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT WOULD REFER THAT TO THE TRUST. IF A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER RECEIVED SOMETHING, YOU COULD SEND IT TO THE SEND IT TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, OR DIRECTLY TO THE TRUST. I WOULD SUGGEST SENDING IT DIRECTLY TO THE TRUST. >> RIGHT. AND SO THIS AGREEMENT DOES OUTLINE WHERE THERE'S SIDEWALKS AND PAVING, PARKING LOT THINGS THAT SOUND LIKE PUBLIC WORKS TO ME WILL BE MAINTAINED BY THE CITY, MEANING WE'LL MAINTAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE ITEMS BEYOND THE PUNCH LIST. LIKE AFTER THINGS ARE, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT TO A FAIR LEVEL, THINGS ARE FIXED, AND NOW WE'RE IN PROCESS WITH THE TRUST. WE'RE TEN YEARS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FIVE YEARS DOWN THE LINE. AND, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING'S FAILING. IS IT THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR SIDEWALKS AND, YOU KNOW, PARKING LOTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE FOUNTAIN? >> THE THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY DIFFERENTLY, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY. BUT THOSE THINGS ARE ACTUALLY ARE THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY. SO IF IT'S A PARKING LOT OR A ROAD INSIDE OF A PARK, THAT IS THE PARKS DEPARTMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY, AS WELL AS SIDEWALKS THROUGH PARKS, THOSE ARE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. PUBLIC WORKS HAS GENEROUSLY HELPED LOAN PARKS DEPARTMENT SOME EQUIPMENT SOMETIMES, AND THEY'LL GO IN AND SOMETIMES HAVE SOME PARTNERSHIPS WITH DEPARTMENTS WORKING TOGETHER. BUT IT REMAINS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. >> SO THOSE WILL THE CITY WILL MAINTAIN THE CITY OF OMAHA WILL MAINTAIN THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES. IT WILL BE GENERAL OVERSIGHT, PROGRAMING, MAINTENANCE AND ADDITIONAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THAT. NOW THIS TRUST WILL OVERSEE. >> THEY WILL. THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THEY WILL OVERSEE ANYTHING THAT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY DELINEATED HERE. SO, FOR INSTANCE, THE SWIMMING POOL THAT'S THERE, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CAPITAL ON ANY OF THE SWIMMING POOL, THE GOLF COURSE THAT'S THERE, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CAPITAL, THE MAINTENANCE FOR THE POOL. WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE FOR THE PARKING LOT, THE SNOW REMOVAL. SO I WOULD SAY THOSE BIG TICKET ITEMS THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY, THE EQUIPMENT AND THE STAFF TO TAKE CARE OF. WE WILL CONTINUE TO TAKE CARE OF. AND THEN IF THERE IS A LARGE CAPITAL PROJECT THAT THE FOUNDATION WANTS TO DO, THEY CAN COME TO THE CITY AND REQUEST PERMISSION TO DO THAT. >> AND THAT WOULD COME THROUGH THE CITY COUNCIL. CORRECT? >> I BELIEVE THAT THE WAY THAT OUR THAT WOULD WORK WOULD BE THROUGH THE PARKS DIRECTOR. BUT I, I UNDERSTAND FROM THIS MORNING THAT MIGHT NOT BE S ENUMERATED HERE VERY CLEARLY. AND SO RIGHT NOW, IF WE HAVE A CAT, A PRIVATE DONOR OR A PHILANTHROPIC MEMBER WHO WANTS TO DONATE TO A PARK, THOSE ARE USUALLY NEGOTIATED WITH THE PARKS DIRECTOR. >> YOU KNOW, I'M IN SUPPORT OF REALLY I WOULD SAY IT IN THIS WAY, FORMALIZING PARTNERSHIP WITH MILLER PARK BECAUSE THEY'VE CLEARLY ALREADY, YOU KNOW, INVESTED, I BELIEVE IT WAS SAID, OVER $7 MILLION IN THE PARK. SO THIS FORMALIZES THE PARTNERSHIP. ONE OF THE THINGS I DO THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL AS WE YOU WORK WITHIN THE COMMITTEE, YOU WORK WITH THE CITY IS TO FORMALIZE PATHWAYS FOR COMMUNICATING CHALLENGES SO THAT YOU KNOW, EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THOSE CLEAR POINTS OF ACCESS AND HOW IT WILL BE REMEDIATED. BECAUSE I THINK OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, JUST NOW BEING IN THIS ROLE, I SEE HOW THE CONSTITUENTS, RESIDENTS CAN IT MAY NOT BE CLEAR WE HAVE SO MANY EVEN JUST WHAT I SAID, YOU KNOW, I WALK THROUGH WITH, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN AND NANCY. AND YET AUSTIN WAS REALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, IN LIEU OF PARKS DEPARTMENT. SO JUST MAKING THOSE LINES CLEAR, I THINK WILL HELP, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS AGREEMENT OPERATES IN THE LONG TERM. >> THAT'S GREAT FEEDBACK. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, I AM IN FAVOR OF THIS THIS PROPOSAL. I KNOW WE'RE JUST IN A PUBLIC HEARING TODAY, BUT THANK YOU, JACQUELINE. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER FESTERSEN YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE A FORMER PARKS DIRECTOR, BROOK BENCH, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE HERE TODAY. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET ON THIS YESTERDAY. WE ACTUALLY MET ABOUT LAKE CUNNINGHAM TRUST AND THE IMPENDING GROUNDBREAKING THERE FOR ANOTHER EIGHT AND A HALF, $18.5 MILLION WORTH OF IMPROVEMENTS HAPPENING THERE. AND I WOULD SAY THAT ARRANGEMENT HAS BEEN MUCH MORE COMPLEX THAN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS AND THE NRD, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY GONE WELL FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND IS MAINTAINED VERY WELL AND HAS REALLY MADE LAKE CUNNINGHAM A SHINING STAR IN OUR PARK SYSTEM THAT PREVIOUSLY WASN'T. WE THEN TALKED ABOUT THE MILLER PARK ARRANGEMENT BECAUSE, OF COURSE, LAKE CUNNINGHAM TRUST WILL BE INVOLVED. I BELIEVE THE EMPLOYEES OF THE MILLER PARK MAINTENANCE HERE, THREE OF THEM WILL BE CONSIDERED EMPLOYEES OF THE LAKE CUNNINGHAM TRUST. SO I KNOW THAT STANDARD OF CARE WOULD BE APPLIED TO THEIR WORK AS WELL. I THEN TOURED MILLER PARK AFTERWARDS JUST TO REFRESH MY MEMORY OF ALL THE GREAT ASSETS WE HAVE THERE. SO I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE LOZIER FOUNDATION THAT ARE HERE TODAY. THEY'VE DONE TREMENDOUS WORK IN THAT PARK, NOT JUST IN THAT PARK. THEY'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, DECADES WORTH OF PHILANTHROPIC PROJECTS IN OUR CITY. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT MILLER PARK NORTH HIGH STADIUM, WHICH IS WELL UNDERWAY, AND THEN JUST LAST WEEKEND, BENSON LITTLE LEAGUE, THE MAYOR AND I ATTENDED THAT RIBBON CUTTING $2 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR, $2 MILLION FROM SHERWOOD. ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF PARTNERSHIPS HERE TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR OUR PARK SYSTEM AND YOUTH ATHLETICS. AND ULTIMATELY REALLY BENEFITING THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS. AS MISS. MORRISON OBSERVED, I THINK THIS IS A PRUDENT APPROACH. IT TAKES A FIVE YEAR TERMS. IT CAN BE TERMINATED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IF THINGS AREN'T GOING WELL. I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING, BUT I THINK THAT IS A GOOD FAILSAFE. I THINK IT IS THOUGHTFUL TO HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD ADVISORY BOARD. WE CAN TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEMBERSHIP WOULD BE, BUT I THINK THAT'S A THOUGHTFUL STEP. BUT SIMILAR TO MR. GOODWIN'S COMMENTS, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT WHEN WE ENGAGE IN THESE PARTNERSHIPS TO REALLY SPELL THINGS OUT VERY CLEARLY AHEAD OF TIME, SO EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS ARE IN A PARTNERSHIP LIKE THIS, TO MAKE SURE IT GOES WELL. SO, JACQUELINE, MAYBE JUST A FEW FOLLOW UPS FOR YOU TOO. I THINK YOU YOU DID A GOOD JOB OF ADDRESSING A FEW QUESTIONS. I WAS GOING TO ASK FROM MRS. GOODWIN, BUT. ARE YOU ABLE TO SAY, ARE THERE CURRENTLY ANY ADDITIONAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLANNED IN THE SHORT TERM AT MILLER PARK? I THINK THERE'S A PLAYGROUND CURRENTLY BEING CONSTRUCTED, RIGHT. >> MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE PLAYGROUND IS ANTICIPATED TO BE UPDATED. THE. THERE WERE SOME. THERE'S SOME EQUIPMENT THAT HAD LONG BEEN. BROKEN. I BELIEVE THERE WERE SOME CONES THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED OUT. THERE WAS SOME NETS THAT WERE NO LONGER FUNCTIONING. AND SO THAT IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT THAT I AM MOST AWARE OF. JAKE, I WILL LET YOU MAYBE. DO YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHERS? >> JAKE LINDER PARKS YES, I WE WE DISCUSSED THE, THE, THE SOMEWHAT DANGER OF THE PLAYGROUND. SO WE WERE CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, GETTING IT TAKEN DOWN BEFORE ANYBODY WOULD GET HURT. SO WE KIND OF IN GOOD FAITH GOT STARTED ON THE PLAYGROUND. >> I THINK ANOTHER THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT THE FENCE. I DON'T KNOW HOW HOW YOU'RE DEFINING HOW WE HOW WE'RE DEFINING CAPITAL TODAY, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE'S LONG STANDING BEEN ISSUES WITH THE FENCE. AND SO WE'RE ALL KIND OF LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS FOR GETTING ANOTHER FENCE WITHIN THE PARK. AND THEN THERE'S, THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT THE DOG PARK. I KNOW THAT PEOPLE ASK ABOUT THAT AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING. SO I'M JUST RELAYING WHAT I'VE WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE, BUT I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE PLANS ARE. >> OKAY. >> AND THEN I BELIEVE YOU ANSWERED THIS QUESTION WHEN THOSE COME TO FRUITION OR WHEN THEY GET IDENTIFIED, OR IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE'RE NOT EVEN THINKING ABOUT YET TODAY THAT IS PROPOSED, THAT HAS TO COME TO THE CITY FOR APPROVAL. AND I THINK YOU SAID IT'S THE PARKS DIRECTOR THAT WOULD HAVE THAT RESPONSIBILITY OF BLESSING THAT PROJECT. >> WE HAVE HISTORICALLY, THE PARKS DIRECTOR HAS NEGOTIATED THOSE AGREEMENTS. THERE'S THERE ARE CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW, EVEN SINCE WE'VE BEEN IN THE INTERIM, PARKS DIRECTOR SPACE ABOUT WHAT WHAT THE RIGHT PROCESS. I SHOULDN'T SAY RIGHT PROCESSES, BUT WHAT HOW CAN WE HAVE DIFFERENT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING. I GUESS, VERY TRANSPARENT AND OPEN PROCESSES. AND SO LEGAL'S CURRENTLY ADVISING ON WHAT SOME OF THOSE PROCESSES IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE. >> I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO DELINEATE. I'D BE INTERESTED IN KNOWING MORE ABOUT THE PROCESS CONVERSATION, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE POINTS I'M MAKING HERE TODAY, THAT IN AN ARRANGEMENT LIKE THIS, OR IN ANY FUTURE PARK. COMMUNICATION IS VERY IMPORTANT. IF IMPROVEMENTS ARE BEING PROPOSED AND NOT JUST TO THE PARKS DIRECTOR, BUT I PRESUME THAT WOULD INCLUDE, YOU KNOW, AT MINIMUM, THE COUNCIL MEMBER FROM THAT FROM THAT DISTRICT, AND PRESUMABLY THIS WHOLE BODY AND OTHER AND THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE A STAKE, OF COURSE, ARE STAKEHOLDERS IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE KIND OF THINGS ARE CLEAR. AND THEN SIMILARLY, YOUR REFERENCE SECTION B, B 14, WHICH IS THAT PARAGRAPH WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS MORNING THAT HAS AN EXPECTATION OF THE CITY MAINTAINING ITS COMMITMENT TO IT. AND IF I'M A DONOR, I EXPECT THAT TO BE THE CASE, BECAUSE THE WHOLE POINT HERE IS WE'RE UPPING OUR GAME AND MAKING MAINTENANCE BETTER. AND I THINK FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE, I WOULD WANT TO SEE THE CITY ACCOUNTABLE TO MAINTAINING SOME CURRENT COMMITMENTS THAT WE DO HAVE. AND FOR THE PUBLIC, YOU WANT THAT TOO. AND IF YOU'RE THE CITY, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT THAT IS FOR FUTURE BUDGETS, RIGHT? SO TO THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT IT MAY BE HARD TO PUT A NUMBER ON THAT. I GET THAT BECAUSE OF HOW PARKS MAINTENANCE WORKS, BUT ANYTHING WE CAN DO TO CLARIFY THAT EXPECTATION BEFORE NEXT WEEK, I THINK IS HELPFUL TOO. BUT I BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT IN THAT PARAGRAPH ISN'T NECESSARILY REFERRING TO PARK MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES. IT'S REFERRING TO THE GOLF POOL, PAVING AND SNOWPLOWING EXPECTATIONS. IS THAT CORRECT? >> IT'S REFERRING TO ANYTHING THAT IS IN SECTION B ON PAGE FOUR. SO THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CITY, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING THE SAME STANDARD ON THINGS THAT REMAIN ARE REMAIN OUR RESPONSIBILITY. >> OKAY, MAYBE WE CAN TALK FURTHER ABOUT THAT BEFORE FOR NEXT WEEK TOO. AND THEN TO THE CONCERN ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES. I BELIEVE YOU SAID THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES WHO THERE'S A CARETAKER AND OTHERS WHO HELP MAINTAIN THE PARK RIGHT NOW, THEY'D BE REASSIGNED TO OTHER PARKS. IF ANYTHING, WE'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE OUR COMMITMENT TO PARK MAINTENANCE AND PARK EMPLOYEES AND LOCAL. >> 251 RIGHT? >> YES, ABSOLUTELY. AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE ACTUALLY ARE DOING THAT, I THINK, WHICH IS WE ADDED SO WHEN MAYOR STOTHARD WAS HERE, SHE ADDED EMPLOYEES FOR TO START A PARK DISTRICT NINE, WHICH IS ACTUALLY ABLE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF DISTRICTS THAT WE HAVE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN COVER MORE SPACE, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE A, I GUESS, A MAINTENANCE FACILITY TO WORK OUT OF. AND SO THOSE EMPLOYEES WERE ACTUALLY IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS AND NOT IN DISTRICT NINE. SO THEY'RE TEMPORARILY WORKING OUT OF THE RIVER CITY STAR BUILDING. BUT WE ARE ABLE TO WE'RE BUILDING A NEW BUILDING RIGHT NOW. AND LEVI CARTER PARK. AND SO THEY WILL BE HOUSED OUT OF THAT PARTICULAR BUILDING AND WILL ACTUALLY BE GETTING A NEW DISTRICT STARTED THIS COMING SEASON. AND SO NOT ONLY ARE WE KEEPING THOSE EMPLOYEES, BUT WE ARE ACTUALLY CONCENTRATING, CONCENTRATING EMPLOYEES IN A WAY THAT WE CAN SERVE THE PARKS BETTER. >> I KNOW THE MAYOR HAS SOME BIG THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR PARK SYSTEM GOING FORWARD. I PRESUME IT'S PROBABLY ACCURATE TO SAY THAT SHOULD THAT COME TO FRUITION, WILL BE NEEDED. A LOT MORE PEOPLE, RIGHT? >> OH, ABSOLUTELY. WE ARE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS RIGHT NOW AS PARKS IS GOING WORKING ON THEIR 2027 BUDGET. AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE ABLE TO RAISE MORE FUNDS FOR PARKS, WHAT DO THOSE POSITIONS LOOK LIKE? AND SO PART OF IT IS JUST BEING ABLE TO STAFF THE POSITIONS THAT HAVE GONE UNFILLED, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN USING THAT MONEY TO TAKE CARE OF OTHER NEEDS. AND SO REALLY, IF WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR NEEDS, GETTING THOSE POSITIONS FILLED AND REALLY GETTING PEOPLE OUT INTO THE, INTO THE PARKS, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR PRIORITY FOR 26. AND THEN LOOKING AT THE 27 BUDGET, WHERE DO WE NEED TO ADD POSITIONS TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT PARKS? >> YEAH. SO YOU ANTICIPATE THAT HAPPENING. ADDITIONAL CITY EMPLOYEES TO PARK MAINTENANCE. >> YES. >> YEP. OKAY. I SEE THERE'S ANOTHER LIGHT ON. THE LAST THING I WOULD OFFER RIGHT NOW IS THAT I KNOW THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ALSO WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ABOUT THE AGREEMENT, AND I DID SPEAK WITH HIM, AND HE CONFIRMED THAT THERE'S NO LEGAL CONCERNS FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US HERE TODAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO INCLUDE THAT IN THE CONVERSATION. AWESOME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. >> THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER HUG. YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> FOR. I'M HERE. YOU SAID SOMETHING EARLIER. I GOT A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE, BUT I WANT TO GET TO THIS FIRST. SO DID I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY THAT MANDAN PARK'S GOING TO GET A CARETAKER? >> JAKE. >> I'M SORRY. >> I WAS GOING TO LET JAKE ANSWER THAT. >> YEAH. YES, THAT IS CORRECT. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. I WON'T TELL ANYBODY. AS FAR AS THE MAKEUP OF THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL. THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP. AND I THINK THE CITY AND THE CITY COUNCIL BEING PART OF THIS PARTNERSHIP, I WOULD I WOULD FEEL A LITTLE BETTER IF THE CITY COUNCIL COULD HAVE SOME REPRESENTATIVES THAT THE COUNCIL COULD APPOINT TO BE THE THE CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES AND MAYBE NOT BE BOUND BY THAT HALF MILE LIMITATION. SO I'D LIKE TO THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR CONSIDERATION. AND THAT BEING SAID, I, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULDN'T BE LIMITING PARTICIPATION OR GROUPS OR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OUR FRIENDS FROM AFSCME BEING ABLE TO PARTICIPATE ON THAT COMMITTEE. AND SO I'M THROWING THAT OUT THERE SUGGESTION. OBVIOUSLY, I'M ONE VOICE, SO THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GOODWIN, YOU RECOGNIZE. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AND I CAN APPRECIATE COUNCIL MEMBERS HUGS, THOUGHTS AROUND THAT. A COUPLE THINGS I THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMMEDIACY OF, OF IMPACT, WHERE AND I DON'T KNOW IF HALF A MILE. IS THAT RIGHT LENGTH, BUT THERE ARE OTHER STRUCTURES WITHIN CITY GOVERNMENT LIKE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS WHERE THOSE BOARDS ARE. YOU KNOW, MADE UP OF PERSONS AND PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE AREA. SO AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT HALF OF MY ONE HALF MILE IS THE RIGHT RADIUS, BUT I DO THINK MAYBE A CERTAIN ADDRESS, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU DRAW THAT LINE THOUGH. SO THAT'S WHERE I'M NOT CERTAIN ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE I DO THINK SOMETIMES FOLKS CAN COME IN AND THEY CAN WEIGH IN ON THINGS THAT DON'T IMPACT THEM, AND THEY DON'T. THEY DON'T, BUT BUT THEY'RE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION. AND SO I DO THINK YOU NEED TO MANAGE THAT. AND YET I CAN, I CAN AGREE THAT THAT THIS IS A PUBLIC PARK. AND THAT IS WHERE PERHAPS THIS BOARD HAS SOME CONNECTIVITY. I'M NOT NECESSARILY SIGNING MYSELF UP FOR ANOTHER COUNT COMMITTEE. LET ME JUST TELL YOU THAT. BUT BUT WE HAVE PARKS COMMITTEES. WE HAVE WAYS THAT THERE COULD BE SOME INTERSECTIONALITY THAT HELPS THIS CONVERSATION. AGAIN, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M I'M NOT REALLY RECOMMENDING WE AMEND THIS, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE CONVERSATION COMES FROM. HOW DO YOU KEEP THE CONVERSATION HYPER LOCAL WITHOUT NECESSARILY BOXING PEOPLE OUT? PERHAPS. PERHAPS IT'S. GREATER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, AND THAT'S HOW YOU GET YOUR VOICE HEARD AROUND THESE THINGS. JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT AS WE LOOK TO OVERALL IMPROVE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PARK, WHICH I THINK THIS AGREEMENT DOES WELL TO ADDRESS, HOW DO WE KEEP IT INCLUSIVE AND YET HYPER LOCAL? >> THANK YOU. I. IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I LOOKED AT THIS, BUT IF I REMEMBER JUST. I'LL GIVE YOU THE RHYME OR REASON FOR THAT HALF MILE. I THINK I LOOKED AT THE PARK AND THEN LOOKED AT THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. HOW FAR DID YOU HAVE TO GO OUT FROM THE PARK TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY FROM THE MINI MINI, MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD, MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION WOULD BE INCLUDED. AND SO THAT IT WASN'T IT MAY SOUND SEEM ARBITRARY, BUT THE PART WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF YOU'RE PART OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, YOU COULD BE A PART OF THIS. AND SO IF IT NEEDS TO BE BROADER, THE CONCERN WAS IF WE DIDN'T PUT ANY BOUNDARIES ON IT, THEN HOW WOULD THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION FEEL THAT THEY WERE BEING HEARD? SO I THINK I'M HEARING EVERYBODY'S FEEDBACK. I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO RESPOND. THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY, I KNOW THERE WAS A STATEMENT MADE THAT THIS DOESN'T IT KIND OF ALLOWS THE TRUST TO JUST PICK PEOPLE. I THINK THE THE WAY THAT IT OPENED IT UP WAS MAKING SURE THAT THE PERSON WAS AN OFFICER OF THE MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. AND SO THAT PERSON IS SOMEONE WHO THOSE OFFICERS ARE CHOSEN BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION RATHER THAN FROM THE MILLER PARK TRUST. AND SO THERE WAS SOME INTENTIONALITY. BUT IF IF I'M HEARING WE CAN DO BETTER, I'M, I'M LISTENING AND SEEING HOW WE CAN RESPOND. >> WELL, I, I, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M NECESSARILY SAYING YOU CAN DO BETTER. AS MUCH AS I THINK THAT CONTEXT HELPS ME UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAME TO A HALF MILE RADIUS AND LISTEN, I'M PUBLIC FACING. SOMETIMES YOU'VE GOT TO OVEREXPLAIN SO THAT PEOPLE KNOW INTENT. RIGHT. AND SO I DO THINK THIS CONVERSATION, IT HELPS ME TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE YOU, YOU, I THINK THAT HYPER LOCAL ENGAGEMENT IS IMPORTANT. AND THEN LIKE YOU SAID, THE MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION OFFICER, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HEARING FROM A BROADER GROUP. THEY CAN THEN FUNNEL THOSE QUESTIONS, CHALLENGES, SUGGESTIONS TO THIS COUNCIL. AND I ALSO SEE IT SAYS NO LESS THAN THREE, RIGHT. SO THAT'S A MINIMUM BUT NOT A MAXIMUM. SO THAT'S ALSO ROOM TO BROADEN THE CONVERSATION. AND BROADEN THE ENGAGEMENT. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ADVISORY COUNCIL. I THINK THAT PEOPLE CAN ALSO GET THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR SUGGESTIONS. HER THROUGH AVENUES LIKE THEIR COUNCIL MEMBER, LIKE THE MAYOR'S HOTLINE. BUT AGAIN, AS WE DEVELOP THE WEBSITE, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT TO HAVE ALL THOSE UNIQUE PATHWAYS OF COMMUNICATIONS OUTLINED SO PEOPLE FEEL LIKE, HEY, MY VOICE, I'M A PART OF THE COMMUNITY. THIS IS A PUBLIC PARK. MY VOICE, YOU KNOW, I WANT MY VOICE HEARD ABOUT THIS OR THAT. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. A COUPLE CLOSING QUESTIONS. I HAVE AND I'LL CALL MR. WARREN IN A SECOND. MAYBE FOR YOU, JACQUELINE OR JAKE. WE HAVE 256 PARKS IN THE CITY OF OMAHA THAT WE MAINTAIN. IS THAT CORRECT? >> THAT IS CORRECT. >> YOU CAN PHONE A FRIEND IF YOU NEED THE HELP. THAT'S OKAY. AND SO I HAD EMAILED YOU GUYS THIS MORNING. I KNOW MAYBE YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GET AN ANSWER, BUT I GOT INFORMATION SHOWING BUDGETS FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS IN PARKS. SO WITH 256 TODAY THAT WE MAINTAIN, HOW MANY DID WE HAVE 20 YEARS AGO? DID WE EVER GET TO FIGURE THAT OUT? >> WERE YOU LOOKING AT THE CARETAKER'S? >> NO, JUST A NUMBER OF PARKS AT THE CITY. MAINTAINS. YOU GAVE ME THAT, SO I APPRECIATED THAT. >> OKAY. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GRAB THAT ANSWER FOR YOU QUITE YET. >> MISS JAKE, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA? >> I DON'T, I DID TALK TO JOSH FREY ON THAT AND HE IS LOOKING THAT UP AS WE SPEAK. >> WHAT I WHAT I THINK. I THINK I KNOW WHERE WE COULD GET THAT INFORMATION. I'LL PROBABLY BE WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. THAT'S OKAY. >> I'M NOT TRYING TO PLAY. GOTCHA. I'LL JUST GIVE YOU AN ANSWER THAT IT PROBABLY IT PROBABLY WASN'T 256 PARKS 20 YEARS AGO. IS THAT FAIR TO SAY? >> YES. BECAUSE WHEN WE ANNEX, WE TYPICALLY TAKE IN PARKS WITH THOSE ANNEXATIONS. AND SO I WOULD WANT TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT WE'VE ANNEXED OVER 20 YEARS. AND THAT WOULD PROBABLY GIVE US A PRETTY GOOD NUMBER OF THE PARKS WE BROUGHT IN. >> OKAY. AND LOOKING AT THE INFORMATION I GOT, I THINK BUDGETED FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, IT'S BUDGETED IS AT 174. DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT? >> I THINK THAT ALSO PROBABLY INCLUDES CAPITAL PROJECTS. >> AND THAT'S TOTAL. >> YEAH. >> OKAY. AND WHAT I'M GETTING AT WITH THAT, I THINK THERE'S IS THERE ABOUT 19 VACANCIES TOTAL. >> IN THE PARKS MAINTENANCE SIDE. I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY ARE IN THE RECREATION SIDE, BUT I, I'M. >> PRETTY SURE THE PARKS CARE TAKEN, RIGHT. YES. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I. YEAH, THAT'S, I KNOW WE'RE SEPARATING THOSE. >> SO I CAN MENTION THAT WE HAD. 17 EARLIER AND WE'RE DOWN TO SEVEN RIGHT NOW. AND THEY'RE EITHER POSTED OR GOING THROUGH TESTING AND INTERVIEWS RIGHT NOW. >> OKAY, SO WE'RE CLOSING THE GAP BECAUSE I KNOW THE 251 LEADERS ARE HERE TODAY REPRESENTING THE MEN AND WOMEN IN THE PARKS AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN THE CITY. THEY MADE THEIR CONCERNS HERE TODAY THAT I'LL GET TO IN A SECOND, BUT THE LODGER FOUNDATION, THE INVESTMENT THEY'RE MAKING, THE PARKS HAVE BEEN NEGLECTED FOR YEARS. I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE THERE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO CLAW AND FIND WAYS TO FIX THAT. AND ONE OF THE AVENUES IS THE GENEROSITY OF THE LOZIER FOUNDATION TO HELP US WITH THIS. BUT MISS GARDNER, WHO DOES A GREAT JOB AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MILLER PARK, MENTIONED, AND I TRY TO TAKE NOTES, BUT I GET LOST IN TAKING THEM. BUT IT'S TRANSFORMATION FOR THE THE PARK AND UPLIFT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I THINK YOU MENTIONED IS A GOOD WRITER THAT YOU WERE AND STILL ARE. SO I TRY TO CHEAT OFF OF YOU BY WRITING, BUT I AM NOT AS GOOD AT IT AS YOU ARE. AND YOU SAID IT WAS AN INVESTMENT IN PEOPLE AND THAT FOR THE MILLER PARK COMMUNITY, IT ABSOLUTELY IS. BUT ALSO THE THE 251 LEADERSHIP, THEY WANT THE INVESTMENT IN THEIR PEOPLE AS WELL, BECAUSE THEY WORK ON THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PARKS. AND WE'RE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO PLUG GAPS TO GET US TO THE MEDIOCRE PART RIGHT NOW. AND I THINK THE MAYOR'S WORKING ON GETTING US THERE. AND THIS IS PART OF THE PROCESS TO DO THAT. A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF WARREN. IF I CAN, PLEASE. >> GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. PRESIDENT. MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THOMAS WARREN, MAYOR'S OFFICE. >> CHIEF WARREN, THANKS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. MISS MORRISON MENTIONED THE COMMUNITY MEETING SHE HAD, AND I, I WAS AWARE OF THOSE BECAUSE I MET WITH THE MAYOR AND MISS MORRISON TO SPELL OUT THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH THEY DID TO GET PUBLIC INPUT. I THINK LATE LAST YEAR IS THE TIMEFRAME THAT HAPPENED AND MET WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS, HAD INPUT FROM. THEY MET AT MANDELA SCHOOL. THEY HAD INPUT FROM THE MILLER PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION. WHAT WASN'T MENTIONED. I THINK YOU CAN ANSWER THIS WAS AT LEAST DISCUSSIONS WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF. 251. DID THEM REGARDING THE JOBS? I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE CAUSE AND EFFECT THAT THE UNION REPRESENTS THEIR MEMBERS IN THAT. BUT DID YOU HAVE CONVERSATIONS, AT LEAST WITH LOCAL. 251 ON WHAT'S BEFORE US HERE TODAY? >> YES, I HAVE I'VE MET WITH TONI BURKHALTER, PRESIDENT OF LOCAL 251, AND HAD A LENGTHY CONVERSATION WITH HIM AS RECENT AS YESTERDAY, JUST KIND OF DESCRIBING WHAT'S PLANNED, NOT ONLY FOR MILLER PARK AND THE TRUST AND IMPACT THAT THEY MAY HAVE ON. 251 BUT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE, WE DO FEEL IT WILL BE A NET GAIN POSITIVE IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS ASSIGNED TO PARKS AND REC, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, THE STAFF ASSIGNED TO MILLER PARK WILL BE REALLOCATED THROUGHOUT THE CITY IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER DISTRICTS. THE VACANCIES THAT WE'VE HAD AS RECENT AS THE BEGINNING OF THIS FISCAL YEAR ARE BEING FILLED UP WITH BRINGING LEVI CARTER PARK ON. WILL PLAN TO OPEN THAT FACILITY THIS FALL. WE'LL HAVE TO HIRE ADDITIONAL PARKS AND REC PERSONNEL. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WITH TRANQUILITY PARK COMING ONLINE, THAT WILL REPRESENT ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE STAFFING IN THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS FOR MEMBERS OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING UNIT. >> OKAY. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT WHEN YOU SPELL OUT THE INVESTMENTS THAT THE CITY IS MAKING IN THE FUTURE, WE CAN LOOK BACK 20 YEARS AND AND I THINK ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE. CONSTITUENTS AND CONTACT US ABOUT THE LACK OF THE MAINTENANCE ON OUR PARKS IN GENERAL MILLER PARK, SCHROEDER PARK. WE CAN GO ON AND ON. AND I KNOW THE MAYOR, WHEN HE WAS ELECTED, IT WAS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK TO GET THAT ISSUE ADDRESSED ON A SHORT TERM, WHICH HAPPENED LAST FALL, BUT ALSO LOOKING AT LEVI CARTER AND TRANQUILITY INVESTMENTS AS CITIES. MACON. AND YOU'RE SAYING HERE TODAY, CHIEF WARREN, THAT THOSE ARE FUTURE JOBS, THAT LOCAL 251 WILL REPRESENT TO DO THE CARETAKING OF THOSE TWO HUGE INVESTMENTS FOR THE CITY? >> ABSOLUTELY. AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THE CONDITION OF OUR PARKS, IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION TO MAYOR EWING'S ATTENTION. HE WAS PRACTICALLY GETTING INUNDATED WITH COMPLAINTS ON THE CONDITION OF OUR PARKS. AND TO THE CREDIT OF THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS LABOR, IT WAS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK, AND THEY HAD A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS WORKING OUT OF CLASS. QUITE FRANKLY, MOWING GRASS >> TO ENSURE THAT OUR PARKS ARE BEING BROUGHT UP TO A STANDARD THAT OUR CITIZENS EXPECT. AND SO CERTAINLY GOING FORWARD, WE LOOK TO SEE MORE OF AN INVESTMENT IN OUR PARKS. IT WILL INCLUDE STAFF. IT WILL INCLUDE EQUIPMENT. IT WILL INCLUDE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY SO THAT WE CAN RISE ABOVE OF THAT MEDIOCRE STAGE THAT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. AND SO IT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES. IT WILL REQUIRE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. AND I THINK YOU'LL HEAR MORE AS WE PROCEED INTO THIS FISCAL YEAR, AS WELL AS PRESENTING 2027 BUDGET. >> AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD AND I KNOW THE COUNCIL IS AS WELL TO HEARING THAT PLAN AS WE TRY TO MAKE. AGAIN, I HATE SAYING MEDIOCRE PARKS, BUT WE HAVE SERIOUS CHALLENGES WITH THE LACK OF MAINTENANCE. AND I LIKE KAREN TODAY WITH THE LOGGER FOUNDATION'S INVESTMENT TO HELP THE CITY GET THERE. AND WE'RE GOING TO MOVE PERSONNEL THAT WERE AT MILLER PARK. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE LAID OFF. I KNOW IT'S NOT 251 JOBS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DOING THE WORK AT MILLER PARK, BUT IT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INVESTMENTS IN THE CITY PARKS AND IN CITY EMPLOYEES BEYOND MILLER PARK IN THE FUTURE WITH LEVI CARTER AND TRANQUILITY AND OTHER PLANS THAT THE MAYOR IS LOOKING FOR TO PRESENT TO US. >> AND THOSE ARE THE REASSURANCES THAT WE TRY TO OFFER. 251 THOSE ARE CONCRETE PLANS THAT WE KNOW WILL COME TO FRUITION, PARTICULARLY THIS FALL WITH THE OPENING OF LEVI CARTER PARK MULTI-PURPOSE SPORTS AND RECREATION FACILITY. >> AND IF ANYBODY OUT THERE LISTENING TODAY, THANKS, CHIEF WARREN JQ SAID, WE HAVE ABOUT HOW MANY MAYBE HALF A DOZEN OR SO PARKS DEPARTMENT JOBS OPEN RIGHT NOW. >> THAT IS CORRECT. SEVEN TO. >> BE EXACT. OKAY. AND YOU GOT A WEBSITE THAT PEOPLE CAN GO, LOOK, I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT. >> YEAH. RIGHT. ON THE CITY WEBSITE. >> OKAY. THOSE ARE ANYBODY THAT'S INTERESTED IN JOBS IN THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. WE'RE LOOKING FOR THEM. SO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS, CHIEF. THANK YOU. >> ITEM 39, AN ORDINANCE TO ACCEPT AN AUTHORIZED DISBURSEMENT OVER MORE THAN ONE FISCAL YEAR FROM THE OMAHA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $750,000 TO SUPPORT THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSFORMATION AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP POSITION. >> PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN ON ITEM 39. ARE THERE ANY PROPONENTS HERE TODAY? >> GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, MR. PRESIDENT. MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, THOMAS WARREN, MAYOR'S OFFICE CHIEF OF STAFF ON BEHALF OF MARY EWING, AND HE ANNOUNCED DURING HIS STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS, WE HAVE CREATED A POSITION OF DIRECTOR OF TRANSFORMATION AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS. HE ALSO ANNOUNCED THE PLAN TO APPOINT MISS JACQUELINE MORRISON. HE IDENTIFIED MISS MORRISON AS THE CANDIDATE TO BE APPOINTED INTO THIS POSITION. AS WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS AFTERNOON, THE CITY OF OMAHA, WE DO BENEFIT BY THE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT THAT WE RECEIVE FROM OUR DONOR AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY. YOU'VE HEARD THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS, THE TYPE OF SUPPORT THAT WE RECEIVED THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF OMAHA. AND PARTICULARLY AS IT PERTAINS TO THE TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. DURING THE SEARCH PROCESS FOR THE PARKS DIRECTOR, WHAT WE LEARNED IS THAT, YOU KNOW, DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DAY TO DAY MANAGEMENT OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS. AND IN INSTANCE, OF PARKS. THEY WERE ALSO BEING ASKED OR TASKED WITH LEADING MAJOR PROJECTS AND DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE DONOR AND THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME MANAGING THE DAY TO DAY AFFAIRS OF THE DEPARTMENT AND WHERE THIS PART, THIS POSITION, WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE THAN JUST THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. WHAT WE LEARNED IS THAT IT MAY REQUIRE DIFFERENT SKILL SETS, AND IN FACT, IT MAY BE TWO DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS. AND SO WE'RE THE PARKS DIRECTOR OR DIRECTOR OF ANY DEPARTMENT CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR RESPECTIVE DEPARTMENT. AND WE FELT IT WAS NECESSARY TO IDENTIFY THIS POSITION OF TRANSFORMATION AND STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS TO SERVE AS THAT LIAISON TO OUR DONOR AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY, WHERE WE HAVE BENEFITED SIGNIFICANTLY IN TERMS OF THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE CITY OF OMAHA AND FOR MAJOR PROJECTS. AND SO WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT, WE DID CREATE A JOB DESCRIPTION. YOU HAVE IT IN FRONT OF YOU. WE LOOKED AT COMPARABLE CITIES AND POSITIONS IN TERMS OF SALARY AND BENEFITS. WE ALSO DID RECEIVE THE SUPPORT OF OUR DONOR AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY IN THAT THEY MADE A COMMITMENT TO RAISE THE FUNDING FOR THE POSITION IN TERMS OF SALARY AND BENEFITS. AND SO WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU PROPOSAL, THAT INCLUDES UP TO $750,000 FOR THREE YEARS, THIS IS APPROXIMATELY $250,000 PER YEAR, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE COMPARABLE SALARY OF APPROXIMATELY $170,000, WITH 2,050% FRINGE RATE, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY 85,000. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT $250,000 PER YEAR FOR THREE YEARS, $750,000 TOTAL. WE CERTAINLY LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR APPRECIATION TO THE OMAHA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, AS WELL AS THOSE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THOSE RESPECTIVE FOUNDATIONS THAT DID PROVIDE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR THIS POSITION. AGAIN, THIS POSITION WILL ALLOW US TO NOT ONLY HAVE A MUCH MORE EFFICIENT MEANS OF WORKING WITH OUR DONOR AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY. WE HEARD OVER AND OVER FROM THEM. SINCE OTHER DEPARTMENTS ALSO RELY ON SUPPORT FROM OUR DONOR AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY, HOW IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF WE HAD A MORE CENTRALIZED OPERATION. AND SO THIS INDIVIDUAL WOULD SERVE AS THAT CONDUIT SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO WORK ON THESE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. WE CONTINUE TO ENHANCE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE IN THE CITY OF OMAHA. WITH THE SUPPORT THAT WE RECEIVE FROM OUR DONOR AND PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY. AND WE CERTAINLY WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR YOUR SUPPORT AND CONSIDERATION FOR THIS PROPOSAL. AND I'M AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY PROPONENTS HERE TODAY? ANY OTHER PROPONENTS SEEING NONE? ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. COUNCIL MEMBER FESTERSEN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANKS, MR. PRESIDENT. JUST FOR THAT OVERVIEW. I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY THE IDEA WITH THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSFORMATION IS TO ENGAGE IN MAJOR TYPE PARTNERSHIPS. IS THAT AN ACCURATE WAY TO REPRESENT IT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD WAS, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE DO HAVE MAJOR PHILANTHROPIC RELATIONSHIPS, LIKE A $400 MILLION. EUGENE LEAHY PARK, BUT SOMETIMES WE HAVE A $100,000 PARK WITH A NEIGHBORHOOD WHO'S REDOING PLAYGROUNDS. BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY THE IDEA WITH THIS POSITION. RIGHT. >> WELL, WE WOULD PROBABLY OR POSSIBLY ALSO OVERSEE THE FACILITATION OF THAT AWARD AS WELL, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE, DEPENDING ON THE DONOR'S PREFERENCE. IF THEY WERE DEALING PRIMARILY WITH, LET'S SAY, THE PARKS FOUNDATION, FOR EXAMPLE, OR CERTAINLY THE INDIVIDUAL IN THIS POSITION, IF IT WAS GOING TO BE A PROJECT, THEN JUST TO FACILITATE THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, FOR EXAMPLE, OR OVERSEEING THE PROJECT IF WE NEED TO MANAGE IT INTERNALLY WITHIN THE CITY OF OMAHA OR EXTERNALLY. AND SO THIS INDIVIDUAL FACILITATE THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND ASSIST IN MAKING THOSE DECISIONS. >> OKAY. SO COULD APPLY TO VIRTUALLY ANY PHILANTHROPICALLY FUNDED PROJECT. >> THAT'S CORRECT. IT HAS A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY OF OMAHA. >> AND THEN HOW HOW WOULD THOSE THINGS BE PRIORITIZED? HOW WOULD YOU SEE THAT GOING FORWARD? THEY'RE THE CENTRAL POINT OF CONTACT. BUT WOULD IT BE DIFFERENT THAN HOW WE'VE EXPERIENCED NOW? OR WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? >> WELL, I THINK IT DEPENDS AND IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN. I CAN JUST SUGGEST TO YOU THAT IN OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH PHILANTHROPY, WHAT THEY SUGGESTED, IT WOULD BE MUCH MORE EFFICIENT BECAUSE THEY GET REQUESTS FROM OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS IN ADDITION TO PARKS, AND THEY WOULD PREFER TO HAVE ONE CENTRAL POINT OF CONTACT IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THOSE REQUESTS. AND THAT'S EVERYTHING FROM THE GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS TO MAKING SURE THAT THE BUDGET WAS PRESENTED TO ENSURE THAT HOW THE PROJECT WAS GOING TO BE MANAGED. FOR EXAMPLE, AS I MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS, JUST TO UNDERSTAND THOSE RULES AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A PREFERENCE. SOME PREFER TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH CITY GOVERNMENT, OTHERS PREFER TO WORK WITH THE PARKS FOUNDATION. AND THAT'S BEEN THEY'VE BEEN THEY'VE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS TO SERVE AS A FISCAL AGENT. IF WE HAD TO HAVE A PROJECT THAT WAS ADMINISTERED OUTSIDE OF CITY GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THE PROCUREMENT RULES, IT GIVES THEM A GREATER FLEXIBILITY. >> AND SO THE PARKS FOUNDATION WOULD CONTINUE TO BE A PARTNER, MOST LIKELY. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> YEAH. I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR ANY DISCUSSION WE JUST HAD ON THE PREVIOUS ITEM, BUT I DO THINK I CAN SEE THE VALUE IN HAVING A PERSON, A CENTRAL CONTACT, LIKE YOU SAY, ESPECIALLY FOR MAJOR PROJECTS AND FOR DONORS WHO HAVE THAT INTERACTION WITH THE CITY. BUT I ALSO WOULD DISTRESS THAT ONGOING COMMUNICATION IS VERY IMPORTANT. I THINK, FOR THIS, FOR THIS ROLE, JUST USING THE PARKS ANALOGY, I MEAN, SO THEN YOU WOULD OBVIOUSLY HAVE A MAYOR AND THEN A DIRECTOR OF TRANSFORMATION WORKING FOR THAT MAYOR. AND THEN YOU WOULD HAVE DONORS, AND THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE A PARKS FOUNDATION, BUT THEN YOU HAVE PARKS DIRECTOR WHO'S ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK. AND THEN CERTAINLY A COUNCIL OR AT LEAST A PARKS COMMITTEE THAT NEEDS TO BE INFORMED ON ALL THESE THINGS. SO I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT GOING FORWARD. WE THINK ABOUT THOSE PROCESSES AND HOW WE ALL STAY IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER AND UP TO SPEED ON POTENTIAL PROJECTS AND HOW THEY MIGHT COME TO FRUITION. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE KNOW THAT IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE THESE OPEN LINES OF COMMUNICATION AND THAT YOU'LL BE THOROUGHLY BRIEFED PRIOR TO UNDERTAKING ANY MAJOR PROJECTS OR MAKING ANY COMMITMENTS OR OBLIGATING ANY CITY FUNDS. >> YEAH. THANK YOU. >> THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER GOODWIN, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. >> THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION. MR. WARREN, YOU KIND OF YOU TALKED ABOUT OBLIGATING CITY FUNDS. THIS IS A THREE YEAR AGREEMENT. WOULD YOU CONSIDER THEN LIKE A PILOT? AND, YOU KNOW, IF ALL GOES WELL, YOU KNOW, THREE YEARS GOES FAST, WOULD THE IS THERE TALKED ABOUT HOW THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY WOULD THEN LOOK FOR ANOTHER THREE YEARS. OR WOULD THE CITY BE LOOKING AT ABSORBING THIS BUDGET ITEM? >> WELL, WE HAVEN'T REALLY LOOKED BEYOND THE INITIAL THREE YEAR. PROPOSAL. OF COURSE, IF ALL THINGS GO WELL, WE WOULD CERTAINLY MAKE THAT REQUEST OF PHILANTHROPY TO GIVE SOME CONSIDERATION TO CONTINUING THEIR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. IF NOT, MAYBE A PORTION OF THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT. THIS IS TIMED, IF YOU WILL, PRIOR TO THE NEXT MAYORAL ELECTION. AND WE'RE WE KNOW WE CAN'T OBLIGATE CITY FUNDS BEYOND THE EXPECTED FISCAL YEAR, CERTAINLY AT THAT POINT OR AT THAT JUNCTURE, WE'LL BE ABLE TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THIS POSITION AND THEN BE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT WE'D MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO ABSORB THE EXPENSE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS POSITION INTO THE. THAT WOULD BE THE PROBABLY THE 2028 GENERAL FUND OPERATING BUDGET OR A PROPOSAL. AND SO THINKING AHEAD, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING. I BELIEVE THIS CONTRACT THIS PROPOSAL WOULD EXPIRE ROUGHLY IN APRIL, I BELIEVE, OF 2028. >> AND I KNOW THERE'S INNOVATION AROUND THIS ROLE. ARE THERE ANY OTHER LIKE CITIES WHO HAVE ROLES LIKE THIS THAT ARE DIRECTLY INTERMEDIATE AND ARE THE LIAISON BETWEEN CITY GOVERNMENT AND PHILANTHROPY ON CITY STAFF? >> YEAH, WE LOOKED AT COLORADO SPRINGS. THEY HAVE A DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY, AND ALTHOUGH THIS POSITION WAS A LITTLE MORE EXPANSIVE, WE DID LOOK AT THE CSA'S, THE DUTIES AND THE TASKS PERFORMED BY THAT INDIVIDUAL, AS WELL AS FOR COMPENSATION PURPOSES. WE LOOKED AT COMPARABLES IN TERMS OF THE SALARY SO THAT IT WOULD FIT WITHIN THE SCHEME, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT POSITION ENTAILED, BUT ALSO IN LINE WITH OTHER POSITIONS HERE WITHIN CITY GOVERNMENT AND WITHIN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. >> THANK YOU. NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU. NO FURTHER LIGHTS. >> ADAMS 40 AND 41 CAN BE CONSIDERED TOGETHER, OR ONE PUBLIC HEARING CAN BE HELD FOR THEM. A'S COMMUNICATION AND OPPOSITION ITEM 40 AN ORDINANCE TO APPROVE AN AGREEMENT FOR OCCUPATION TAX AND AN ENHANCED EMPLOYMENT AREA AND HOTEL OCCUPATION TAX REINVESTMENT PROGRAM FOR A FULL SERVICE 140 ROOM BOUTIQUE HOTEL. ITEM 41 AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING FOR THE DESIGNATION OF AN ENHANCED EMPLOYMENT AREA GENERALLY LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF 12TH AND NICHOLAS STREET. >> PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN ON ITEMS 40 AND 41. PROPONENTS. GOOD AFTERNOON. >> PRESIDENT BAGLEY, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. STEPHEN OSBERG, 1536 CUMMINGS STREET. I'M REPRESENTING THE HOTEL AND HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. >> THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROPONENTS HERE TODAY? SEEING NONE, ARE THERE ANY OPPONENTS? PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED. OH SORRY. PETE, DID YOU SNEAK THAT LIGHT IN LATE ON ME? >> I DID, I JUST WANTED TO HAVE. COMMENTS OR EVEN THE. >> CITY SPEAK TO THE PROJECT A LITTLE BIT. LIKE WE. DISCUSSED THIS MORNING, JUST IN THE SENSE THAT IT IS A BIT UNIQUE. IT'S THE FIRST TIME WE'LL BE USING THE HOTEL OCCUPATION TAX THAT THE COUNCIL RECENTLY ADOPTED, WITH THE INTENTION TO ONLY BE USED IN INSTANCES WHERE A HOTEL PRODUCT WOULD NOT OTHERWISE BE FEASIBLE, AND THAT IT'D BE A LUXURY, UPSCALE PRODUCT THAT WE OTHERWISE MIGHT NOT HAVE IN OMAHA. AND I BELIEVE THAT'S THE CASE HERE. BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO ADDRESS THAT, SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST TIME. >> JENNIFER TAYLOR, CITY LAW DEPARTMENT AS COUNCILMAN FESTERSEN NOTED, YES, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE ARE EMPLOYING THIS PROGRAM THAT THE COUNCIL ADOPTED. I THINK THE END OF LAST YEAR. EARLIER THIS YEAR. AND THAT'S CORRECT. THIS PROJECT IS ONE THAT COMES TO US BECAUSE IT IS INTENDED TO BE A LUXURY, UPSCALE HOTEL. IT IS ALSO NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER AND IN MILLER COMMONS, AN AREA WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT TODAY. SO IT'S IT DEFINITELY FURTHERS THE GOALS THAT WERE INTENDED TO BE MET WHEN THIS PROGRAM WAS ADOPTED. SO HIGH END, FULL FUNCTIONING, FULL SCALE, AND I. MR. I WAS BROKEN. TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE HOTEL ITSELF, BUT A HOTEL THAT DEFINITELY BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY IN THE CITY AND AIDING FOR HIGH END HOTEL AVAILABILITY NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER, CHARLES SCHWAB FIELD, AND ULTIMATELY, HOPEFULLY A SOCCER STADIUM. >> AND SO THE NEW HOTEL TAX THAT IT GENERATES IS WHAT HELPS FUND THE PROJECT ITSELF. >> THE HOTEL TAX IT GENERATES HELPS FUND THE PROJECT. BUT WE LOOK AT IT AS WITHOUT THAT ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, SIMILAR TO HOW WE EMPLOY TIF, THE HOTEL PROJECT WOULD NOT EXIST AT ALL WITHOUT THE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE. SO THE TAX THAT IS GENERATING IS BEING USED FOR A PERIOD OF TIME TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HOTEL. THE PORTION OF THE HOTEL TAX THAT GOES TOWARDS CH AND THE BOND REPAYMENT THERE IS STILL PLEDGE THOSE BOND HOLDERS. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S ONLY THE 4.5% NOT THE 5.5% WE COLLECT. >> YEAH. OKAY. THANKS FOR THAT EXPLANATION THERE. AND MR. ROSENBERG, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT THE HOTEL ITSELF? >> I'M SURE I'D BE HAPPY TO. SO I HAVE A COUPLE RENDERINGS I COULD SHARE REAL QUICKLY JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE PROJECT. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN TO MILLWORK COMMONS. WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, THE ASHTON BUILDING IS OUR FLAGSHIP BUILDING WITH ARCHETYPE COFFEE WORKSHOP, QUITE A BIT OF OFFICE AND RETAIL SPACE IN THERE. THIS BUILDING IS RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET TO THE SOUTH. FROM THAT BUILDING. IT'S VERY SIMILAR. IT HAS A SIMILAR HISTORY. MILLWORK, FURNITURE CONSTRUCTION AND ALL OF THAT. OUR INTENTION IS TO TAKE THE BUILDING, WHICH IS IN A VERY DILAPIDATED STATE RIGHT NOW, ADD A FLOOR TO IT, FILL IT WITH HOTEL ROOMS. IT'LL HAVE A VERY NICE RESTAURANT AND BALLROOM ON THE MAIN FLOOR. MEETING SPACES. WE'RE ALSO ADDING A ROOFTOP BAR AND AN OUTDOOR SEATING AREA ON THE ROOFTOP. SOMETHING REALLY UNIQUE FOR OUR AREA. SO THIS IS AN OUTDOOR IMAGE. LOOKING AT THE INTERSECTION HERE OF 12TH AND NICHOLAS. HERE'S A QUICK IMAGE LOOKING AT THE ENTRANCE ON THE 12TH STREET SIDE. THERE AGAIN YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE FURNISHINGS. WHAT DISTINGUISHES AN UPPER UPSCALE HOTEL FROM A MERE UPSCALE HOTEL AT TIMES IS IT'S THOSE AMENITIES, RIGHT? AND SO WE HAVE A FULL SERVICE RESTAURANT. THIS IS THE GROUND FLOOR RESTAURANT. IT'LL SERVE THREE MEALS A DAY. IT OFFERS IN-ROOM DINING, THERE'S IN-ROOM SNACK BARS, THINGS LIKE THAT. IT ALSO HAS HIGHER QUALITY SPACES AND FINISHES. HERE'S AN ATRIUM THAT WILL BE CUT INTO THE HOTEL IN THE CENTER PART OF IT WITH TREES, AND YOU CAN SEE THE EXPOSED BEAMS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. WAIT FOR THAT TO COME INTO FOCUS. BUT THIS IS THE ROOFTOP BAR, THE INTERIOR PART OF IT. IT ALSO HAS AN EXTERIOR PART THAT WILL BE ON THE ROOF OUTSIDE. AND THEN HERE'S ONE OF THE HOTEL ROOMS. AND SO YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, THIS IS A PRETTY NICE LOOKING HOTEL ROOM. NOW OF COURSE THIS TYPE OF PROJECT, IT TAKES QUITE A BIT TO TURN A DILAPIDATED HISTORIC BUILDING INTO SOMETHING LIKE THIS. AND IT OBVIOUSLY BRINGS BENEFITS TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT AS MISS TAYLOR ALSO INDICATED, IT BRINGS A LOT OF BENEFIT TO THE CITY MORE BROADLY. WE SEE KIND OF THE VISITOR ECONOMY AND THE EVENTS PIPELINE OUTPACING THE SUPPLY OF HOTEL ROOMS IN THE CITY, PARTICULARLY ON THE HIGHER QUALITY HOTEL ROOM SIDE OF THINGS. AND SO THIS HELPS TO KIND OF FILL THAT GAP. BUT THERE'S A CHALLENGE BECAUSE HOTELS OF THIS QUALITY TAKES QUITE A BIT TO BUILD THEM. BUT YOU END UP IN A WITH A GAP BETWEEN WHAT IT COSTS FROM A CONSTRUCTION STANDPOINT AND WHAT THEY'RE APPRAISED AT AT THE END OF THE DAY. AND SO YOU HAVE TO FIND WAYS TO FILL THAT GAP TO MAKE THE PROJECT FEASIBLE. NOW, WHY DO WE CARE ABOUT THAT? WELL, HOTELS ARE A KEY PART OF BRINGING BUSINESS ACTIVITY CONVENTIONS AND THE LIKE TO OUR COMMUNITY. ALSO ENTERTAINMENT TOURISM AND ALL THAT IS OUTSIDE DOLLARS THAT REALLY HELP OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. SO THAT'S OUR GOAL WITH THIS PROJECT. AND I THINK IT COULD BE A REALLY TREMENDOUS ASSET TO THE CITY. >> GREAT. >> THANK YOU. AND YOU KNOW, I'M SURE IT'S A MATTER OF THE RATING SYSTEMS, BUT THE GOAL TO BE HOW MANY STARS. >> WELL, SO WE DON'T EXACTLY FOLLOW THE STAR SYSTEM IN THE SAME WAY. WE THE SYSTEM IS KIND OF ONE THAT WE LOOK AT IS IT INCLUDES THINGS LIKE UPSCALE, UPPER, UPSCALE. AND THEN LUXURY IS ABOVE THAT. AND SO LUXURY IS THE TOP. WE DON'T HAVE ANY THAT MEET THAT QUALIFICATION HERE IN OMAHA. THERE ARE A COUPLE UPPER UPSCALE PRODUCTS IN TOWN, BUT THAT'S IT. SO IT'S ALONG THOSE LINES. YEAH. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. >> YEP. >> THANK YOU. I HONESTLY SEE NO FURTHER LIGHTS. ANYBODY SNEAKING IN HERE. SO. >> NON ACTION ITEMS. ITEMS 42 THROUGH 66 DO NOT REQUIRE PUBLIC HEARING OR CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERATION AT THIS MEETING, BUT WILL BE PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA FOR PUBLIC HEARING AND OR VOTE. THE REASON FOR NON-ACTION IS NOTED AFTER THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA, AS WELL AS THE DATE THE ITEM IS EXPECTED TO APPEAR ON AN AGENDA FOR CONSIDERATION. >> SECOND ROLL CALL. >> HARDING. YES. HUG. >> YES. >> MELTON. ROW. FESTERSEN. YES. GOODWIN. YES. MR. PRESIDENT. YES. MOTION PASSES 7 TO 0. MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 423.