Live tweeting today’s Omaha City Council for @oma_documenters. CM Don Rowe opens the meeting by asking Omahans to “hold their children and grandchildren closer”
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02:02 PM Mar 28, 2023 CDT
@oma_documenters Council President Pete Festersen gave his thoughts and prayers for the Nashville community after yesterday’s shooting. He said Omaha has a connection through Jennifer Rasmussen-Sagan, Mayor Stothert’s former chief of staff who’s now the Nashville mayor’s chief of staff
Festersen read a resolution congratulating outgoing Omaha Fire Chief Dan Olsen’s retirement, as well as declaring March 24 as Chief Dan Olsen Day
CM Palermo told Olsen, “Retirement or not, you’ll always be Chief Dan Olsen.”
He said Olsen prioritized public safety during his time as fire chief
CM Aimee Melton said thanked Olsen for his connection with the public and his ability to find funding without hurting the city’s budget
CM Brinker Harding said public safety is in a better place for the future thanks to Olsen’s work
Olsen thanked the fire department and city officials and staff for his achievements.
“We always knew we had the support of Council, the Mayor’s office, and each other and thats how we became such a successful team.”
License for Fig, a café at the Kiewit Luminarium at 345 Riverfront Drive, approved 7-0
License addition for offsite events at Upstream Brewing Company approved
License for an expansion for Mouth of the South at 16909 Lakeside Hills Plaza approved
License for an addition to Rhythmz Lounge and Bistro at 10841 Q St approved.
Now to planning items. On a prelim plat for Roanoke Business Park Replat 4, Kyle Haase said the developers plan to add 3.9 acres to the mixed use area
Ordinance consent agenda approved, including a lease agreement for Do Space to operate temporarily at the Milton R Abrahams Library
On the res consent agenda, Luis Jimenez said an agreement for Hawkins Construction Company for improvements to the North Downtown Riverfront Pedestrian Bridge is good for multimodal transportation in Omaha
Festersen said he agrees with Luis on the importance of the improvements to the “Baby Bob” bridge downtown
He also said the reappointment of Daniel Lawse to the Regional Metro Transit Authority board will be the last appointment to the board, as members will be elected in the future
Eric Englund said an ordinance to amend the municipal code will eliminate “cumulative tracking” of improvements to properties in flood plains for minor damages
Englund used a building at 78th and Dodge as an example which is only partially in a flood plain. Currently, the city has to track improvements for the entire building, but it would likely only sustain minor flood damages
Englund said the proposed amendments have been conditionally approved by both the state and FEMA, and they’ll remain in compliance with FEMA’s National Flood Insurance program
He said the changes to the language about cumulative tracking may bring them closer to the program’s requirements
On an ordinance to raise the salary ranges for city maintenance foremans (II), CM Vinny Palermo said the increase is coming because of a change in duties for the position
HR Director Deb Sanders said the number of foremen IIIs has decreased, so many of their duties were reassigned to foremen IIs. She said the salary raise is based on the current duties
The duties for foremen IIs include overseeing snow removal and ensuring compliance by private contractors. Palermo said they’re budgeted for 18 foremen with only 10 filled
Sanders said the respective departments are working on getting those positions filled