Since the closing of the Neighborhood Center’s Omaha office in February, representatives from the city’s six alliance groups have been meeting to discuss how to best address the needs of Omaha’s neighborhood associations and those areas of the community not currently served by an association. The meetings – convened by Omaha City Councilman Chris Jerram – have included representatives from the North Omaha Neighborhood Alliance, South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance, Northwest Omaha Neighborhood Alliance, Southwest Omaha Neighborhood Alliance, Midtown Neighborhood Alliance and Benson-Ames Alliance.

“The group has identified a needs assessment as its top priority to determine a way forward,” said Mike Battershell, president of the South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance and spokesperson for the larger alliance group.

It will contract with the Consortium for Organizational Research and Evaluation (CORE) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha to conduct the assessment, which will focus on identifying local assets, resources and activities as well as gaps, barriers and emerging needs. The contract will also include an assessment of Omaha’s Neighborhood Scan program, which allows neighbors to use GPS to document property code violations in their part of the city.

Rob Moore, a 2013 Omaha Serves Americorp VISTA, is helping coordinate activities for the larger alliance group. He will also work directly with CORE during the assessment process, Battershell said. The cost of the assessment, $11,000, will be paid for through existing funding left by the Neighborhood Center’s closing in partnership with the City of Omaha Mayor’s Office.

Battershell also encouraged neighborhood associations with questions about services to contact the alliance that represents their area of the city. For those associations with printing needs, Automatic Printing Company, 1713 Cuming St., is offering printing for the city’s neighborhood associations at the old Neighborhood Center prices. The company’s web site is www.autoprintomaha.com.

For more information about the work of the alliances, contact Battershell at 402.871.5200 or mike@bergmanincentives.com.

Moldenhauer, a community activist and member of the Benson Neighborhood Association Board of Directors, replaces Liz Cornish-Jones, who recently accepted a new position in South Carolina. “I’ve worked to be a catalyst for change in Benson, and I’d like to do the same thing for the greater Benson-Ames Alliance,” Moldenhauer said. “This area has such great potential and deserves the time, attention and investment of others.”

She joins Andrew Rainbolt, who has served as co-chair of the Benson-Ames Alliance Steering Council since January 2012. Rainbolt is a business development representative for the Greater Omaha Chamber.

The Benson-Ames Alliance (B-AA) is a grassroots group of community volunteers dedicated to revitalizing the area bound by Western Avenue to the south, Sorensen Parkway to the north, Saddle Creek Road/Fontenelle Boulevard to the east and 72^nd Street to the west. The B-AA is striving to become a sustainable community that actively seeks a balance between its built and natural environments. Omaha by Design serves as the organization’s project manager.

For more information about the B-AA, visit www.benson-ames.org.

When we Baby Boomers were young adults, the car was a big deal. The auto, for the generation now in their 40s to their 60s, meant many things. Freedom, status, personal expression, privacy and social networking all come to mind, and yes, even transportation.

This was no accident. The automakers knew the wisdom of the old saw: “There is no such thing as stuff qua stuff.” For marketers, this meant that selling cars as merely a way to get around wasn’t sufficient. The automobile needed to be imbued with a lot more glamorous attributes like freedom, status, personal expression, well, you get the picture.

Meanwhile, they were also busy making sure the Baby Boomers would not be riding around on mass transit, at least not electric powered mass transit. As early as 1936, General Motors had established several front companies for the purpose of purchasing and dismantling America’s streetcar systems.

This isn’t to say we were duped by big business. The Baby Boomers and their parents went along. To this day, we are still more than a little willing to exalt the car – even to making sure that its storage and protection are the dominant features of our residential architecture.

Today’s young adults, the Millennial generation, show signs of seeing things differently. The first indication appeared when the Federal Highway Administration Vehicle-Miles Traveled Per Capita Peaked in 2004 and started going down.

A closer look at where the decline comes from reveals that Baby Boomers and Generation X had driven only moderately fewer miles, but Millennials drove significantly less than past generations their age. The National Household Travel Survey reported that between 2001 and 2009, the average number of vehicle-miles traveled by 16- to 34-year-olds decreased from 10,300 miles to 7,900 miles per capita. That’s a 23 percent decrease.

One wonders what might be going on here. Could it be that young people today don’t see the car in the same way?

In a survey by KRC Research and Zipcar, respondents were asked how much they agreed with the statement, “With access to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, text messaging and online gaming, I sometimes choose to spend time with friends online instead of driving to see them.” The percentages of the age groups that said they strongly or somewhat agreed can be seen in the graph at the right.

This research suggests that some of the attributes the auto bestowed on Baby Boomers have been usurped by the Internet. I’m not suggesting that online interaction is a good substitute for face-to-face conversation, but it sure beats snail mail or passing notes in class.

In addition, a National Association for Realtors study asked respondents to rate the importance of having bus routes and rail lines within walking distance of their homes. The percentages of participants that answered “very important” for bus routes and rail lines averaged by age group can be seen in the graph at the right.

Apparently, the car is not nearly as important to the youth of today as it was in the 60s and 70s. I think this poses some real challenges for today’s urban planner and the notion of transit oriented development.

Planners who are in decision making capacities today are likely Baby Boomers. The populations that we are planning for probably don’t hold the car as dear as we do.

Moreover, these data suggest that we may need to think carefully about what the word “transit” means. It’s my hope that the sins and influences of the past can be forgotten in favor of a more balanced view.

Maybe we should use an old idea about public space to plan for transit. Environmental psychologists sometimes suggest an old trick in landscape architecture when deciding where sidewalks ought to be laid in large spaces like parks or campuses – don’t put in any sidewalks at all, just wait for paths to be worn. Then, pave the paths.

Seems to me we might be well served by assuming that all forms of transit will be used equally as people move from node to node and plan for adjusting that balance as we see what forms of transit gain favor.

Report Card Updated

How is Omaha doing in terms of achieving its urban design goals? Check out the recently updated Urban Design Element Report Cart and see for yourself. The Urban Design Element, created through a public-private partnership and adopted as part of Omaha’s master plan in 2004, lays out 21 goals and 71 urban design recommendations in three categories: Green Omaha, Civic Omaha and Neighborhood Omaha. Activity is occurring in all 21 goal areas.

Friday Concert Series

Looking for something to do on a Friday night? Check out Bridge Beats, a free music series at the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge starting Friday, May 17. The entertainment, which will run for seven consecutive Friday nights, will include diverse solo and duo music acts plus history presentations from the National Park Service on the Lewis & Clark expedition.

The series – created by the City of Omaha Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Property – is a partnership of WOWT Channel 6, Playing with Fire, the National Park Service, Omaha Advertising, Riverfront Place, Clear Channel Media & Entertainment, Benjamin Realty and Prudential Ambassador Real Estate. The schedule is as follows:

May 17 – Mike Langley
May 24 – M2J
May 31 – Christopher of the Wolves
June 7 – OK Sisters
June 14 – Belles and Whistles
June 21 – Vlasis
June 28 – Magowans Chair

Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs and blankets. The music starts at 7:00pm each Friday.

Bike to Work

May 13-17 is Bike to Work Week. Omaha Bikes is coordinating a series of theme days to make your rides more interesting. The schedule is as follows:

Monday, May 13: Multi-modal Monday. Try a bike/bus or park-and-ride combination.

Tuesday, May 14: Bike to Vote. This is the date of the city’s general election, so ride your bike to the polls.

Wednesday, May 15: “We ride” Wednesday. Encourage a friend or colleague to join you on your ride – there is strength in numbers!

Thursday, May 16: Bike to Lunch. Get some extra fresh air by biking to lunch, or participate in the Thursday night Taco Ride.

Friday, May 17: Mayors’ Bike Ride (am), Handlebar Happy Hour (pm) and Bike Fashion Show (pm). Go to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge before work and join the metro area mayors on their rides to work. After work, head to 10^th and Bancroft for Handlebar Happy Hour at the New Olde Bar, then head to the nearby Bancroft Street Market for the bike fashion show.

Saturday, May 18: Bike to the Movies. Ride your bike to catch a flick – many metro area theaters have great bike parking and welcome cyclists.

Sunday, May 19: Ride to Church. Make waves in your congregation by showing up on a pedal-powered two-wheeler.

For more information, visit http://omahabikes.org.

Park Cleanup Set

Keep Omaha Beautiful is hosting a cleanup of Spring Lake Park, 4020 Hoctor Blvd., on Saturday, May 25, from 9:00am to noon. All those interested in volunteering should meet at the pool area to sign in, receive materials and enjoy rolls and juice. The first 100 volunteers will receive a free rain barrel. There is a limit of one rain barrel per family, and you must be 18 or older to receive one. For more information, visit http://www.keepomahabeautiful.com/contact-us.

Community Profile Released

The City of Omaha’s Office of Sustainable Development has released a 2012 summary of the City of Omaha’s energy and emissions reporting. It presents energy and emissions data from a community-wide scale as well as for the city’s municipal footprint.

The data was collected from utilities and other sources and plugged into the city’s comprehensive energy management planning tool to generate energy and emissions analysis. “Over the past four years, community-wide emissions and energy use remained relatively the same, despite weather fluctuations and an increase in population,” said Kristi Wamstad-Evans, the city’s sustainability coordinator. “The community is on track to achieving its goal of 20% below ‘business as usual’ by 2020, as set by the City of Omaha’s Environmental Element.”

For more information, contact Wamstad-Evans at Kristina.wamstad-evans@ci.omaha.ne.us.

Yet More Parking

The City of Omaha has added close to 100 metered parking stalls north of 12^th and Dodge for shoppers, diners and those attending public events in the north downtown area. For more information about municipal parking, visit http://cityofomaha.org/pw/parking. Or, did you know you can follow public works on Twitter? Start today – https://twitter.com/omahapublicwrks.

Work – Abstract fountain

Artist – Rod Kagan

Owner – Owen Industries

Medium – Metal and water

Completed – 1986

Dimensions – 40’ x 20’ x 10’

Location – 2200 Abbott Drive

This large abstract sculpture, created by the late Rod Kagan, is located in front of a reflecting pool surrounded by landscaping. The water moves from the top down through the angled U channel iron pieces.

According to a 2010 obituary notice in the New York Times, Kagan used a most personal and unusual process to create his sculptures. He did not make drawings or maquettes for casting by a foundry. After he conceived each work in his mind, he worked directly with the metal. He would sketch his designs on the metal surfaces, then cut and bend the shapes and weld the pieces together to complete his sculptures. Kagan’s sculptures are in private collections and public spaces throughout the United States and abroad. In 1990, he was an honored recipient of the Idaho Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.

This abstract fountain is one of two works by Kagan featured on www.publicartomaha.org. Send us your photo next to it or any other work featured on the web site and we’ll publish it on www.omahabydesign.org. If you include this sign in your photo, we’ll send you a Public Art Omaha button or magnet. Email your photos to info@omahabydesign.org. Be sure to include the name or names of the people in the photo and the date it was taken. Questions? Call 402.554.4010.

If you’re interested in preserving or expanding Omaha’s public art for future generations, please consider donating a work of art or contributing to the Preserve Omaha Public Art Fund. For more information, visit http://www.publicartomaha.org/pages/get_involved/donate.

The Place Game is an organized way of brainstorming potential improvements to public spaces by listening to the people who use them. It was created by the Project for Public Spaces (PPS), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people create and sustain public spaces that build stronger communities. Founded in 1975, PPS embraces the insights of William (Holly) White, a pioneer in understanding the way people use public spaces.

On Saturday, June 15, inCOMMON Community Development will host a Place Game focused on the intersection of Park Avenue and Woolworth Street. The organization’s mission is to unite and strengthen vulnerable neighborhoods through a variety of community-based initiatives. Its new community resource center – still under renovation – is located on Park Avenue near this intersection.

On Thursday, June 20, the West Fairacres Neighborhood Association will host a Place Game workshop in the Burke High School neighborhood. The group’s boundaries run from 120^th to 126^th Avenue and from Burke Boulevard to Columbian Elementary.

On Saturday, June 29, the Elmwood Park Neighborhood Association will host a Place Game workshop in the midtown area. Its boundaries are Elmwood Park/UNO to 72^nd Street and Dodge to Pacific.

You don’t have to be a planning expert to participate in a Place Game workshop. First, the host group selects several public spaces within its neighborhood to analyze. Small teams of people then visit these spaces, and each team is accompanied by a trained facilitator. The teams begin by looking, listening and walking around the spaces. Team members then rate the spaces according to four criteria – access and linkage, comfort and image, sociability, and uses and activities. They then brainstorm ideas for short- and long-term improvements as well as potential partners who could help them implement their ideas.

Omaha by Design conducts Place Game workshops free of charge from March through October. It supplies the materials and trained facilitators. It also provides the host group with fliers and assistance in promoting the workshop. It’s the host group’s responsibility to:

• Get the commitment of their neighborhood association or civic group to conduct a Place Game
• Identify the locations for analysis (help is available if it’s needed)
• Provide a meeting space
• Secure participants (successful Place Games require a minimum of 15 people)

Following the workshop, Omaha by Design records and summarizes the input and presents the host group with a report detailing all ideas and suggestions. It also offers Place Game “junior” workshops for groups that want to analyze a single site.

Since 2001, Omaha by Design has hosted more than 70 workshops throughout the city. In 2013, all groups that complete a Place Game and apply for grant funding to implement one of their ideas will receive a free tree courtesy of Omaha by Design. For more information or to schedule a workshop, call 402.554.4011 or email info@omahabydesign.org.

Need help getting started? Omaha by Design’s Place Game facilitators have developed nine walks in different parts of the city. Pictured above is one of the sites you’ll see on the Field Club Walk. For more information about the walks, visit the Neighborhood Omaha section of Omaha by Design’s web site and click on 9 in ’09 Great Walks.

What steps can Omaha take to become a better place to walk? More than 50 community members from across the city spent a recent afternoon at Creighton University’s Harper Center brainstorming ways to help make that happen.

The event – hosted by the City of Omaha in partnership with America Walks, the Douglas County Health Department, Live Well Omaha, Metro, Creighton University and Omaha by Design – was designed to spark a community conversation about the benefits of walking and create a series of action steps to pursue and accomplish as a city.

“Although we each represented different organizations, our unified goal is to create a culture of walking through education and advocacy – especially by capitalizing on existing leadership and community influencers,” said Carlos Morales, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the City of Omaha.

Among the high priorities of those in attendance:

• Creating pilot projects that let neighborhoods test out the feel of a more walkable place as well as the effect of related city codes.
• Developing and enhancing programs, such as Safe Routes to School, that encourage walking and community connections.
• Creating 20-minute neighborhoods – locations that have concentrations of commercial services within a relatively short walking distance of homes. Besides taking into account the availability of grocery stores and other commercial services, it looks at factors that impact pedestrian access, such as sidewalks, street connectivity and topography.
• Passing a Complete Streets ordinance, a transportation policy and design approach that requires streets to be planned, designed, operated and maintained to enable safe, convenient and comfortable travel and access for users of all ages and abilities regardless of their mode of transportation. These ordinances allow for safe travel by those walking, bicycling, driving automobiles, riding public transportation or delivering goods.
• Using walking to increase business.

Other priorities included engaging the development community in how it can support walking as a choice, making the transit system more user friendly, growing neighborhood pride and local involvement, and collecting data – such as pedestrian counts – to provide evidence-based results.

Workshop participants also suggested a number of action items for the high priorities, Morales said. In terms of the 20-minute neighborhoods idea, the action items include determining what zoning changes are needed, creating urban enterprise zones and determining development incentives for implementing pedestrian scale streetscapes.

Once a final walking plan is developed, Morales said, volunteer action teams will be created and charged with moving specific actions forward. In addition, the Mayor’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee has reviewed the workshop results and is discussing ways to become involved in the plan’s execution.

For more information or to get involved in the effort, contact Morales at 402.444.1699 or carlos.morales@ci.omaha.ne.us.

Meet Dakota, the inspiration behind COMMON good Recycling. (Photo by Calvin Smothers)

Dakota has, by choice, lived on Omaha’s streets since 1974. He’s a man of many ideas, and one of them is the genesis of a new program from inCOMMON Community Development that’s designed to assist small businesses, protect the environment and employ residents seeking entry-level work.

inCOMMON, which works to unite and strengthen vulnerable neighborhoods in the Park Avenue area, and Dakota go back about eight years. “He built a cart for the back of his bicycle and used it to haul metal he picked out of dumpsters, which he then sold for income,” said Jeff Spiehs, program director at inCOMMON.

That got the folks at inCOMMON thinking about small businesses like the Omaha Bicycle Company in Benson. The owners of the shop, which opened last Halloween, voluntarily transport appropriate items from work to home where they can be recycled. Why not devise a system, the inCOMMON team reasoned, that links the two activities – a bike-powered service that picks up recyclables from small businesses at a price they can afford? Better yet, could this service also serve as an entry point into the local job market for those in need of training and assistance?

Enter COMMON good Recycling, which was piloted in downtown Omaha last November with three clients – Aromas Coffeehouse, the Boiler Room Restaurant and the Urban Wine Company. Leslie Wells, a barista at Aromas, volunteers at inCOMMON and helped the organization connect with other Old Market businesses.

“COMMON good Recycling has managed to make the process of us becoming a more eco-friendly business convenient,” said Autumn Pruitt, owner of Aromas. “It’s so good to know that we are using more sustainable methods to operate our small business. We don’t create enough waste to hire someone to deal with that issue specifically, but we certainly have enough recyclables to outsource the task. COMMON good Recycling works within our community to make a more responsible neighborhood. We’re proud to have been part of their discovery process and are proud to be a loyal customer.”

According to a survey conducted by inCOMMON in February, 90 percent of the 500 respondents (65 percent of whom lived in downtown or midtown) said they would go out of their way to support a business that supports COMMON good Recycling.

One of the program’s collection carts.

The first step in getting the program on the road was building the recycling carts themselves, which has been a trial and error process, Spiehs said. All are modeled after a standard pull-behind bike carrier for kids. Three have been built and road tested to date, including on the city’s snow-covered streets this past winter. One of them is as wide as a car and is equipped with working blinkers for street travel.

Thanks to lessons learned from the pilot and some successful fund-raising efforts, the program is ready to begin expanding its reach. Spiehs said inCOMMON intends to target small downtown businesses – 10 employees or less – in an area marked by the Mastercraft building to the north, Grace University to the south, 10^th Street to the east and 16^th Street to the west.

In terms of employment, COMMON good Recycling will hire a part-time manager to work directly with its small business customers and riders who will function as independent contractors – much like people with paper routes do, Spiehs said. The riders will also be enrolled in inCOMMON’s job readiness and employability program while they’re working, an eight-week curriculum designed to help them develop skills that can lead to other employment opportunities.

“Our thought is that if these small business owners have good experiences with the people who come in to pick up their recycling each week, they might be willing to hire them for other jobs that come up,” Spiehs said.

Participating businesses will receive receptacles for aluminum, paper, plastic, cardboard and glass. The inCOMMON team will also do an initial walk-through with each business, pointing out what can and can’t be recycled. Several fee structures have been set up, including one that offers a discount if three businesses sign up as a unit. The inCOMMON staff will also offer recycling education workshops to the business community to help business owners understand the potential they have for repurposing items they normally toss in the dumpster.

Spiehs said he hopes to grow the program over time, allowing it to expand into other parts of the city, like the growing arts and entertainment district in Benson. He’s also encouraged that COMMON good Recycling is prompting others to think about what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. “Someone recently told me about a program in Virginia in which residents – for a monthly fee – are given little bins for compost materials,” Spiehs said. “The bins are then picked up via bike. It’s nice to see us as a community thinking about what else we can do on bikes.”

For more information about the program, contact Spiehs at 402.933.6672 or jeff@inCOMMONcd.org. For more information about inCOMMON, visit www.inCOMMONcd.org.

District 1

District 2

District 3

District 4

District 5

District 6

District 7

District 1 (pete festersen and ed truemper)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Festersen: During my four years on the City Council, we have seen a shift towards in-fill development that has been very positive and must continue to be encouraged. We need to be smarter about our future growth patterns so that we can sustain the public services we enjoy while holding the line on taxes. This means incenting inner city development, investing in our historic neighborhoods, increasing access to affordable housing, adopting contiguous annexation packages and rethinking resource intensive projects such as the suburban interstate bypass in favor of connectivity, mass transit and alternative forms of transit within the current city limits.

Truemper: Yes. While the City can only control the suburban growth that occurs within city limits, suburban growth outside the city is currently conforming to developers and those who are buying the developments. To ensure that the growth within our city limits is fiscally sustainable, we need to offer a financial model that is attractive to our citizens and to developers. By attracting more businesses in those areas, we will increase the amount paid to use city services which will make the growth more cost-efficient.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Festersen: Omaha’s biggest transportation challenge is keeping up with the growing demands and maintenance needs of an aging infrastructure in an environment of reduced federal and state resources. The City Council has taken steps to shift street related revenue back into the city’s resurfacing and maintenance budgets, and more streets are being resurfaced and better maintained than four years ago. It is also true, however, that our periodic bond issues and maintenance budgets will not be able to keep up with future demand. As a result, the City must analyze its growth patterns and consider alternative forms of transit to better plan for the future of our community. New Transportation and Environmental Elements of the master plan were pursued and adopted with this in mind as well as the Transit Alternatives Analysis, and I’ve been supportive of these efforts.

Truemper: It is a serious problem, and I would look at how we are currently delivering infrastructure services and complete a cost-benefit analysis as to whether the way we are currently maintaining our infrastructure is the most efficient. For instance, is consistently patching our streets more cost effective than laying a more permanent surface that will last longer? Finally, we need to attract more businesses that will use and pay for our services which will make our infrastructure more cost efficient.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Festersen: I have been supportive of the Urban Design Element for many years. I was the Chairman of the Planning Board when the new design code was formulated, and I helped facilitate its unanimous approval. And I have been a strong supporter since being elected to the City Council. Over time, the UDE will change the appearance of our City in a dramatic fashion for the better. The details of the code should be evaluated and analyzed in a periodic fashion for practical and reasonable adjustments that further the goals of urban design and development as was anticipated by Omaha by Design and the Urban Design Review Board.

Truemper: I do not support all of the requirements. We need to bring together our community of developers and builders who work throughout the city to find out what portions of the code are too costly to warrant benefit, and where appropriate, we should amend or abolish those portions.

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Festersen: I participated in public input sessions and voted for the transportation and environmental elements of the city’s master plan as a member of the City Council. I explored best practices of other cities with Omaha officials and have included these concepts in the neighborhood business district improvements we initiated and are constructing in Benson, Florence, Dundee and other parts of the City and will continue to do so. It will be important for policy makers to continue to encourage cooperation between the planning and public works departments and the Urban Design Review Board to make sure these master plan elements are implemented well over time.

Truemper: When repairing and replacing existing infrastructure, we need to incorporate elements that fit our specific communities. We need to ensure that all members of each community are heard as to their needs. We should listen to citizen input on periodic reviews of Master Plan elements to make sure their needs are being met. Where appropriate, we should amend or abolish those portions not conforming to the needs of our citizens.

District 2 (Ben Gray and Tariq Al-Amin)

Neither candidate responded to the four questions.

District 3 (chris jerram and jr jasso)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Jerram: The City is currently spending approximately 90% of annual CIP transportation bond dollars on projects west of Interstate 680. I don’t believe anyone could credibly claim the City isn’t spending a disproportionate share of funds to subsidize suburban development. That pretty much answers the first part of your question. The number one way to address suburban growth is through committing our City to promoting and incentivizing urban infill. After that, the Transportation Element to the City’s Master Plan has a menu of options to address suburban development. I voted for and support this.

Jasso: Common sense would have to suggest that suburbia is paying its share. Now whether is a fair share or not at this time I do not know, however, as a city grows so are the number of entities adding to the city’s revenue. If that is indeed the case I would say suburban growth is paying a share. The city should continue to offer services which would continue to attract and grow businesses to help create and maintain a broader base for income revenue.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Jerram: The problem is enormous. The City has identified tens of millions of dollars in annual transportation infrastructure current needs above the level of available annual transportation bond funding. The current transportation bond expires in approximately 1 year and a new bond package will have to be developed and put to a public vote. The legislature recently passed a law prohibiting the commuter wheel fee program and repealed the collection of wheel fee funds from people residing in the city’s zoning jurisdiction (primarily people living in SIDs, many of which are surrounded by or nearly surrounded by City streets). These options are, therefore, no longer available.

Jasso: We must do our best to assure that as the city’s infrastructure begins to decline with age that it does so at a much slower pace. I believe we can to some extent slow down the aging process with good maintenance. As far as a source of revenue I would ask the federal government to lend a big helping hand. The citizens of Omaha are already charged with a fee on their current MUD bill and that fee is becoming ever more difficult for people on a fixed income to deal with. At this time I do not see a new tax as a source, instead I would like to have the federal government lend a financial hand.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Jerram: I support the UDE.

Jasso: I do not know the specific requirements related to development and redevelopment therefore I cannot offer an educated answer. However, if the information is available for me to make an educated answer I would certainly study it.

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Jerram: I supported the adoption of the new Transportation Element to the Master Plan. I supported and voted for funding to change traffic signals to low energy LED systems. I voted to purchase new CNG vehicles for the traffic maintenance division of the Public Works Department. I also try to lead by example in my personal example of bicycle commuting and riding mass transit OMetro. I organized the City Council Ride the Bus to Work Day. I am currently actively participating in the City’s Transportation Alternatives Analysis which is scheduled to be completed in May, 2013 with the public’s preferred transportation alternative identified at that time. I also promote public participation of these programs through the use of Social Media. I have also supported the installation of bike lanes. I am endorsed by the Sierra Club. I support and attend monthly ModeShift meetings. ModeShift is advocating similarly.

Jasso: There has been a lot of talk about adding a light rail system to the city, however, I believe that this system at least during these difficult financial times could be addressed by the private sector.

District 4 (garry gernandt and virgil j. patlan sr.)

Neither candidate responded to the four questions.

District 5 (rich pahls and jeff moore)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Pahls: Generally, I believe suburban growth is paying its fair share. However, these questions should be revisited over time to assess the balance required to adequately provide and pay for public services and infrastructure across a growing city. Projections for future growth are exciting but remind us of the need to make well-informed decisions today about the infrastructure necessary to support future residential, retail, commercial, industrial and mixed-used developments.

Moore: This is a difficult question to answer since I am not privy to all the information that a sitting City Councilman would have, but I will do my best to honestly answer the question. As you stated, researchers at UNL have projected a 60% growth in population, employment and housing by 2050. However, I do not have their projections as to where they predict that the population, housing and employment opportunities will grow within Omaha. Will we see people moving to the suburbs or will people move to developments such as the Old Market, Midtown Crossing or Aksarben Village? If we continue to see Suburban sprawl, we have to make sure that the services that we currently have are not stretched to the point of being ineffective for the sake of new developments. Before we allow new developments or annex SIDs, we have to project what the increased services will cost the city and how those tax revenues will help pay for those services. Insuring financial sustainability for the city may mean slowing the suburban growth by encouraging, redesigning and redeveloping areas within the city. I would like to see the city rid itself of the thousands of vacant properties by selling them to developers and business people so that they could rehab the property and provide affordable and quality housing.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Pahls: Aging infrastructure is a serious concern. Omaha must regularly update and execute a comprehensive strategy to systematically address infrastructure needs including maintenance and repair of aging sewer and wastewater systems as well as roads and bridges. It’s important to prioritize spending on these projects so the list of maintenance and replacement doesn’t grow to a point beyond what is conceivably possible to accomplish in a reasonable time frame. Regarding the Combined Sewer Overflow project, we need to make sure the project hasn’t or doesn’t grow beyond the original EPA mandate; work with other governmental as well as non-government organizations to share costs while meeting common objectives; ensure that low cost alternatives are thoroughly explored prior to committing to costly project components; and, stretch the completion of the project over more years to reduce the annual cost for ratepayers.

Moore: I don’t believe that we have as serious of an infrastructure problem as many of our friends on the east coast. However, I think that you have to begin to search for solutions before problems become unmanageable. I do believe that we are absolutely going to need federal funding to combat our problems like every other city in the country. With the fiscal problems of the city such as the pension shortage and sewer separation, I am hard pressed to say that I would encourage additional taxes at this time. I would like us to develop an infrastructure priority plan at this time so that we are ready to move forward once the city’s most pressing needs have been met.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Pahls: I have heard developers express concern about the extent and cost of the zoning code amendments that implement the Urban Design Element of the Master Plan. There is a fine line between ensuring design standards that improve our city’s look and feel, versus driving up the cost of development with limited benefit to the community. I generally support the objectives of the Urban Design Element, but all stakeholders should come together periodically to review the progress made, hear from all parties about what is working and what is not, and make changes where necessary.

Moore: I am in support of the City Council’s approval of the Urban Design Element. We certainly needed to have a living, breathing document that not only enforces codes but at the same time encourages development that is good for the city of Omaha. I do want to make sure that enforcing the UDE is not going to discourage building and developing because it adds additional costs to a project and that a builder moves a project outside of the city. I would like to see forums held on a regular basis to get input from builders and developers to make sure that we are not over regulating.

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Pahls: Growing the public transportation network and increasing opportunities for bicycling and walking are important elements of a growing metropolitan community. Investments in these areas have to balance current use, projected demand, and safety of both motorists and bicyclists/walkers. Roads with low volume and high capacity should be considered for bike lanes. Specifically, I’d like to see more study of the Harney Street Bikeway concept as well as further consideration of public transportation and bicycle connectivity between mixed use and high density population and cultural/entertainment centers. These include the Old Market; North Downtown; the entire convention center, arena and baseball park area; Midtown Crossing; UNMC; UNO; Aksarben Village; and the proposed Crossroads redevelopment, among others.

Moore: I want to continue to encourage bicycling and walking as a means of transportation here in Omaha. I would like to see us develop more bike/walking trails that will flow in an east/west direction to connect  to our existing trails. Without having to raise taxes, I would like to see us partner up with the private sector to see if they could help pay for sections of trails. They could name, decorate and help maintain their section of trail. I think that this would be a very unique type of partnership for the city and biking world. I also believe that any new neighborhood developments would have the neighborhood built around trails that we could one day connect to existing trails.

District 6 (franklin t. thompson and phil klein)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Thompson: Many citizens in my district actually believe they are paying a heavier share of taxes to bear the burden of inner-city infrastructure decay. Opinions and emotions won’t solve the issue. A critical and detailed discussion involving the public has been sorely missing. We need to see the numbers and have an honest discussion based on research and facts. As far as growth and expansion is concerned, I trust that Omaha by Design can be a guiding factor for the decisions that have to be made. This is especially true if they partner with UNO.

Klein: Did not respond to the four questions.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Thompson: Aging infrastructure is an issue that both elected officials and the general public are ignoring. Surveys such as this generally try to get public officials to commit to the easy solution – the raising of taxes. While I am not anti-tax, I believe we should investigate all options to increase efficiency first. I would like to see a holistic approach to solving our problems. I would also like to see all city departments share the pain and not just rely on a few entities and groups to take cuts while others remain untouched.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Thompson: Yes, but I support only those requirements that make sense, that are well thought out and those that have been discussed by multiple publics and entities.

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Thompson: It is inevitable that all cities, not just Omaha, must commit to a greater emphasis on public transportation, bicycling and walking. It will be part of our future whether or not we like it. While I will not commit to being a rubber stamp, I will remain open to those practices and suggestions that are well researched. I also want to take into consideration the views and desires of the mayor and his/her advisors.

District 7 (tim lonergan and aimee s. melton)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Lonergan: I truly hope the research at UNL is correct. A 60% population growth would be great for Omaha. I believe the housing demand will be met with the increased labor force that will have money to invest in property. As the city moves west, our public services will need to move with the growth. The current system has not kept pace with the growth and this will need to be addressed. I do believe that suburban areas are paying their fair share along with the rest of the tax payers of Omaha. Collaborative efforts such as yours will insure smart growth.

Melton: We need to create and define a vision for Omaha’s future. This would include establishing growth plans and outlining clear economic goals. We need to evaluate the costs generated by suburban growth and compare those costs to the revenue generated from the economic development to ensure that the costs of public services are equally shared by all.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Lonergan: Omaha’s infrastructure is definitely in need of improvement. MUD is working on improvements in eastern Omaha, as seen in their recent billing insert. I trust that our public utility companies will continue to work on necessary improvements while keeping rates affordable. I believe that Omaha and the business community have been making great strides in projects like the Mid Town project, Benson re-birth, Dundee updates, Aksarben, and South Omaha New Beginnings. All of these projects serve to improve the overall infrastructure of these areas. I think funding should be a mix of government and private investments. When businesses invest in an area, everyone wins. The north side should be looked at for possible re-development along the 24th street corridor to tie-in to the ball park.

Melton: This is one of Omaha’s most pressing issues. I would encourage our state senators to pass legislation allowing the State of Nebraska to provide assistance to finance the infrastructure improvements by returning additional state sales taxes collected from the monthly assessments and fees charged for the projects to the city of Omaha.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Lonergan: I have heard from contractors that the requirements are very strict and costly to the builder. I would like to study the UDE more closely to see if the zoning codes can be made more builder-friendly.

Melton: I support improving the overall quality of design throughout the city in order to attract new residents, encourage economic development and create new jobs. The requirements need to be reviewed by a collaboration of engineers, planners, contractors, developers, realtors and other citizens to ensure that the UDE is actually achieving its intended goals. The council should solicit community input and, upon careful review, should consider making any suggested changes based upon the recommendations of the collaborators and the community. 

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Lonergan: Omaha’s mass transit system needs to be improved so commuters see the advantages over driving. The city needs to work closely with MAT to develop bus routes where customers need them. In order for people to re-think public transportation, they will need to experience a true advantage and feel safe. I would look at providing incentives to people who ride the bus or carpool to work. Omaha is an ‘automobile’ town, however, the development of neighborhood business areas like Benson, Dundee, and Aksarben encourage people in the area to walk more. Biking is a tough sell on transportation because of our rough weather and hilly terrain.

Melton: I would establish policies that align with community values and result in encouraging people to walk and bike. I would consider more mixed-use walkable communities if approved by the neighboring areas. I will also ensure that we are building quality streets and promoting bicycle friendly businesses and neighborhoods.

District 1

District 2

District 3

District 4

District 5

District 6

District 7

District 1 (pete festersen and ed truemper)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Festersen: During my four years on the City Council, we have seen a shift towards in-fill development that has been very positive and must continue to be encouraged. We need to be smarter about our future growth patterns so that we can sustain the public services we enjoy while holding the line on taxes. This means incenting inner city development, investing in our historic neighborhoods, increasing access to affordable housing, adopting contiguous annexation packages and rethinking resource intensive projects such as the suburban interstate bypass in favor of connectivity, mass transit and alternative forms of transit within the current city limits.

Truemper: Yes. While the City can only control the suburban growth that occurs within city limits, suburban growth outside the city is currently conforming to developers and those who are buying the developments. To ensure that the growth within our city limits is fiscally sustainable, we need to offer a financial model that is attractive to our citizens and to developers. By attracting more businesses in those areas, we will increase the amount paid to use city services which will make the growth more cost-efficient.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Festersen: Omaha’s biggest transportation challenge is keeping up with the growing demands and maintenance needs of an aging infrastructure in an environment of reduced federal and state resources. The City Council has taken steps to shift street related revenue back into the city’s resurfacing and maintenance budgets, and more streets are being resurfaced and better maintained than four years ago. It is also true, however, that our periodic bond issues and maintenance budgets will not be able to keep up with future demand. As a result, the City must analyze its growth patterns and consider alternative forms of transit to better plan for the future of our community. New Transportation and Environmental Elements of the master plan were pursued and adopted with this in mind as well as the Transit Alternatives Analysis, and I’ve been supportive of these efforts.

Truemper: It is a serious problem, and I would look at how we are currently delivering infrastructure services and complete a cost-benefit analysis as to whether the way we are currently maintaining our infrastructure is the most efficient. For instance, is consistently patching our streets more cost effective than laying a more permanent surface that will last longer? Finally, we need to attract more businesses that will use and pay for our services which will make our infrastructure more cost efficient.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Festersen: I have been supportive of the Urban Design Element for many years. I was the Chairman of the Planning Board when the new design code was formulated, and I helped facilitate its unanimous approval. And I have been a strong supporter since being elected to the City Council. Over time, the UDE will change the appearance of our City in a dramatic fashion for the better. The details of the code should be evaluated and analyzed in a periodic fashion for practical and reasonable adjustments that further the goals of urban design and development as was anticipated by Omaha by Design and the Urban Design Review Board.

Truemper: I do not support all of the requirements. We need to bring together our community of developers and builders who work throughout the city to find out what portions of the code are too costly to warrant benefit, and where appropriate, we should amend or abolish those portions.

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Festersen: I participated in public input sessions and voted for the transportation and environmental elements of the city’s master plan as a member of the City Council. I explored best practices of other cities with Omaha officials and have included these concepts in the neighborhood business district improvements we initiated and are constructing in Benson, Florence, Dundee and other parts of the City and will continue to do so. It will be important for policy makers to continue to encourage cooperation between the planning and public works departments and the Urban Design Review Board to make sure these master plan elements are implemented well over time.

Truemper: When repairing and replacing existing infrastructure, we need to incorporate elements that fit our specific communities. We need to ensure that all members of each community are heard as to their needs. We should listen to citizen input on periodic reviews of Master Plan elements to make sure their needs are being met. Where appropriate, we should amend or abolish those portions not conforming to the needs of our citizens.

District 2 (Ben Gray and Tariq Al-Amin)

Neither candidate responded to the four questions.

District 3 (chris jerram and jr jasso)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Jerram: The City is currently spending approximately 90% of annual CIP transportation bond dollars on projects west of Interstate 680. I don’t believe anyone could credibly claim the City isn’t spending a disproportionate share of funds to subsidize suburban development. That pretty much answers the first part of your question. The number one way to address suburban growth is through committing our City to promoting and incentivizing urban infill. After that, the Transportation Element to the City’s Master Plan has a menu of options to address suburban development. I voted for and support this.

Jasso: Common sense would have to suggest that suburbia is paying its share. Now whether is a fair share or not at this time I do not know, however, as a city grows so are the number of entities adding to the city’s revenue. If that is indeed the case I would say suburban growth is paying a share. The city should continue to offer services which would continue to attract and grow businesses to help create and maintain a broader base for income revenue.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Jerram: The problem is enormous. The City has identified tens of millions of dollars in annual transportation infrastructure current needs above the level of available annual transportation bond funding. The current transportation bond expires in approximately 1 year and a new bond package will have to be developed and put to a public vote. The legislature recently passed a law prohibiting the commuter wheel fee program and repealed the collection of wheel fee funds from people residing in the city’s zoning jurisdiction (primarily people living in SIDs, many of which are surrounded by or nearly surrounded by City streets). These options are, therefore, no longer available.

Jasso: We must do our best to assure that as the city’s infrastructure begins to decline with age that it does so at a much slower pace. I believe we can to some extent slow down the aging process with good maintenance. As far as a source of revenue I would ask the federal government to lend a big helping hand. The citizens of Omaha are already charged with a fee on their current MUD bill and that fee is becoming ever more difficult for people on a fixed income to deal with. At this time I do not see a new tax as a source, instead I would like to have the federal government lend a financial hand.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Jerram: I support the UDE.

Jasso: I do not know the specific requirements related to development and redevelopment therefore I cannot offer an educated answer. However, if the information is available for me to make an educated answer I would certainly study it.

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Jerram: I supported the adoption of the new Transportation Element to the Master Plan. I supported and voted for funding to change traffic signals to low energy LED systems. I voted to purchase new CNG vehicles for the traffic maintenance division of the Public Works Department. I also try to lead by example in my personal example of bicycle commuting and riding mass transit OMetro. I organized the City Council Ride the Bus to Work Day. I am currently actively participating in the City’s Transportation Alternatives Analysis which is scheduled to be completed in May, 2013 with the public’s preferred transportation alternative identified at that time. I also promote public participation of these programs through the use of Social Media. I have also supported the installation of bike lanes. I am endorsed by the Sierra Club. I support and attend monthly ModeShift meetings. ModeShift is advocating similarly.

Jasso: There has been a lot of talk about adding a light rail system to the city, however, I believe that this system at least during these difficult financial times could be addressed by the private sector.

District 4 (garry gernandt and virgil j. patlan sr.)

Neither candidate responded to the four questions.

District 5 (rich pahls and jeff moore)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Pahls: Generally, I believe suburban growth is paying its fair share. However, these questions should be revisited over time to assess the balance required to adequately provide and pay for public services and infrastructure across a growing city. Projections for future growth are exciting but remind us of the need to make well-informed decisions today about the infrastructure necessary to support future residential, retail, commercial, industrial and mixed-used developments.

Moore: This is a difficult question to answer since I am not privy to all the information that a sitting City Councilman would have, but I will do my best to honestly answer the question. As you stated, researchers at UNL have projected a 60% growth in population, employment and housing by 2050. However, I do not have their projections as to where they predict that the population, housing and employment opportunities will grow within Omaha. Will we see people moving to the suburbs or will people move to developments such as the Old Market, Midtown Crossing or Aksarben Village? If we continue to see Suburban sprawl, we have to make sure that the services that we currently have are not stretched to the point of being ineffective for the sake of new developments. Before we allow new developments or annex SIDs, we have to project what the increased services will cost the city and how those tax revenues will help pay for those services. Insuring financial sustainability for the city may mean slowing the suburban growth by encouraging, redesigning and redeveloping areas within the city. I would like to see the city rid itself of the thousands of vacant properties by selling them to developers and business people so that they could rehab the property and provide affordable and quality housing.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Pahls: Aging infrastructure is a serious concern. Omaha must regularly update and execute a comprehensive strategy to systematically address infrastructure needs including maintenance and repair of aging sewer and wastewater systems as well as roads and bridges. It’s important to prioritize spending on these projects so the list of maintenance and replacement doesn’t grow to a point beyond what is conceivably possible to accomplish in a reasonable time frame. Regarding the Combined Sewer Overflow project, we need to make sure the project hasn’t or doesn’t grow beyond the original EPA mandate; work with other governmental as well as non-government organizations to share costs while meeting common objectives; ensure that low cost alternatives are thoroughly explored prior to committing to costly project components; and, stretch the completion of the project over more years to reduce the annual cost for ratepayers.

Moore: I don’t believe that we have as serious of an infrastructure problem as many of our friends on the east coast. However, I think that you have to begin to search for solutions before problems become unmanageable. I do believe that we are absolutely going to need federal funding to combat our problems like every other city in the country. With the fiscal problems of the city such as the pension shortage and sewer separation, I am hard pressed to say that I would encourage additional taxes at this time. I would like us to develop an infrastructure priority plan at this time so that we are ready to move forward once the city’s most pressing needs have been met.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Pahls: I have heard developers express concern about the extent and cost of the zoning code amendments that implement the Urban Design Element of the Master Plan. There is a fine line between ensuring design standards that improve our city’s look and feel, versus driving up the cost of development with limited benefit to the community. I generally support the objectives of the Urban Design Element, but all stakeholders should come together periodically to review the progress made, hear from all parties about what is working and what is not, and make changes where necessary.

Moore: I am in support of the City Council’s approval of the Urban Design Element. We certainly needed to have a living, breathing document that not only enforces codes but at the same time encourages development that is good for the city of Omaha. I do want to make sure that enforcing the UDE is not going to discourage building and developing because it adds additional costs to a project and that a builder moves a project outside of the city. I would like to see forums held on a regular basis to get input from builders and developers to make sure that we are not over regulating.

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Pahls: Growing the public transportation network and increasing opportunities for bicycling and walking are important elements of a growing metropolitan community. Investments in these areas have to balance current use, projected demand, and safety of both motorists and bicyclists/walkers. Roads with low volume and high capacity should be considered for bike lanes. Specifically, I’d like to see more study of the Harney Street Bikeway concept as well as further consideration of public transportation and bicycle connectivity between mixed use and high density population and cultural/entertainment centers. These include the Old Market; North Downtown; the entire convention center, arena and baseball park area; Midtown Crossing; UNMC; UNO; Aksarben Village; and the proposed Crossroads redevelopment, among others.

Moore: I want to continue to encourage bicycling and walking as a means of transportation here in Omaha. I would like to see us develop more bike/walking trails that will flow in an east/west direction to connect  to our existing trails. Without having to raise taxes, I would like to see us partner up with the private sector to see if they could help pay for sections of trails. They could name, decorate and help maintain their section of trail. I think that this would be a very unique type of partnership for the city and biking world. I also believe that any new neighborhood developments would have the neighborhood built around trails that we could one day connect to existing trails.

District 6 (franklin t. thompson and phil klein)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Thompson: Many citizens in my district actually believe they are paying a heavier share of taxes to bear the burden of inner-city infrastructure decay. Opinions and emotions won’t solve the issue. A critical and detailed discussion involving the public has been sorely missing. We need to see the numbers and have an honest discussion based on research and facts. As far as growth and expansion is concerned, I trust that Omaha by Design can be a guiding factor for the decisions that have to be made. This is especially true if they partner with UNO.

Klein: Did not respond to the four questions.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Thompson: Aging infrastructure is an issue that both elected officials and the general public are ignoring. Surveys such as this generally try to get public officials to commit to the easy solution – the raising of taxes. While I am not anti-tax, I believe we should investigate all options to increase efficiency first. I would like to see a holistic approach to solving our problems. I would also like to see all city departments share the pain and not just rely on a few entities and groups to take cuts while others remain untouched.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Thompson: Yes, but I support only those requirements that make sense, that are well thought out and those that have been discussed by multiple publics and entities.

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Thompson: It is inevitable that all cities, not just Omaha, must commit to a greater emphasis on public transportation, bicycling and walking. It will be part of our future whether or not we like it. While I will not commit to being a rubber stamp, I will remain open to those practices and suggestions that are well researched. I also want to take into consideration the views and desires of the mayor and his/her advisors.

District 7 (tim lonergan and aimee s. melton)

Q: Researchers at UNL project a 60% or greater increase in population, employment and housing in the Omaha area by 2050. Suburban growth requires expanding public services such as streets, sewers, stormwater facilities, utilities, police and fire protection, and schools. Do you believe that suburban growth is paying its fair share of the cost of extending services? How should the city ensure that suburban growth is fiscally sustainable?

Lonergan: I truly hope the research at UNL is correct. A 60% population growth would be great for Omaha. I believe the housing demand will be met with the increased labor force that will have money to invest in property. As the city moves west, our public services will need to move with the growth. The current system has not kept pace with the growth and this will need to be addressed. I do believe that suburban areas are paying their fair share along with the rest of the tax payers of Omaha. Collaborative efforts such as yours will insure smart growth.

Melton: We need to create and define a vision for Omaha’s future. This would include establishing growth plans and outlining clear economic goals. We need to evaluate the costs generated by suburban growth and compare those costs to the revenue generated from the economic development to ensure that the costs of public services are equally shared by all.

Q: Omaha, like other cities, is faced with aging infrastructure and uncertain federal funding for infrastructure. How serious do you believe this problem is? How would you address funding for infrastructure? What new sources of revenue would you consider?

Lonergan: Omaha’s infrastructure is definitely in need of improvement. MUD is working on improvements in eastern Omaha, as seen in their recent billing insert. I trust that our public utility companies will continue to work on necessary improvements while keeping rates affordable. I believe that Omaha and the business community have been making great strides in projects like the Mid Town project, Benson re-birth, Dundee updates, Aksarben, and South Omaha New Beginnings. All of these projects serve to improve the overall infrastructure of these areas. I think funding should be a mix of government and private investments. When businesses invest in an area, everyone wins. The north side should be looked at for possible re-development along the 24th street corridor to tie-in to the ball park.

Melton: This is one of Omaha’s most pressing issues. I would encourage our state senators to pass legislation allowing the State of Nebraska to provide assistance to finance the infrastructure improvements by returning additional state sales taxes collected from the monthly assessments and fees charged for the projects to the city of Omaha.

Q: In 2005, the Omaha City Council approved the Urban Design Element (UDE) of the city’s master plan. In 2007, the Omaha City Council approved zoning code amendments to implement the UDE recommendations. The zoning code amendments created new requirements related to development and redevelopment. Do you support the requirements of the urban design code? If not, what specific changes do you feel are needed?

Lonergan: I have heard from contractors that the requirements are very strict and costly to the builder. I would like to study the UDE more closely to see if the zoning codes can be made more builder-friendly.

Melton: I support improving the overall quality of design throughout the city in order to attract new residents, encourage economic development and create new jobs. The requirements need to be reviewed by a collaboration of engineers, planners, contractors, developers, realtors and other citizens to ensure that the UDE is actually achieving its intended goals. The council should solicit community input and, upon careful review, should consider making any suggested changes based upon the recommendations of the collaborators and the community. 

Q: During the past two years, the Omaha City Council approved the Transportation and Environmental Elements of the city’s master plan. Both include a commitment to increasing the use of public transportation and increased emphasis on bicycling and walking as a means of transportation. What would you do to advance these policies?

Lonergan: Omaha’s mass transit system needs to be improved so commuters see the advantages over driving. The city needs to work closely with MAT to develop bus routes where customers need them. In order for people to re-think public transportation, they will need to experience a true advantage and feel safe. I would look at providing incentives to people who ride the bus or carpool to work. Omaha is an ‘automobile’ town, however, the development of neighborhood business areas like Benson, Dundee, and Aksarben encourage people in the area to walk more. Biking is a tough sell on transportation because of our rough weather and hilly terrain.

Melton: I would establish policies that align with community values and result in encouraging people to walk and bike. I would consider more mixed-use walkable communities if approved by the neighboring areas. I will also ensure that we are building quality streets and promoting bicycle friendly businesses and neighborhoods.