4/14/26 Omaha City Council Meeting

Omaha’s meeting this week, like always, had the standard license applications, zoning discussions, and it also had some bigger topics, the Union Omaha Soccer Stadium.

This week's liquor license discussion had a little more excitement than the past weeks. Three Omaha businesses, Clio, Cassidy’s Wine and Spirits, and Anthem all received approval recommendations from the council, but T&A Liquor required a little more conversation. They were at the meeting to renew their license, but the discussion flowed into a discussion about the property's safety. It has developed a reputation for some dangerous things that happen there, and the council worked with them on new safety measures, such as making sure the staff can fully see out the windows, making sure a manager or owner is always there, and ensuring that the property is often monitored and the new changes are enforced.

The long-anticipated Union Omaha soccer stadium was obviously an important topic, and it took up a great portion of the meeting. Harding, Festersen, and Goodwin had some concerns about the project. It's the environmental impact of the stadium, and who would pay for it if the state didn’t agree to pay. The council did approve it after a long debate with representatives of the stadium. What made them settle on a “yes”? The city would own the stadium, so they basically have a safety net if something goes wrong and the stadium is no longer used for Union Omaha soccer. They would still be able to use the stadium to bring in money. The land that the stadium will be on is land that the city would’ve ultimately needed to buy anyway because it is necessary for a sewer overflow project, and it would be needed for the city to connect 10th and 11th streets, making driving downtown easier. The city is going to officially close on the land on April 30th, and the construction for it will be underway soon.

Miller Park was also a hot topic at this meeting. The city is considering an agreement with the Miller Park Trust that would allow the Trust to take over day-to-day operations, maintenance, and the Trust would be obligated to pay for these. Basically, the city would own it, and the Trust would take care of it. The Trust plans to add lighting, cameras, and OPD bike patrollers around the park. These changes are going to make Miller Park much safer for the children in the area and everyone else who uses the park. 

This week's meeting was incredibly impactful to the community and the youth of Omaha. Check out our posts on Instagram for a short run-down on what’s going on in your city council, or check back here weekly for updates!