Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert issued vetoes Thursday for an amendment to the 2022 city budget and three amendments to the 2022-2027 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The amendments were introduced and passed by the City Council during Tuesday’s meeting. The City Council has a chance to override any vetoes with a supermajority of five votes at the next meeting. Here are the amendments on the table:
- Councilmember Juanita Johnson’s proposal for a website consultant to help communicate information on city services and programs with district residents. Mayor Stothert said a consultant is not “appropriate or needed” and any official city websites need to be maintained by DotComm. The City Council passed the amendment 4-2, with Councilmembers Don Rowe and Aimee Melton voting no.
- An amendment to the CIP to fund infrastructure improvements to the North Saddle Creek Business District. Stothert said the project would reallocate funding from the Urban Design Retrofit Fund, and the city should designate the area as an urban design district first. The amendment passed 6-0, with Councilmember Brinker Harding absent.
- Two amendments to the CIP that would implement the Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan and make the Harney Street Protected Bikeway permanent in 2023. The mayor argued that the projects don’t qualify as capital improvements and the master plan hasn’t been developed yet. Stothert also said making the protected bike lane permanent would be premature. The pilot program started in July and is open until September 2022. The City Council passed both amendments 4-2, with Councilmembers Rowe and Melton voting no.