OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A new proposal from Omaha’s mayor would allow residents living on substandard streets to go through an official process asking the city to pay for some of the repairs.
Mayor Jean Stothert announced the proposal Tuesday that formalized the way Omaha handles upgrading neighborhood streets that weren’t built to code, the Omaha World-Herald (https://bit.ly/2qhEVSX ) reported.
Her proposal calls for residents paying for some of the improvements. Stothert said the city would ideally cover the estimated $300 million cost of upgrading all substandard streets, but taking on the entire cost would either take decades or require a tax hike.
City Council must still vote on the proposal, which Stothert said is the first step in addressing Omaha’s 300 miles (480 kilometers) of substandard streets.
The proposal applies only to streets that don’t meet city standards, which require that streets be made of concrete and have curbs, gutters and sewers. Stothert said the proposal is currently the best way to address 50 years of underfunding streets.
Under the proposal, city and property owners would split the cost to upgrade a street. Stothert said that while some homeowners in high-poverty areas might not be able to afford an upgrade, she is advocating for a new law that would allow homeowners to pay their part of the upgrades over 20 years instead of 10.
“It will be less expensive for the homeowners, and we will get a lot more done in a shorter time,” she said.
The city will continue not repairing potholes on substandard streets that have reached “the end of their serviceable life,” said Todd Pfitzer, assistant Public Works director.
The mayor’s plan would also end a city policy adopted in 2012 that allowed Omaha Public Works officials to grind substandard residential streets into dirt without nearby property owner permission instead of maintaining them.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, https://www.omaha.com
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