The Omaha City Council has requested 10 proposed amendments to the city charter to be added to the upcoming meeting’s agenda.The city council’s legislative affairs committee, which includes Council President Pete Festersen, councilmember Aimee Melton and councilmember Danny Begley, announced Thursday that the 10 proposed changes will be placed on the Aug. 2 council agenda. The changes, which were suggested by the Charter Study Convention, are:Section 2.06: Filling Council Vacancies Add: As part of the process of appointing a person to fill a vacancy on the Council, the Council shall have a public hearing in which the applicants, or if there are more than three applicants with at least three finalists they select, answer questions from the sitting Councilmembers and the public. Section 2.07: President of the CouncilChange provisions to designate the Council President as Acting Mayor.Section 2.08: Vice-President of the CouncilAdd: In the event that both the President and Vice-President of the Council are absent from the City or unable as a result of a disability to preside over the Council meeting or to serve as Acting Mayor, the line of succession shall be from the longest serving Council member to the shortest serving Council member.Section 2.10: Council Meetings — QuorumAdd sections in bold: Thereafter the Council shall meet regularly as its rules may prescribe but not less often than twice each month, unless unable to do so as a result of an emergency as declared by the federal or state government.Special meetings shall be called by the City Clerk upon the written request of the Mayor or any three Council Members. The public shall be notified at the same time as the Council Members. Section 2.18: InitiativeChange requirement for public notice of initiative petitions to “designated daily newspaper”. (currently requires publication in each of the daily newspapers of general circulation in the city)Section 5.03: Fund StructureIncrease the amount of money in the Cash Reserve to a maximum of 12% of general appropriations.Section 5.16: Purchasing ProcedureIncreases the purchases that require advertisements for sealed, competitive bids from $20,000 to $50,000.Section 5.17: ContractsIncreases the threshold for contracts that require City Council approval from $20,000 to $50,000.Section 7.04: The Master PlanAdd: Including affordability housing development and sustainable development as elements of the Master Plan.Section 8.02: Civil RightsAdd sexual orientation and gender identity to protected categoriesAccording to the city council, there will be a public hearing for the proposed ordinances on Aug. 16 and a vote on Aug. 23.Not included in the proposed amendments is a recommendation that would allow the mayor to run the city while out of town.Mayor Jean Stothert’s office suggested the change, which would allow the mayor to work remote while absent from the city for “five business days or less” and “unavailable by telephone or otherwise for a period of two hours.”Stothert said in a statement:”The City Council’s Legislation Committee has missed the opportunity to modernize the City Charter’s decades-old requirement that the sitting Mayor must give up their elected authority when travelling outside the city, even just miles away, to Ralston or Lincoln for example.Without a change in the Charter, mayors for the next decade or even longer, will be bound by an outdated Charter.In a time of always-improving technology, instant connections allow government leaders to effectively communicate and make decisions even while away on business or personal travel.The decision to not bring this Charter amendment, which received unanimous support from the citizen-led Charter Convention, to the Council this year, and then to the voters, appears to be partisan and personal.”Councilman Danny Begley responded to the mayor’s proposal.”Of all the recommendations made by the charter convention, allowing the current or future mayor to work remotely out-of-state was by far the one that caused the most anger amongst my constituents,” he said.Council President Pete Festersen also responded.”That item was not prioritized in the first 10 recommendations, but all items will still be considered on future ballots. The legislative committee is bipartisan and had good consensus on approach to start implementing the charter conventions in a practical and fiscally responsible way,” he said.In addition, the legislative affairs committee has also begun implementing two other recommendations, according to the city council. The first is an addition to Section 5.26, “Power to Incur Indebtedness.” The addition requires an “annual public report summarizing outstanding bonds including principal, rate, terms, balance owed and total anticipated cost of such bonds.”The second, Section 5.06, will require public hearings on budget resolutions when amending the budget.
The Omaha City Council has requested 10 proposed amendments to the city charter to be added to the upcoming meeting’s agenda.
The city council’s legislative affairs committee, which includes Council President Pete Festersen, councilmember Aimee Melton and councilmember Danny Begley, announced Thursday that the 10 proposed changes will be placed on the Aug. 2 council agenda.
The changes, which were suggested by the Charter Study Convention, are:
- Section 2.06: Filling Council Vacancies
- Add: As part of the process of appointing a person to fill a vacancy on the Council, the Council shall have a public hearing in which the applicants, or if there are more than three applicants with at least three finalists they select, answer questions from the sitting Councilmembers and the public.
- Section 2.07: President of the Council
- Change provisions to designate the Council President as Acting Mayor.
- Section 2.08: Vice-President of the Council
- Add: In the event that both the President and Vice-President of the Council are absent from the City or unable as a result of a disability to preside over the Council meeting or to serve as Acting Mayor, the line of succession shall be from the longest serving Council member to the shortest serving Council member.
- Section 2.10: Council Meetings — Quorum
- Add sections in bold: Thereafter the Council shall meet regularly as its rules may prescribe but not less often than twice each month, unless unable to do so as a result of an emergency as declared by the federal or state government.
- Special meetings shall be called by the City Clerk upon the written request of the Mayor or any three Council Members. The public shall be notified at the same time as the Council Members.
- Section 2.18: Initiative
- Change requirement for public notice of initiative petitions to “designated daily newspaper”. (currently requires publication in each of the daily newspapers of general circulation in the city)
- Section 5.03: Fund Structure
- Increase the amount of money in the Cash Reserve to a maximum of 12% of general appropriations.
- Section 5.16: Purchasing Procedure
- Increases the purchases that require advertisements for sealed, competitive bids from $20,000 to $50,000.
- Section 5.17: Contracts
- Increases the threshold for contracts that require City Council approval from $20,000 to $50,000.
- Section 7.04: The Master Plan
- Add: Including affordability housing development and sustainable development as elements of the Master Plan.
- Section 8.02: Civil Rights
- Add sexual orientation and gender identity to protected categories
According to the city council, there will be a public hearing for the proposed ordinances on Aug. 16 and a vote on Aug. 23.
Not included in the proposed amendments is a recommendation that would allow the mayor to run the city while out of town.
Mayor Jean Stothert’s office suggested the change, which would allow the mayor to work remote while absent from the city for “five business days or less” and “unavailable by telephone or otherwise for a period of two hours.”
Stothert said in a statement:
“The City Council’s Legislation Committee has missed the opportunity to modernize the City Charter’s decades-old requirement that the sitting Mayor must give up their elected authority when travelling outside the city, even just miles away, to Ralston or Lincoln for example.
Without a change in the Charter, mayors for the next decade or even longer, will be bound by an outdated Charter.
In a time of always-improving technology, instant connections allow government leaders to effectively communicate and make decisions even while away on business or personal travel.
The decision to not bring this Charter amendment, which received unanimous support from the citizen-led Charter Convention, to the Council this year, and then to the voters, appears to be partisan and personal.”
Councilman Danny Begley responded to the mayor’s proposal.
“Of all the recommendations made by the charter convention, allowing the current or future mayor to work remotely out-of-state was by far the one that caused the most anger amongst my constituents,” he said.
Council President Pete Festersen also responded.
“That item was not prioritized in the first 10 recommendations, but all items will still be considered on future ballots. The legislative committee is bipartisan and had good consensus on approach to start implementing the charter conventions in a practical and fiscally responsible way,” he said.
In addition, the legislative affairs committee has also begun implementing two other recommendations, according to the city council.
The first is an addition to Section 5.26, “Power to Incur Indebtedness.” The addition requires an “annual public report summarizing outstanding bonds including principal, rate, terms, balance owed and total anticipated cost of such bonds.”
The second, Section 5.06, will require public hearings on budget resolutions when amending the budget.
