Community Funding Projects

Appropriations Community Projects
FY2024

Title: Ashland Pedestrian Underpass of Railroad

Proposed recipient: City of Ashland, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 2304 Silver Street, Ashland, NE  68003

Amount Requested: $1,210,000

Subcommittee: THUD

Explanation: The City of Ashland is divided by U.S. Highway 6 and Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad. All of the City facilities, downtown shopping, grocery store, public schools, library, etc. are on the northwest side of the highway and railroad tracks. The City is working with Nebraska Department of Transportation to acquire a permit to install a pedestrian crossing signal on the highway. This will be funded entirely by the City of Ashland. After you cross the highway, the only way to access the northwest side of the community is through a 40 plus year old pedestrian tunnel under the BNSF railroad tracks. The pedestrian tunnel is a round culvert that isn’t tall enough for many people to walk through without crouching. The pedestrian tunnel has had little improvements over the years and always has standing water and mud in it regardless of how many times the City’s public works crew cleans it out. The City has replaced the lighting in the pedestrian tunnel multiple times but with the continued moisture problems, we continue to have lighting issues. The City of Ashland has had several discussions with BNSF to no avail and each time told it is the City’s responsibility to make any improvements. The City of Ashland residents desire and deserve to have this pedestrian tunnel in better condition than it is currently and it is a priority of City officials to replace it. Although, with limited resources, finding the funds for the entire project within the City’s budget has been difficult. Upon securing funding for the project, this would replace the pedestrian tunnel with a larger tunnel and add additional drainage infrastructure.

Member Certification Form

Title: Bennington Neumeyer Farm Park & Athletic Complex: Phase 2

 Proposed recipient: City of Bennington, Nebraska

 Address of the recipient: PO Box 221, Bennington, NE  68007

 Amount Requested: $2,100,000

Subcommittee: THUD

 Explanation: Neumeyer Farm Park & Athletic Complex will directly benefit the 16,000 residents of the Bennington area, in the district’s northwest corner. As Nebraska’s fastest-growing community, the Bennington area is full of families with young children who will benefit from participating in youth sports and from enjoying family and community activities in the new park. The project will also benefit many more residents of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District who will come to Bennington for youth sports tournaments and league games. The project will enable Bennington to host larger tournaments and events, drawing participants from outside the district as well. One soccer tournament, for example, would draw as many as 80 teams across all age groups, bringing as many as 1,000 families to the community. A case study in Waterloo, Iowa, calculated the impact of a youth soccer tournament at roughly this scale. Researchers found that the average family spent $450 (adjusted to 2022 dollars) in the local community during a three-day tournament. At a tournament in Bennington, this direct spending would total $450,000 for local businesses. The study also found an economic multiplier of 1.56, meaning indirect and induced spending by local businesses would add much more activity to the local economy.

Member Certification Form

Title: BRIDGE Family Resources Connector Network

 Proposed recipient: Douglas County, Nebraska

 Address of the recipient: 1819 Farnam Street, Suite LC2, Omaha, NE  68183

 Amount Requested: $830,000

Subcommittee: CJS

 Explanation: Douglas County has a great opportunity to change the climate and culture of our community and the Juvenile Justice System for the betterment of our youth and families. Douglas County is seizing the opportunity to change the climate and culture of our community and the Juvenile Justice System in order to strengthen youth and families. We can improve outcomes by shifting the narrative from strictly punitive to a system that builds on the full potential of young people while still holding them accountable. Implementation of a coordinated continuum of prevention/early intervention services is vital to addressing this urgent need. Meeting the needs of youth and families earlier will prevent their entering the juvenile justice system and provide the needed services for victims. Relationships change people and research has clearly shown by building on the strengths of any youth their deficiencies decrease. Research has further shown that you do more damage to any youth by placing them further into the Juvenile Justice System than is needed. Early community-based services produce better outcomes for youth, reduce recidivism, and cost less. For every $1.00 spent on early prevention services, it saves over $14.00 in the juvenile justice system. Douglas County, Nebraska will contract with the BRIDGE Family Resource Connector Network (BRIDGE), a true private/public partnership, to provide youth and families early intervention services. BRIDGE is an evidence-based model of care that meets a family’s needs and builds upon the strengths of Douglas County’s provider network to prevent further juvenile justice system involvement. BRIDGE is family-centered with strengths-based local community hubs that provide culturally responsive supports to families.

Member Certification Form

Title: Burt Street Project, Omaha Urban Core

Proposed recipient: City of Omaha, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 1819 Farnam #300 Omaha, NE 68183

Amount Requested: $10,000,000

Subcommittee: THUD

 Explanation: The City of Omaha, in partnership with Creighton University, is committed to improving pedestrian safety and increasing green space in an inclusive community where people live, learn, work, and play. The Burt Street Project will provide pedestrian pathways, bicycle route connectivity, stormwater management, utility relocation, landscaped areas, parking relocation and will add approximately 2.5 acres of green space to the City of Omaha Urban Core. As part of the Burt Street Project, existing urban land will be beautified with green space replacing 2.5 acres of paved streets, and sidewalks widened and repaired to improve safety and walkability. In 2020, the City of Omaha and Creighton University, through the public-private 24th Street safety enhancement project, rebuilt the main artery connecting Creighton University with North and South Omaha. Creighton proposes to continue the 24th street safety enhancements east to west at Burt Street, from 20th to 27th streets. This high-traffic area, to be used by the Creighton community and the general public, will provide more greenspace in the Omaha Urban Core, while increasing safety for pedestrians and bicyclists using this essential route.

Member Certification Form

Title: Eppley Airfield Federal Inspection Services Facility.

Proposed recipient: Omaha Airport Authority

Address of the recipient: 4015 Abbott Drive, Suite 2300, Eppley Airfield, Omaha, NE 68110

Amount Requested: $11,900,000

Subcommittee: THUD

Explanation: A new, 20,000-square-foot Federal Inspection Service (FIS) facility would allow security screening operations to facilitate international aircraft and passenger arrivals. The FIS facility would primarily accommodate small narrow-body flights, such as B737, to and from the Caribbean and Mexico and would follow the United States Customs and Border Protection’s requirements for a 400-passenger, per hour, facility. Omaha is Cancun, Mexico’s largest unserved market, with an average of 89 departing daily passengers (peaks at 122 daily passengers in March), and Cancun is Omaha’s second largest unserved market. The FIS facility is planned as a bags-first operation, with an international/domestic (swing) baggage claim device, so it can be used for domestic operations during non-international peak periods. The swing baggage claim device area will be made sterile for international operations by closing adjustable walls or doors along the perimeter. The FIS is currently under design and is scheduled to be constructed as a component of the Terminal Modernization Program.

Member Certification Form

Title: Papillion Strengthening Public Safety-Police Department Equipment and Technology Upgrades

Proposed recipient: City of Papillion (NE) Police Department 

Address of the recipient: 1000 E. 1st Street, Papillion, NE  68046

Amount Requested: $98,400

Subcommittee: CJS

Explanation: These funds would be used by the City of Papillion Police Department to purchase two surveillance trailers and one new drone. Papillion holds large scale community events throughout the year and this project will be extremely beneficial for enhanced situational awareness, crime prevention, traffic management, search and rescue, crowd control and for documentation purposes. Community events can be managed more effectively and reduce the likelihood of incidents. The Police Department understands to balance the benefits of these technologies with concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and unintended consequences, and to use them in a manner that is transparent, accountable, and guided by empirical research and data analysis.

Member Certification Form

Title: Platteview Road, 132nd Street Intersection Safety Improvements 

Proposed recipient: Sarpy County, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 15100 S 84th Street, Papillion, NE 68046

Amount Requested: $1,440,000

Subcommittee: THUD

Explanation: The Platteview Road, 132nd Street Intersection Safety Improvements project will modernize an important intersection in Sarpy County. By adding a wooden pole traffic signal assembly and building dedicated left-turn lanes on Platteview Road, motorists will be able to more efficiently and safely navigate this major intersection, which currently sees several injury-involved crashes each year.

Member Certification Form

Title: Saddle Creek Pedestrian and Bikeway Overpass 

Proposed recipient: City of Omaha, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 1819 Farnam Street, Suite #600, Omaha, NE 68183

Amount Requested: $2,000,000

Subcommittee: THUD

Explanation: This project will construct a dedicated pedestrian and bicycle connection across Saddle Creek Road in order to improve safety and comfort of people traveling on foot or bicycle between the main part of the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) campus, the new Saddle Creek Innovation District, and neighborhoods surrounding campus, especially to the West, North and South. The initial alternatives examined for this project identify a preferred option that includes a multi-use trail bridge over Saddle Creek Road at Emile Street. The Eastern approach will connect to existing sidewalks and a soon to be built protected bikeway. The Western approach will connect to the pedestrian and cycle infrastructure under construction now in UNMC’s redevelopment of the blighted Saddle Creek industrial area. UNMC would dedicate right-of-way and/or easements for this project and contribute the local matching funds for the project construction.

Member Certification Form

Title: Sarpy Crisis Stabilization Center

Proposed recipient: Sarpy County, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 1210 Golden Gate Dr, Papillion, NE 68046

Amount Requested: $6,000,000

Subcommittee: CJS

Explanation: The Omaha metro area has limited community options for first

responders and emergency personnel to take individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. If first responders can articulate that the individual is suicidal or homicidal, they currently have three involuntary choices; incarceration, an adult psychiatric emergency service facility, or emergency departments.

 

Emergency departments and correctional facilities are not equipped to address behavioral health crisis or connect individuals to services. If the individual does not meet certain criterion, but is in a behavioral health crisis, there are no places first responders can voluntarily take that individual for assistance. This is an identified and persistent gap in the emergency services system for individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

 

To address this gap in coverage, Sarpy County is proposing the creation of a crisis stabilization center. The center would be open for all first responders to voluntarily take those individuals in crisis to this short-term treatment facility.

Member Certification Form

Title: Saunders County Emergency Radio Equipment Upgrade Project

Proposed recipient: Saunders County, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 433 N. Chestnut Street, Wahoo, NE  68066

Amount Requested: $2,600,000

Subcommittee: CJS

Explanation: This project will allow Saunders County to purchase new, reliable radio equipment, which will provide an updated and usable network of emergency first responders and allow interagency communication capabilities that are not currently available. They will give those agencies greater efficiency in their ability to respond quickly and effectively when needed, guaranteeing the right to security and safety for the citizens and visitors of Saunders County.

Member Certification Form

Title: Schram Road & 204th Street Paving Project

Proposed recipient: City of Gretna, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 204 N. McKenna Avenue, PO Box 69, Gretna, NE  68028

Amount Requested: $5,000,000

Subcommittee: THUD

Explanation: Schram Road is a significant arterial road bisecting Sarpy County and linking the cities located therein. A recent annexation of adjacent properties added Schram Road into the City's road system. Schram provides primary ease/west access to a local elementary school, residential subdivisions, and one of Nebraska's top tourist attractions, Vala's Pumpkin Patch. The area of Gretna through which Schram Road traverses is one of the fastest growing in Sarpy County yet has an arterial road constructed of failing pavement and of gravel while being previously maintained by the County. Improvement to Schram Road through paving and connection across the proposed NRD flood structure will not only connect the community, connect existing paved roads, and provide access to an elementary school but will also provide pedestrian connectivity and a safe route to school while improving drainage-way grade stabilization.

Member Certification Form

Title: Springfield Creek Lift Station

 Proposed recipient: Unified Southern Sarpy Wastewater System (Unified SSWS)

 Address of the recipient: 1210 Golden Gate Drive, Papillion, Nebraska, 68046

 Amount Requested: $6,800,000

 Explanation: The proposed Springfield Creek Lift Station will be constructed south of the City of Springfield at the existing Springfield Wastewater Treatment Facility (SWWTF) located at 17305 S Hwy 50 and would collect sanitary flows from the Springfield Creek and Buffalo Creek Basins. Flows from the Springfield Creek Basin will be conveyed to the lift station from the

proposed Springfield Creek interceptor sewer that is currently under construction. It is anticipated that the proposed interceptor will eventually include existing flows diverted from the SWWTF, which may be abandoned (not part of this project scope) upon final completion and start-up of the Phase 1A projects. Future flows from the Buffalo Creek Basin will be conveyed to the lift station through a future interceptor sewer or force main. The Springfield Creek Life Station will pump flows to the wet well of the Mitchell Road Lift Station.

Member Certification Form

Title: The North 24th Street Business Improvement District Lighting Project

Proposed recipient: City of Omaha, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 1819 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE  68183

Amount Requested: $4,200,000

Subcommittee: THUD

 Explanation: This Street Light Project (Project) within the North 24th Street Business Improvement District (BID) which represents five hundred and five commercial and residential properties along the North 24th Street Corridor. The goal of the Project is to install and upgrade street lights to increase public safety, enhance public activity and tourism, reduce greenhouse emissions, and encourage economic development by utilizing LED lighting. Proper lighting increases visibility and discourages theft, violence, and nuisance behavior. New vehicular puck street lights will also promote greater visibility for drivers, increase traffic safety, and reduce the number of motor vehicular accidents along the corridor. New pedestrian street lights will create safer public spaces for pedestrians, and add to the perception of safety for visitors. Light pole banners will help brand the area as a historic district, promote the area’s cultural significance, and promote tourism that spurs economic growth. This work also supports the City of Omaha’s Forever North Housing & Multimodal Transportation Strategy.

Member Certification Form

FY2023

Title: Blackstone Streetscape

 Proposed recipient: Blackstone Business Improvement District

 Address of the recipient: 1819 Farnam Street, c/o Office of the Mayor, Omaha, NE  68183

 Amount Requested: $2,000,000

 Explanation: The Blackstone Business Improvement District, in partnership with the City of Omaha Public Works Department is committed to improving pedestrian safety in a multi-use inclusive community where people live, work, and play adjacent to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Traffic counts on Farnam show approximately 10,000 vehicles use Farnam each day, 88% are westbound. The speed limit is 30 mph. A recent report by the city traffic engineer, shows that there have been 14 pedestrian accidents in Blackstone since 2015. Five in 2015, two in 2017, two in 2019, and 5 in 2021 (including a critical injury in July and a fatality in December).

The Farnam Streetscape Project will improve pedestrian safety by slowing traffic along Farnam Street between 35th Street and 41stStreet in the Blackstone District of Omaha’s Urban Core.  The project will accomplish this by narrowing the traffic lanes to the minimum width required to accommodate the recently announced streetcar route through the District. The adjacent sidewalks on both sides of the project area will be widened to accommodate the increase in pedestrian traffic resulting from the past 8 years of tremendous economic development in the District and will continue to grow when the streetcar route is operational.  The two west-bound and one east-bound traffic lanes will be reconfigured as one west-bound traffic lane, one east-bound traffic lane, and a center two-way left-turn lane with pedestrian safety zones in the center lane at specific unsignalized intersections. 

Member Certification Form


Title: Burlington Avenue Extension and Bridge 

Proposed recipient: City of Ralston, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 5500 S. 77th Street, Ralston, NE  68127

Amount Requested: $5,000,000

Explanation: 72nd Street is one of Metro Omaha’s most heavily traveled streets. Ralston is attempting to capture more of the 33,000 vehicles that travel the street daily to increase the community’s economic activity. Ralston’s $250 million Hinge project is not only designed to attract more attention from 72nd Street traffic but provide new residential spaces, develop a base of entrepreneurial activity, and create new entertainment options and public spaces. The project would better connect 72nd Street to Ralston’s traditional downtown along 77th Street.

Burlington Avenue is not a thru street. It ends at what would be approximately 75th Street. Aging industrial areas and a creek stand between the finished portion of Burlington and 72nd Street. Providing a Burlington link to 72nd Street serves a number of important economic development needs. Traffic has been increasing at a rapid rate along Main Street as new residences and new businesses have been developed. In addition, a new private public venue known as the Granary Green will open this summer. The Granary Green will be continuously programmed with events, creating even more congestion along Main Street. Burlington is two blocks south and its extension will ease traffic congestion and provide for better circulation for the Hinge and downtown areas.

Main Street also serves as a truck route into Ralston. As the Hinge development grows, the residential and business traffic will conflict with the truck traffic, reducing safety and making commerce more difficult. The extension will allow the truck traffic to be diverted to Burlington, greatly improving the situation. The Burlington extension will open up more development opportunities on the Hinge’s south end for new residences and businesses. It is a critical part of the Hinge program that will be difficult to accomplish without assistance from the federal level.

Member Certification Form


Title: Capehart Road and 204th Street Paving Improvements 

Proposed recipient: City of Gretna, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 204 North McKenna Avenue, Gretna, NE  68028

 Amount Requested: $3,000,000

 Explanation: Gretna is a rural community with an estimated population over 9,000 that is rapidly growing due to its close proximity to Omaha. With this fast growth the surrounding community is quickly being converted from agricultural greenspace to concrete infrastructure and buildings. While Gretna is excited about the new opportunities that growth brings, we understand that the value the importance of establishing areas of green space for many generations to come. Along with establishing a space that will allow Gretna to connect with the outdoors, we also wanted to create facilities that encourage heathy lifestyles and community interaction.

In May of 2020, the citizens of Gretna passed a ½ cent sales tax increase to fund the 157-acre park known as Gretna Crossing Park.  This project includes the improvements to Capehart Road ¾-mile east of US Highway 6 to access the park.  This gravel roadway is a critical arterial connection within the transportation network due no major arterial connection to the north for 1-1/2 miles. Also, this arterial roadway provides emergency services for the recently completed Gretna Rural Fire Station located ¼-mile west of US Highway 6 on Capehart Road.

The City’s project on Capehart Road is being partnered with and collaborated with Sarpy County to continue the improvements to Capehart Road to 204th Street and also improvement 204th Street north ½-mile. The project will include grading, storm culverts, storm sewers and curb inlets, concrete street pavement and concrete trails. The grading work will commence this summer along with storm sewer culvert work construction in the fall of 2022 and the concrete pavement in the spring of 2023. The entire project has an estimated completion date of July 2023.

 Member Certification Form



Title: 
Douglas County Youth Legal Services and Violence Reduction Initiative

 Proposed recipient: Douglas County, Nebraska

 Address of the recipient: 1819 Farnam Street, Suite LC2, Omaha, NE 68183

 Amount Requested:  $1,000,000

 Explanation: The 2021 increase in violence among youth 18 years of age and younger has prompted Douglas County to take a more holistic approach to early prevention and intervention services to reduce youth violence. This project aims to expand and strengthen collaboration between the County’s existing community-based service providers, such as Creighton University’s Juvenile Justice Legal Clinic, to reduce the overrepresentation of youth of color throughout the entire juvenile justice system. 

The two key components of the County’s new initiative are focused on providing youth with behavioral health services both before and during their detention in the County Youth Center, coupled with holistic legal representation by Creighton’s Juvenile Justice Legal Clinic, so that the real-world, multidimensional needs of young people are met beyond the courthouse doors. 

Youth who are detained at the Douglas County Youth Center will be screened, assessed, and connected to suitable services to reduce recidivism and re-entry into detention. They will be evaluated and served by a multi-disciplinary team that meets weekly with detainees comprised of collaborative experts from the Charles Drew Health Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) Department of Psychiatry, UNMC Addiction Medicine, CHI/Creighton University Department of Psychiatry, the County Youth Center’s Education and Health office, and the Nebraska Juvenile Probation office.

This collaborative approach ensures detainees receive highly personalized, expert care that ensure the “Right specialists, Right treatment, Right Time” to reduce mental health symptoms, improve youth experience in detention, provide for timely release from detention, and then provide increased support to reduce recidivism. Through this initiative, Creighton will expand beyond juvenile defense representation and related services by opening a new legal center in North Omaha where families can access holistic legal services well before court involvement.

 Member Certification Form


Title: Eppley Airfield Terminal Modernization Program Phase 1 – Central Utility Plant Base Building

 Proposed recipient: Omaha Airport Authority

 Address of the recipient: 4501 Abbott Drive, Eppley Airfield, Omaha, NE  68110

 Amount Requested: $8,000,000

 Explanation: The Terminal Modernization Program is an estimated $600 million renovation and expansion of existing terminal facilities, increasing terminal capacity and economic activity. The Terminal Modernization Program will be completed in multiple phases and includes a new central utility plant, additional aircraft gates, consolidated security checkpoint, a unified concourse, a federal inspection services facility for international arrivals, and new baggage systems. This program extends the terminal life by 40 years, incorporates sustainable design, reduces energy consumption, increases safety, enhances capacity, and supports aeronautical demand; with a 77% increase in terminal space.

Phase 1 of the Terminal Modernization Program includes a new 21,900-square-foot central utility plant base building, with major equipment and interior fit-up work for the utility plant being constructed concurrently with the program. The full central utility plant will include development of a centralized heating and cooling system, electrical substations and transformers, provisions for resiliency through onsite and portable emergency power backup with fuel storage, and a data center to support all terminal components; including the new federal inspection services facility. New equipment for the central utility plant will include chillers utilizing eco-friendly refrigerants, hybrid boiler system, electrical service entrance and distribution, and smart controls; reducing energy consumption 25%. 

 Member Certification Form


Title: Father Flanagan’s Boys’ Home (Boys Town) Intervention and Assessment Services for At-Risk Youth 

 Proposed recipient: Boys Town

 Address of the recipient: 13603 Flanagan Blvd, Boys Town, NE 68010

 Amount Requested: $1,000,000

 Explanation: This funding request is for improvements to expand capacity at the Boys Town short term Intervention and Assessment Homes to carry out a pilot in partnership with Project Harmony and the Omaha Police Department. The pilot will target supports to at-risk youth, youth who are candidates for foster care, and youth likely to become victims of human trafficking. The project will provide temporary, safe, secure environments where at-risk youth can be free from further trauma and harm while their needs are triaged. The pilot’s goal is to safely transition youth back to their homes, schools, and communities and to provide them with the necessary community supports and services to meet each youth and families’ unique needs.

This collaborative pilot will serve some of Nebraska’s most vulnerable and at-risk youth populations who find themselves in extremely unsafe situations. Many are at risk of homelessness, sex trafficking, abuse/neglect, and in or at risk of entry into the juvenile justice and/or child welfare systems. Using Boys Town’s Intervention and Assessment Home, these highly at-risk youth are provided with immediate placement into a safe, secure family style home. They temporarily reside in an environment that is free of further trauma and harm as Boys Town works to ensure a safe transition to their homes and communities.

Youth will be temporarily served and quickly linked to the necessary services tailored to each youth and their families’ needs, while youth are safely, securely, and comfortably supported in our family style Intervention and Assessment Program. This funding will allow for additional safety and security enhancements and greater comfort to the youth residing in the program and access to community-based services for the youth and their family.

Member Certification Form


Title: Myott Park Project

 Proposed recipient: Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, Inc.

 Address of the recipient: 1701 N. 24th Street, Omaha, NE  68110

 Amount Requested: $1,100,000

 Explanation: Habitat for Humanity of Omaha (HFHO) is seeking community project funding for the renovation and expansion of an existing public park at 5151 Mary Plaza, adjacent to the new Bluestem Prairie multi-generational housing development being built by HFHO in 2023. Bluestem Prairie represents a $25 million investment by HFHO and will result in the creation of 85 affordable housing units for the community. Bluestem Prairie addresses a substantial affordable housing shortage in the area and will transform a currently unused and undeveloped space into a thriving community.

The park, which will be named Myott Park, is a vital part of this neighborhood revitalization effort. Stretching across a three-tiered, graduated site, Myott Park will include a playground, picnic pavilions, multi-use recreational fields, and sports courts. Designed to meet the needs of all ages and physical abilities, the park will feature accessible playground equipment and solid surfaces to allow for unimpeded access for those with mobility issues or needing wheelchair access. 

 Member Certification Form

 

Title: Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park Parking Lot

 Proposed recipient: City of Papillion, Nebraska

 Address of the recipient: 9909 Portal Road, Papillion, NE 68046

 Amount Requested: $848,000

 Explanation: To install a parking lot for visitors to the Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Papillion, NE. The Nebraska Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which is expected to be completed in 2023, will honor and celebrate those who served and were lost during the Vietnam War.

Notable features of the Memorial include a restored UH-1 Huey helicopter and rescue scene display; Eleven Obelisks of Events creating a historical journey through the events of the Vietnam War; a Wall of Honor or other feature honoring the 396 Nebraska military personnel killed in action; flagpoles for the United States flag and the flags of the five branches of the U.S. Military; greenspace; and Benches for reflection and rest. 

 Member Certification Form


Title: Neumeyer Farm Park & Athletic Complex

 Proposed recipient: City of Bennington, Nebraska

 Address of the recipient: 15505 Warehouse Street, Bennington, NE  68007

 Amount Requested: $2,300,000

Explanation: The project is needed because the Bennington area is Nebraska’s fastest growing community, with a population that more than doubled between 2010 and 2020. Large housing developments have brought the area’s population to almost 16,000 people. The City of Bennington, meanwhile, has just 2,000 residents within its corporate limits; with this small property tax base, the city struggles to maintain streets and parks that are used daily by surrounding residents who do not pay city property taxes. Neumeyer Farm Park will attract businesses, talent, and economic development to Bennington, helping the city grow and diversify its revenue. The project will help better serve the northwest corner of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, and it will serve many more families from CD 2 who will come to Bennington for youth sports tournaments.

Neumeyer Farm Park has garnered strong support from a broad array of local stakeholders, including local government, businesses, and nonprofits (see attached letters). The project is owned and administered by the City of Bennington, a Nebraska city of the second class. Fundraising, design, care, and use of the facility will be coordinated among several nonprofit partners.

The project described in this application covers 20 acres of newly acquired parkland. This represents Phase I of a long-term vision: The city owns an additional 30 adjacent acres that will allow continued development of Neumeyer Farm Park, beyond the scope of this application.

 Member Certification Form


Title: ONE STEM: Preparing Nebraska’s Future STEM Workforce

 Proposed recipient: University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO)

 Address of the recipient: 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE  68182

 Amount Requested: $2,000,000

 Explanation: Nebraska has a leaky pipeline for its STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) workforce. High school graduation rates are high, but the number of students pursuing STEM declines from middle school to college, with Nebraska ranking 36th among states in STEM college graduates. ONE STEM will utilize the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s STEM TRAIL Center expertise on teaching innovations to establish a “train the trainer” model and programs for K-12 educators and after-school programs professionals.

After school programs can improve academic performance, attendance rates, social skills, and STEM career interest. ONE STEM will advance STEM capacity, competency, innovation, and literacy by providing curriculum for engaging, hands-on lessons to stimulate students to behave like scientists as they ask questions, make observations, collect data, analyze results, and draw conclusions. ONE STEM will prepare a more diverse student population for high demand, high skill and high wage jobs. 

 Member Certification Form


Title: OPPD Grid Resiliency and Modernization

 Proposed recipient: Omaha Public Power District

 Address of the recipient: 444 S. 16th Street, 3EP1, Omaha, NE 68102

Amount Requested: $15,500,000

 Explanation: OPPD’s distribution system has 5,154 miles of installed underground distribution cable and 87% of cable failures occur on unjacketed aluminum conductors.  There are 632 miles of this cable type installed on the system and range in age from 37 to 50 years. Unjacketed cable exposes the bare concentric neutral to direct contact with the earth, which corrodes over time. This corrosion reduces the overall performance of the cable causing premature failure of the cable. These faults are difficult to find and lengthy to repair compared to overhead conductor systems.

This new grid resiliency and modernization project will replace the 70-year-old overhead conductor (Amerductor and copperweld) that has reached the end of useful life and is a significant contributor to reliability and restoration challenges during periods of extreme weather. This type of conductor was used extensively in the rural areas of the country in the 1940s due to the WWII use of copper. This conductor had the capability of longer span lengths allowing the use of less poles, but the conductor has become very brittle and breaks easily and contributes to safety issues when repairing. 

The project allows OPPD to accelerate the overall replacement program and complete approximately 42 additional miles in 2023. With over 400 miles of obsolete overhead conductor in the system, replacement of remaining obsolete conductor is expected to be complete by 2030.

Member Certification Form


Title: Phase II of The North 24th Street Streetscape Improvements Project

 Proposed recipient: City of Omaha, Nebraska

 Address of the recipient: 1819 Farnam Street, Omaha, NE  68183

 Amount Requested: $5,300,000

 Explanation: This application is Phase II of a comprehensive Streetscape Project within the North 24th Street Business Improvement District area which comprises 505 properties along the North 24th Street Corridor. There are four phases of this project. Phase II focuses on Ohio Street to Spencer Street and encompasses the 24th and Lake Redevelopment Plan, which was recently adopted by the City of Omaha. Sidewalks will be repaired for safety; gaps mitigated; and widened to improve walkability. Traffic control measures (such as improved traffic signals) will slow speeds, providing a main street experience. Bus shelters and bike lanes will be added to encourage multimodal travel and transit-oriented development. The continuous streetscape work supports the City’s Forever North Housing & Multimodal Transportation Strategy. This project is also in collaboration with Metro Transit and will be coordinated with its 24th Street Transit Corridor Study, which recently won a federal RAISE grant.

Member Certification Form



Title: Sarpy County Juvenile Services Center

 Proposed recipient: Sarpy County, Nebraska

Address of the recipient: 1210 Golden Gate Drive, Papillion, NE 68046

Amount Requested: $19,300,000

 Explanation: Sarpy County is the fastest growing County in the State of Nebraska. As a result of this growth, Sarpy County is building a new larger adult Correctional Center. In conjunction with building a new Correctional Center, Sarpy County is reviewing the entire master campus plan, which includes a review of current Sarpy County Juvenile Services and future needs due to population growth. 

Currently, Sarpy County runs a staff-secure Juvenile Justice Center that was built in 2003. The Juvenile Justice Center includes housing for approximately 24 youth in a staff-secure detention area. There is a classroom for youth to attend school while in detention. There are also separate areas of the facility for a Truancy Program, Day School, and a Day and Evening Reporting Center for youth who are court ordered to classes or other community-based supervision. 

Sarpy County is the seat for District #2 Juvenile Probation and two Separate Juvenile Court Judges. Other programs for juveniles include Juvenile Diversion and Sarpy County CASA. At this time, Juvenile Probation, Juvenile Diversion, Juvenile Court and CASA are all housed on the main Courthouse Campus, which is several miles from the Juvenile Justice Center and just steps away from the new adult Correctional Center. Sarpy County has contracted with Karen Chinn, Chinn Planning, Inc., to review Sarpy County’s Juvenile Services and master campus plan. As a direct result of this review, it has been recommended that all juvenile programs and services should be placed in one location. 

The expansion would include, adding two courtrooms, offices for Juvenile Judges and their staff, Clerk of Court staff, offices for Juvenile Probation, Sarpy County CASA, and offices for the juvenile County Attorneys and Public Defender office space. This would be a one stop facility for all juvenile services. Appropriate separations would be included in the design. Separate entrances would be worked in the design for youth attending programs and youth who are being booked into detention, so as not to mix populations. 

For youth and families, when everything is within feet of each other, it can lessen the stress of trying to locate offices on different parts of the campus. Having one location for all juvenile services will ensure youth and adult populations are completely separated. 

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Title: 
WP-4 Reservoir FEMA BRIC Project

Proposed recipient: Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District

 Address of the recipient: 8901 S. 154th Street, Omaha, NE 68138

 Amount Requested: $5,000,000

 Explanation: The proposed flood control reservoir would work to provide flood risk reduction and life safety for the Papillion Creek Watershed which is home to the Omaha metro and 1/3 of the state’s population. The structure would not only reduce flood risk, which is exasperated by climate change, but also provide environmental benefits, recreation and economic development for the greater Omaha Metro area and the State of Nebraska. Flood risk reduction has been extensively studied for decades in thiswatershed by the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District. The site has been identified in watershed management plans since 2009.

The Watershed Management Plan contains additional flood control structures however, the priority designation for this structure is due to the dramatic increase in urban development in and around the reservoir site. To avoid the loss of this essential location and provide the most valuable flood control for our community, we need to act quickly. The priority site is shovel ready with 90% plans completed, the US Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit in hand, project right of way is secured and landowners are aware and understanding of the project.

 Member Certification Form


Authorization Community Projects

Title: Completion of Flood Recovery Military Construction at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska

 Proposed recipient: Headquarters 55th Wing, United States Air Force

 Address of the recipient: 55 VIDEMUS OMNIA VIEW, Offutt AFB, NE 68113

 Amount Requested: $317, 469,260.00

 Explanation: In 2019, massive flooding caused significant damage to Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.  In the aftermath the floods, Congress authorized the Natural Disaster Recovery (NDR) program to fund military reconstruction (MILCON) projects at multiple installations throughout the United States damaged by storms, floods, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. The Non-Kinetic Operations (NKO) facility at Offutt AFB is one of the last remaining flood reconstruction projects yet to be funded under the NDR program. 

Among other missions, the NKO facility will consolidate operations and intelligence squadrons for the largest aviation group in the U.S. Air Force into a single flood-resilient facility. Additional NDR funding must be authorized and appropriated to allow a construction contract for the NKO to be awarded.  The current working estimate to complete this project is $317,469,260.00.

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Community Funded Projects 2021