This Saturday, residents of South Omaha are invited to a forum to meet and talk with their elected officials.
Senator Tony Vargas says officials from the city council, school board, Nebraska legislature and the county commissioner will all be in attendance.
Vargas says for the first half of the event, people will be seated at small tables and elected officials will go from group-to-group talking with individuals and answering questions about their specific office and what they’re doing.
He says the primary purpose of the event is to give people more face time with their elected officials.
Vargas says it’s one step toward making people feel they are more accessible.
"For example, me and my colleague, Senator Mike McDonnell, we will be talking about – for 15-20 minutes – very high level about what we’ve been doing this past session and what we are doing leading up to and opening up to a few specific questions to our office. And then we are going to switch and go to another group while another group focused on the Omaha Public Schools board, another group focused on Metro Community College and so on.”
Vargas says the second half of the forum will involve the entire audience and will be more open-ended, focusing on bigger issues that might impact South Omaha in general.
He says he and his fellow elected officials will collect information from the event to help them plan and collaborate across the different audiences.
The South Omaha Forum takes place tomorrow from 1-4 at St. Francis Cabrini Church, 10th and Williams. Complimentary food, beverage and childcare will be provided.