A series of public forums begin Wednesday to get input about what Omahans want from their neighborhood associations.
Omaha has 6 neighborhood associations. Last February, the Neighborhood Center closed. The city of Omaha and those neighborhood alliances began a needs assessment to help determine what’s next.
Jerry Deichert is Director of UNO’s Center for Public Affairs Research, which is working with the city on the needs assessment. Deichert says the forums are not about issues in the neighborhoods.
“These forums are not to find out what’s wrong, or what’s good, or what people would like to see happen in their neighborhood. It’s mostly on how, we want to see how they want their neighborhood association, how they want those organizations to do things, and what are some of the issues concerning the neighborhood associations, not necessarily the neighborhoods.”
Deichert says they also want to look at the structures of the neighborhood associations. A final Needs Assessment report will be released in November.
The forums are:
Wednesday, 9/11, 7pm, Benson Community Center (Benson-Ames Alliance)
September 17, 6:30pm, UNO Thompson Alumni Center (Midtown Neighborhood Alliance)
October 3, 7pm, Salvation Army Kroc Center, 2825 Y Street (South Omaha Neighborhood Alliance)
October 10, 7pm, Northwest Precinct Headquarters, 10245 Wiesman (Northwest Omaha Alliance)
October 17, 7pm, Millard Public Library, 13214 Westwood Lane (Southwest Omaha Neighborhood Alliance)
October 24, 6pm, Turning Point Campus, 3223 N. 45th Street (North Omaha Neighborhood Alliance)