Council sets Jan. 21 hearing to consider canceling Crush Ultra Lounge liquor license after police reports

The Omaha City Council voted 6–1 on Jan. 14 to schedule a hearing for Jan. 21 to consider whether the class C liquor license for Crush Ultra Lounge should be cancelled after the city attorney and police cited a pattern of disturbances and alleged violations.

City Attorney Office representative David Grama told the council the law committee requested the resolution under Omaha City Code section 15-33 and that the law committee had received multiple police and tavern reports dating from April through December 2024. “Those tavern reports relate to serving after hours. There’s also a number of assault and batteries and different things that would lead to just an overarching pattern of disturbances,” Grama said.

Why it matters: Council members and law committee members said the volume and seriousness of reported incidents have strained police and fire resources downtown and harmed neighborhood safety. The hearing will allow the city to present evidence and give the license holder an opportunity to respond before the council decides whether to revoke the license.

Council members on the law committee said they had repeatedly engaged the business before seeking a hearing. Council Member Melton, chair of the law committee, said the committee and Omaha Police Department “bent over backwards to try and give these owners the opportunity to correct their ways,” but that disturbances continued and city resources had been heavily used. Council Member Begley urged colleagues to support scheduling the hearing so both the city and the business can present evidence.

During the meeting, assistant city attorney Matt Koozie read the summary of the tavern reports the resolution cites. The resolution’s list includes allegations on these dates (summary text read into the record): April 13, 2024 — open containers after closing and disorderly conduct; April 22, 2024 — assault and battery and disturbances; May 19 and 25, 2024 — open containers after closing; multiple September 2024 entries including an alleged shooting outside the premises on Sept. 29; November and December entries alleging assaults, disorderly conduct, open container violations and a Dec. 21 entry listing felony assault, stabbing and theft of a firearm among other allegations.

Council discussion and vote: Council members emphasized that scheduling the hearing is the start of a due-process procedure. Grama and other law committee members said notices and the underlying tavern reports would be provided to the licensee before the hearing. Council members Melton, Begley, Roe, Begley, Harding and Hugg voted to set the hearing; Council Member Johnson voted no. The motion to set the hearing carried 6–1.

Next steps: If the council votes to proceed on Jan. 21, the hearing will allow the city to present evidence and the licensee to respond. The council will then vote on whether to cancel or otherwise limit the license.