Council approves routine licenses, plats and grants; appointments and select items noted

At its first regular meeting of 2025, the Omaha City Council approved a package of routine business on the consent agenda and separately approved a number of license, plat, zoning and grant items with recorded roll-call votes.

Key votes at a glance (council item number, short description, outcome):

- Item 6 — Class A liquor license, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen (17373 Chicago St.): approved (motion/roll call; vote recorded in packet). Applicant present: Laura Daisley. - Item 7 — Class C liquor license, Cilantro’s Mexican Bar & Grill (3309 Oakview Park Dr., Suite 101): approved 6–0 (applicant David Alegria appeared by Zoom). - Item 8 — Class C liquor license, Tipsy Sisters (4611 S. 90th St., Suite 162): approved 6–0 (applicants Misty Anderson, Leslie King, Debbie Johnson). - Item 9 — Class C liquor license, Transcend Wax and Spa (14615 W. Maple Rd., Suite 16): approved 7–0 (applicant Nok Nguyen appeared by Zoom). - Item 10 — Class I liquor license for Omaha Airport (4501 Abbott Dr.): approved 7–0 (applicants and counsel described transitional vendor licensing; Mike Palleson represented the applicant). - Item 11 — Class I liquor license, Señor Tequila (14440 F St.): approved 7–0 (applicant Luis Mata). - Item 12 — Class D liquor license, Fosse Vape & Liquor (614–616 S. 70th St.): approved 7–0 (applicant Prashish appeared by Zoom). - Item 13 — Change of location for Poor Decisions (move to 4601 Catalyst Ct., Suite D105): approved 7–0 (applicant Megan Russo). - Items 15–16 — Preliminary plats for El Toro Plaza (2405 Z St.) and West Bay Woods Estates (18222 F St.): both approved 7–0 (applicants present; planning recommended approval). - Items 17–20 — Rezonings and overlay amendments associated with multiple developments (including a Leavenworth-area TOD rezoning and related overlay changes): approved 7–0 as a package. - Item 21 — Oxworth Apartments TIF redevelopment plan (Southeast of 20th, 7th & Leavenworth): approved 7–0 (see separate article for details). - Item 25 — Acceptance of the FY2024 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (City of Omaha and Douglas County joint application): approved 7–0; Omaha Police Department described uses including training, forensics equipment, a K-9, ballistic shields and behavioral-health responder overtime. - Item 59 — Resolution to approve $500,000 payment to Canopy South to support development of Plaza de la Raza in South Omaha: approved 7–0 (Marco Floriani, mayor’s office, responded to questions). - Items 61 and 62 — Appointments to the Omaha Housing Authority Board (resident commissioners): Item 61 (Kenya Barnes Hayward) approved 7–0; Item 62 (Abaziz Salad Hussain) approved 6–1 (Councilmember Johnson voted no; others voted yes). The council discussed the recruitment process; the housing authority said it mailed 6,397 notices and received 65 applications for the resident slots. - Item 63 — Voting appointment to Omaha Municipal Land Bank board (Grace, name on record): approved 7–0.

Several other items on the consent agenda — plats, contracts and non-action items — were approved or continued as noted on the agenda. Members of the police, planning and housing departments provided brief summaries of grant uses, project scope and implementation next steps where requested.

What to watch next: The council set a hearing on Jan. 21 for a potential liquor-license cancellation at Crush Ultra Lounge (Item 14) and approved the Oxworth TIF (Item 21); both items are likely to generate follow-up reporting as the hearing evidence is delivered and the developer commences remediation and design work, respectively.