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Omaha council approves long‑form liquor license for TNA Groceries with enforceable safety conditions
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Summary
After neighborhood leaders urged stronger enforcement, the City Council unanimously amended and approved a long‑form liquor license for TNA Groceries at 3247 North 42nd Street, attaching written stipulations including on‑site management, Friday–Saturday security and integration of exterior cameras with the Omaha Police Department’s real‑time operation center.
The Omaha City Council voted 7–0 to amend and approve a long‑form liquor license for TNA Groceries, the convenience‑store operator at 3247 North 42nd Street, after attaching written stipulations addressing neighborhood safety and oversight.
Council members considered a package of conditions that Deputy City Attorney Ryan Wiesen said had been negotiated with the license holder. Wiesen read the stipulations into the record, including a requirement that the licensee or a designated manager be present during all hours of operation, contracted security on Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., integration of exterior security cameras with the Omaha Police Department’s real‑time operation center, clearer exterior lighting and daily trash pickup, and participation in the Fairfax Neighborhood Association.
Bishop Kevin Chambers, speaking on Zoom for Mount Calvary Community Church and the Interdenominational Ministry Alliance, said he welcomed stronger lighting and security but urged the council to require ongoing enforcement and accountability rather than “words on paper.” “Without clear mechanisms for monitoring, without enforcement and accountability, these conditions risk becoming words on paper rather than real protections for the people who live, who work, who worship in this very neighborhood,” Chambers said.
Tariq Ali, the license applicant, told the council he had signed the written stipulations and gave his verbal affirmation. “I just — I’m sure they’re going to help. I know it’s very challenging, and it’s not going to solve all the issues. But I think it’s the right step in the right direction,” Ali said.
Councilmember Goodwin, who led the council discussion, said the item came through the law committee and the long‑form review provides an additional layer of accountability because the applicant will also go before the liquor control commission. She said the measures were intended to elevate safety for customers and neighbors and called for continued monitoring through the law committee.
After a council motion to amend the application to incorporate the stipulations, the council approved the amended application and then approved the license as amended, recorded on the roll call as a 7–0 vote.
The council attached the written stipulations to the license approval; implementation and enforcement will be monitored through the law committee and by the city’s established reporting channels.
