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Omaha council narrowly approves changes to $411M Papillion Creek expansion after contentious debate over bidding and fees
Summary
After hours of debate over whether staff followed the CMAR agreement and whether open‑book self‑performance and contractor fees were handled appropriately, the council approved amendments permitting open‑book self‑performance and related fee terms by a 4–3 vote; the attorney general said no statutory violation was found but expressed policy concerns.
The Omaha City Council on April 21 voted 4–3 to approve a package of amendments tied to the Papillion Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility Secondary Expansion project, a multiyear construction effort with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) cited in the meeting at roughly $411 million.
The central dispute at the hearing centered on procurement: whether Public Works and the city’s project team followed the competitive‑bid expectations laid out by the council in a 2024 CMAR (construction manager at risk) agreement, or whether the city improperly began an open‑book, self‑performance process without prior council approval. Council member Harding argued that the process “was not followed” and warned the council risked violating public trust by retroactively changing terms that had been publicly vetted. “We agreed to terms and conditions for this process,” Harding said,…
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