Mayor Suttle and a group of Omaha’s lifeguards.

“While I hope all of you have enjoyed your summer working at Omaha’s pools, I know that you also take your jobs very seriously,” Mayor Suttle said.   ”The safety of our swimmers is very important, and our professional aquatic staff does an outstanding job to ensure that our pools are safe. You deserve to be acknowledged and honored.”  

Omaha’s pools serve around 200,000 swimmers each summer. 

More pictures from the Lifeguard Day ceremony are available on Facebook.

I’ve considered how past decisions have influenced the existing financial situation and have therefore made responsible choices to ensure a strong, sustainable future. This budget is both a comprehensive solution to our financial dilemma and a strategy for financial recovery.

The decisions leading to this budget are influenced by two very important factors:

• The expectations of our community, and
• The need for a long term stable financial plan for our city.

Hundreds of hours of discussion have gone into attempting to balance these two factors. This budget was formulated only after competent and careful consideration.

There is no doubt that this proposed budget is the most difficult that this City has had to face in recent memory. In preparing this budget, we felt it was absolutely essential to keep a multi-year perspective in mind. The history of relying on revenue streams that were not sustainable, compromising our pension obligations and depleting limited reserves have only postponed a necessary reform.

Implementing solutions can mean making difficult decisions. But a history of avoiding difficult decisions has left us with a legacy of problems.

I have worked successfully with my Department Directors to develop a spending plan that preserves the most basic city services, funds the pension obligation, increases reserve balances and closes a projected gap of $34 million.

The total proposed budget for 2011 is $675.8 million. This includes $313.5 million for General Fund operations and $178 million for capital improvement projects. The entire budget is available on the city’s website.

This past April, we held seven community budget forums across the city. Directors from various City departments spoke to citizens interested in where their tax dollars go. In those meetings, I heard a variety of opinions and ideas from engaged citizens, as well as their priorities for city services.

What we heard at the budget forums, as well as in countless other meetings that I have had with business and civic groups and neighborhood associations have influenced the steps we are taking now.

Omaha’s quality of life is the envy of other cities. Omaha citizens expect we will maintain our quality of life. To do that, we must work together as a community to meet the great economic challenge that faces us. The 2011 budget is premised on citizen expectations that we will maintain our quality of life. Omaha’s most pressing problem is its structural deficit - the imbalance between the cost of services the public expects from their City and the revenues that sustain these services.

The continued recession, a rapid increase in health care costs, the burden of an unfunded pension liability, the cost of maintaining a deteriorating infrastructure and the long term consequences of prior short term decisions have each taken their toll on the financial health of our City. For example, the increase in health care costs since the year 2000 have consumed the entire increase in sales tax revenue during the same time period.

For the rest of Mayor Suttle’s Budget Presentation, click on “More.” 

Review a summary of the proposed 2011 budget.

View the entire proposed budget on the Finance Department’s website.

The City’s depleted cash reserve has left us unable to deal with budget shortfalls as they arise. More than a decade ago, such reserves were used for tax cuts, and little was left a few years later as the economy turned sour. Part of fiscal responsibility is putting money aside to deal with unforeseen expenses. If we set aside a small amount each year, we can have the cash reserves we need when emergencies arise. My budget includes $500,000, a fraction of what is needed, set aside for the cash reserve. We need a conservative approach that acknowledges the need to contribute to the cash reserve annually. This should become a permanent process.

Last winter Omaha suffered through two major storms in a matter of weeks, and the effects are still felt on our streets today. The Public Works department was stretched thin, and our street maintenance budget, already cut due to a decrease in funding from the state, ran over because of the expense of snow removal and pothole repair.

Our streets are 20% of total City assets. They must be treated with the respect given to any asset that is such a large part of a portfolio. While the City of Omaha has grown significantly over the last decade, our funding for street maintenance has not. The life span of an average resurfaced street is twelve years, but at present we can only afford to resurface a single lane mile every fifty six years. My budget includes an increase in the wheel tax to be used for the resurfacing of major and residential streets and park roads.

We face a growing police and fire pension shortfall. Every year we wait, the cost to taxpayers increases. We must budget for pension reform and to meet the City’s legal obligation to the pension fund. This will send a clear signal that Omaha is serious about addressing the pension shortfall. No matter what, we cannot turn away from this responsibility.

As a decisive indication of our resolve, I am asking the Council to approve a Restaurant Tax. The estimated revenue from this tax is $23.5 million annually, and will be used primarily to pay for the most basic city operating costs, the unfunded pension liability, and increased advertising within the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Visitors support our local economy and jobs. Estimates from the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau after targeted advertising in the Kansas City market are that two hundred thousand people took the ride north to visit Omaha in the last twelve months. Figuring that the average tourist spent three hundred dollars, that means an additional $60 million in revenue was generated for our City.

It’s not just tourists, but also businesses that we must attract. We know the beauty of Omaha’s affordability and accessibility but the more we share that message with others, the faster we generate economic growth and jobs in the private sector.

The decision to include a property tax increase in this budget was not an easy one to make, but as I looked at how to deal with the many problems confronting us when I took office just over one year ago, I found it impossible to avoid.

If we are to maintain the quality of life that makes our city such an attractive place to live, we must face the reality before us. This increase will generate $12 million annually in revenue to help close the general fund gap. It returns us to the pre-2000 level, before short term and election year decisions put City finances at risk.

Crime prevention is a major element of my 2011 budget. The hard work of the Omaha Police Department has led to a recent reduction in the rash of violence that hit our community earlier this year. But there is still much work to do.

The public has consistently said that public safety is their top priority. But to meet that expectation, we must ensure that the men and women of our police force are equipped with the tools they need for law enforcement and that we have a department at full strength. I am proud of each of our graduates of the police training class that was conducted earlier this year. They are prepared to join their fellow officers to keep our community safe and our police department at full strength. It would be an extreme failure of our duty as elected leaders of this city to take police off the streets because we don’t think we can afford it, or because it would be politically convenient to lay off police officers.

We must also work with the community to reduce violence at the source. That’s why I am investing in our youth with additional funding in the 2011 budget for the truancy programs of Building Bright Futures. If we can influence a young person’s life at a critical stage by providing incentives to stay in school and continue their education then we can help them avoid a fate of life on the streets, exposed to gangs and guns.

Reform not only means implementing stable revenue streams, it also means innovation in cost reductions. We are budgeting and monitoring the City’s costs with greater precision and detail than ever before, enhancing our ability to identify taxpayer savings.

For example, our city negotiating teams have achieved zero wage increases from all bargaining units for 2009 and 2010. The cost savings are an estimated $7 million in each year.

We are implementing health insurance reform by instituting premiums for retirees based on their ability to pay. I remain committed to addressing retiree health care costs in a manner that is fair to retirees and taxpayers alike. I am also committed to the principle that providing public services, not employee benefits, is our first priority.

Using strategic management, we have reduced the number of firefighters through attrition without compromising response time. This has resulted in approximately $1.4 million in annual savings.

We are also anticipating an additional $5.5 million in annual savings within the Omaha Fire Department, which is reflected in the 2011 budget.

Recognizing the need for increased financial management, the City’s Chief Financial Officer has installed experienced accountants in both the Fire and Police Departments. We will implement this policy in all City Departments.

To help control an increase in court time, a City Attorney has been hired to monitor and coordinate court time for police and fire personnel. This position will potentially save $500,000 in court costs annually.

The City has successfully negotiated a tentative agreement with the Omaha Police Officers’ Association that reduces pension benefits for the first time in thirty years, increases the age of retirement and ends spiking.

It is easy and popular to say ‘no new taxes.’ But everyone that I have talked to has said they expect the Mayor and Council to adopt a realistic and balanced budget that doesn’t devastate basic city services.
This budget is an investment. It is an investment in our streets and parks. It is an investment in our libraries, pools and community centers. It is an investment in our quality of life and our future.

Doing nothing is not a solution. Doing nothing leaves a legacy of problems for the future. The problem with the future is that it turns into the present.

I want to thank the citizens of Omaha for their input on community priorities. I am committed to making the tough decisions necessary to meet their expectations. I ask the Council to join me in making these tough decisions.

By working together … and only by working together … with teamwork … can we achieve our most ambitious goal of maintaining our quality of life.

The following is the schedule of Community Budget Forums hosted across the City: 

Download and share this flyer about the Community Budget Forums.

Interested individuals are encouraged to attend one or more of these forums.  Also, check back on Tuesday, July 20th for more information about Mayor Suttle’s proposed 2011 budget. 

The proposed Fire Station for the ESFD and the City of Omaha will be a three bay 9,000 square foot facility located on a 3.2 acre site located at 202nd and Atlas Street. The facility is intended to house an Engine Company, one Water Tanker, and one Rescue Squad. The facility will have ten bedrooms to house on duty captains and firefighters. Firefighters will respond to 911 calls that are transferred to this station.

“The new Elkhorn fire station is a fulfillment of the commitment to residents of Elkhorn to provide the same level of services that existed prior to annexation,” Mayor Suttle said.  “The need for emergency services is greater than ever as the population on the western edge of our City continues to grow. This fire station is key to providing those services in the years to come.”

The project uses the Design-Build project delivery method lead by Ayars & Ayars, Inc. with Architecture Etcetera.

The building incorporates high quality, low maintenance materials of industrial service length. Brick and stucco with a hip-sloped shingled roof system enhance the beauty of the exterior façade. The interior is designed for a 24 hour 7 days a week use and provides a fire sprinkler system for protection. The building systems are state of the art technology with the ability to adapt for future needs.

The Elkhorn Fire Station is being built as a result of an inter-local agreement between the City of Omaha and the ESFD to provide fire protection and emergency medical services to residents of western Omaha and the ESFD. The ESFD will pay the costs of building and operating the fire station, which will be staffed with members of the Omaha Fire Department.

Firefighters will operate on three 24-hour shifts with changeover in the morning. While on duty, they will maintain and clean the equipment and facility, train on protocol, procedures and the use of equipment, work out to maintain fitness, respond to all emergency and non-emergency calls for service to both the Elkhorn Suburban Fire District and City of Omaha.

The opening of this station will provide for enhanced fire protection and emergency medical services to the residents of the Elkhorn Suburban Fire District and the City of Omaha.

Firefighters may provide tours of the new station when requested by small groups. It may be used as a polling place if needed. Public restrooms are provided for these activities.

The project team has been working with the Fire Department and the City of Omaha facility management team. Documents will be completed and Construction will start this summer. with a project completion in the spring of 2011.

The mayor called the expansion a “major benefit to our community” for the following reasons:

• It will create 200-250 new construction jobs and 75 permanent jobs at the Hotel.
• It will enable the Hilton to add an additional 150 rooms, bringing the total room number to 600.
• It will bring one million dollars in revenue to the City through the hotel/motel tax and property tax revenues.
• It will bring increased sales tax revenue from the new meetings, conventions and sporting events that will now be able to book events into a larger hotel.

Robert Watson, Hilton Omaha General Manager, Mayor Jim Suttle, and Timothy Benolken, Senior Vice President of Western North America next to a rendering of the expanded Hilton Omaha hotel.

A key aspect of successful booking of large events is in being able to keep all of those attending the event at the same hotel.   The Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau has identified over 2600 group meetings that require a room block commitment of 350 to 500 rooms.

This expansion is part of the original design of the Hilton hotel.  Support beams are already in place for additional rooms to be built on top of the existing parking structure.  Five additional levels will be added over the parking garage and parking will also be expanded.  The project will include a refurbishing of the Liberty Tavern, the hotel lobby, guest rooms, meeting rooms and the addition of a 7,000 square foot ballroom.

Construction is scheduled to begin in November of this year with completion in early 2012.  The project will be financed through $35 million in revenue bonds, meaning that revenue from the hotel will be used to repay the bonds.

Moving forward with expansion now has major advantages:

• The Hilton will be ready for major events in Omaha in 2012, including:  the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the 2012 College World Series and the US Olympic Team Trials for Swimming.
• The City can take advantage of cost savings from a competitive construction environment and low interest rates.

“The Hilton is the front door to our City on a drive downtown from Eppley Airfield,” Mayor Suttle said.   ”This expansion is an investment in the City’s future as Omaha takes another step forward in becoming a destination city.”

The plan will go before the City Council for approval in the coming weeks.

“Pride and Passion: the African American Baseball Experience” is now on display at the W. Dale Clark Library, 215 S. 15th St.  The exhibit examines the challenges faced by African American baseball players as they sought equal opportunities in their sport beginning in the post-Civil War era.

Pictured: Exhibit Program Director Dr. Angelo Louisa, Urban League President & CEO Thomas Warren, Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle, OPL Executive Director Gary Wasdin, and OPL Project Manager Joanne Ferguson Cavanaugh.

Mayor Jim Suttle, OPL Executive Director Gary Wasdin, and Urban League of Nebraska President & CEO Thomas Warren hosted a press conference and brief reception on Monday, June 14 to inform the public about the traveling exhibition.  Mayor Suttle officially proclaimed the month of June 2010 as “Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience” Month in Omaha. 

“I encourage all Omahans and visitors to check out this new exhibit and to take the time to learn more about the history of baseball, and the contributions that African Americans have made to the game we all love,” Mayor Suttle said.  “As host of the NCAA Men’s College World Series, our City embraces baseball and I am confident that our residents and all CWS visitors will greatly enjoy this outstanding baseball exhibit.”

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the American Library Association Public Programs Office organized the traveling exhibition, which was made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: great ideas brought to life.  

Click here to view more pictures from the reception and press conference.

Omaha Public Library is hosting a series of events in conjunction with the exhibition.  Dowload a full list of programs.

The Energy Innovation Summit, hosted by the Kauffman Foundation, is the first follow-up meeting to the White House Conference on Energy Innovation that was held in Washington D.C. in May. The Summit will take place on Wednesday, June 16th. The Summit will draw entrepreneurs, state government officials, federal government leadership, selected private sector leaders, nonprofit leaders and energy innovators to Omaha to build strong regional collaboration and networks.

“The goal of the Energy Innovation Summit is for leaders across sectors to discuss challenges and opportunities in transferring unique, energy innovations to the market for use,” Wamstad-Evans said. Topics of discussion will include: regional innovation in energy, state level policies, cross-sector partnerships, and human capital. Key sponsors and supporters of the Energy Innovation Summit include: The Kauffman Foundation, Gallup, HDR, Inc. and the City of Omaha. About 120 attendees are expected. For more information about the Energy Innovation Summit, please see the attached media advisory from the Kauffman Foundation.

The Meeting of the Minds, presented and hosted by the Urban Age Institute and Joslyn Institute for Sustainable Communities, is a leadership summit for building sustainable cities. The meeting brings together more than 200 leaders from 15 countries with local and regional public, private and independent sustainability stakeholders. The goal for Meeting of the Minds is to bring leaders together from across sectors to share ideas and develop a common agenda to building sustainable cities. Both the City of Omaha and the City of Lincoln are Meeting of the Minds Partners. The meeting runs June 16, 17 and 18 at Qwest Center Omaha. For more information about Meeting of the Minds, visit: www.MeetingoftheMinds2010.org.

In addition, a joint reception and networking event for attendees of both meetings will take place on Wednesday evening. Sustainability coordinators/directors from across the region will also meet, including those from: Omaha, Lincoln, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Wichita, Ann Arbor, Columbus (assistant) and Cleveland (assistant).

Public art in the metro has a new home on the Internet.

Omaha by Design and the Omaha Public Art Commission will launch publicartomaha.org Thursday, June 17. The web site, a celebration of the city’s public art offerings, includes a searchable database of individual works by location, medium and artist. Its launch will be celebrated June 17 at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th Street, from 6:00 to 7:30pm. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served, and giveaways will be available while supplies last.

“Creating public awareness for our city’s fabulous art and our need to preserve and maintain it are top priorities for the Omaha Public Art Commission,” said Larry Ferguson, chair of the Omaha Public Art Commission. “It’s the first time in the city’s history that a database with such a wealth of information about public art in Omaha has been made available to the public. We are thankful for the public-private cooperation between the Omaha Public Art Commission, Omaha by Design, the City of Omaha and our private benefactors who have so generously helped to make this web site a reality.”

Omaha’s public art collection includes outstanding works by local, regional and national artists that reflect a variety of styles and traditions, said Connie Spellman, director of Omaha by Design. “We are pleased to partner with the Omaha Public Art Commission to give our city’s public art the recognition it deserves while making it more accessible to residents and visitors,” she said.

The new site will allow users to keep tabs on upcoming public art events and announcements, locate temporary installations, take a walking tour, get a piece listed in the database, find out more about the city’s galleries and museums, sponsor new projects and donate. Those interested in donating can contribute to the city’s Preserve Omaha Public Art Fund or donate a work of art, Ferguson said.

The web site is supported by the Fund for Omaha through the Omaha Community Foundation in honor of Terry Haney. The logo and web site were developed by Eleven19 Communications. April Corbet, a member of The Attic in the College of Information Science and Technology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, did the coding for the site’s searchable database. The Attic, a group of undergraduate and graduate students, takes on web site projects for community nonprofit organizations with the intent of researching new ways to use technologies and present information in an interesting and understandable form while preserving data relationships across multiple platforms and systems. Jodi Taylor, a volunteer with Omaha by Design, researched public art in the metro and logged the information into the database.

Members of the Public Art Omaha Project Committee are Joan Baillon, Donovan Beery, Ferguson, Spellman and Taylor. For more information, contact Omaha by Design at 402.554.4010 or by e-mail.

The Omaha Public Art Commission also has a new home on the internet.  Visit the Public Art Commission’s new website, developed by the Douglas-Omaha Technology Commission.

This year, Mayor Jim Suttle in partnership with Live Well Omaha, Omaha By Design, and the Omaha Marathon, will host a series of guided neighborhood walks across the City.  The walks are an opportunity for Omahans to become active, learn more about Omaha neighborhoods and walk with Mayor Suttle. 

In total, the Mayor will host seven walks, with the first walk on Saturday, May 15th at 1:30 p.m. at South 24th and N streets.  The other walks will be located at: Prospect Hill Cemetary, Florence Mill, Standing Bear Lake, the Old Market, Zorinsky Lake, and in Elkhorn.  Each walk will include a guide with knowledge of the neighorhood to point out interesting features and characteristics.

Find a Mayor’s Walk near you.

The Fontenelle Sprayground, 4405 Fontenelle Boulevard.

Programs that begin in June include:

• Sun Dawgs-June 14^th-August 5^th
• Hummel Day Camp- June 7^th- August 13^th
• Hydrant Parties- June 14^th-August 5^th
• Recreational Swim League-June 14^th-July 29^th
• Learn to Play Tennis- June 7^th -July 12^th

More information about these programs can be found in the Summer 2010 Program Brochure, which is available online and at all City Recreation facilities and Libraries.  More information about any of the above listed programs and these special events is also available by calling 444-4FUN (444-4386). 

Download the 2010 Summer Program Brochure!