South Omaha BID Board Meeting Minutes - March 4, 2026

Location: Pesek Law LLC, 4826 South 24th St. 

Date: March 4, 2026 

Time: 10:00 AM 

Attendance

Present: BID Board: Ross Pesek (Chair), June Bear-Noonan (Board Member), Marcos Mora (Board Member), Jeremy Haltberg (Board Member) 

Others Present: Itzel Lopez (LEDC), Jennifer Rodriguez (City of Omaha), Eric Mueller (City of Omaha, Streetcar Project), Captain Paul Hanson (OPD), Commissioner Garcia, Brenda Esqueda, Martin Salazar, Madeline Moyer. 

Meeting Minutes 

Welcome & Announcements 

• Ross welcomed attendees and opened the meeting. 

Approval of Minutes 

• February meeting minutes were reviewed. Motion to approve pending Board confirmation. 

Budget Overview 

• Ross presented the district’s budget of $38,000 for the current period. 

• Over 90% of the budget is allocated to trash collection, managed by Martin Salazar. 

• The district maintains 65 street planters, which are transitioning from annual to perennial gardens with support from Nebraska Master Gardeners. 

• Grant applications: LEDC has submitted three grant applications totaling $30,000 on behalf of the BID. 

• Roxana and Lucia will present a full budget overview and grant updates at the next BID meeting. 

Omaha Streetcar Project Update - Eric Mueller 

• Eric Mueller provided a comprehensive update on the Omaha streetcar project. 

• Construction is ongoing through 2028; the route will connect Midtown to Downtown Omaha. 

• Vehicles are battery-powered and will run off-wire in certain sections. 

• Businesses in the Blackstone district have been impacted by construction activity. 

• Utility work in Midtown is now complete. 

• The city is exploring future route extensions, including potential connections to South Omaha and Council Bluffs. 

Plaza de la Raza / Adelante Project Update - Itzel Lopez 

• The Plaza de la Raza project remains stalled pending resolution of parking site negotiations. 

• Two to three locations are currently under consideration for parking. 

• The $25 million in funding is confirmed and secured. 

• Itzel will provide an update on parking site negotiations and construction timeline at the next meeting. 

• Itzel will coordinate with City Economic Development to have a representative present a parking lot update at the next BID meeting. 

OPD Update - Captain Paul Hanson 

• Captain Hanson is continuing community engagement activities, including participation in the Jefferson Elementary Career Fair and Mars Middle School JAG Day. 

• OPD is following up on a graffiti suspect warrant and continuing graffiti reduction efforts along 24th Street. 

Community Updates & Upcoming Events 

• Cinco de Mayo: Celebrations are scheduled for May 15–17. Itzel will promote the event and coordinate parade and booth registrations and volunteers. 

• Planting Day: A community planting day and volunteer event is scheduled for May 23rd, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Ross and Itzel will coordinate t-shirts, tacos, and flower donations. The community is invited to participate. 

• Southeast Omaha Playbook: Derek Chomsky is continuing work with LEDC through interviews with businesses and community members. 

• Turnback Tax Grants: Commissioner Garcia encouraged attendees to apply for Turnback Tax Grant funding for youth outreach, historical preservation, and small business support. 

• Step Up Omaha: Brenda Esqueda promoted the Step-Up Omaha youth employment program and is recruiting employer partners for summer internships. 

Action Items / Next Steps 

• BID Board: Present budget overview and grant updates at next BID meeting. 

• Itzel (LEDC): Provide update on Plaza de la Raza parking site negotiations and construction timeline at next meeting. 

• Itzel (LEDC): Coordinate with City Economic Development to have a representative present parking lot update at next BID meeting. 

• BID/LEDC: Follow up on three grant applications submitted by LEDC. 

• BID Board: Organize Planting Day volunteer event on May 23rd, 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM; coordinate t-shirts, tacos donated by LEDC, and taking flower donations. 

• Captain Hanson: Continue community engagement activities including Jefferson Elementary Career Fair and Mars Middle School JAG Day. 

• Captain Hanson: Follow up on graffiti suspect warrant and continue graffiti reduction efforts on 24th Street. 

• Eric Mueller: Continue streetcar construction coordination and provide updates on maintenance facility and track work progress. 

• Derek Chomsky: Continue working with LEDC on Southeast Omaha Playbook through interviews with businesses and community members. 

• Commissioner Garcia: Continue to connect the Douglas County Commissioner’s office to the community. Promote Turnback Tax Grant applications for youth outreach, historical preservation, and small business support.