OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new proposal from Omaha’s mayor allows residents living on substandard streets to go through an official process asking the city to pay to upgrade their streets.
Mayor Jean Stothert announced the proposal Tuesday formalizing the way Omaha handles upgrading neighborhood streets that weren’t built to code.
She says this is the first step in addressing Omaha’s 300 miles, or more than 480 kilometers, of substandard streets.
The proposal only applies to streets not meeting city standards, which would have them made of concrete and have curbs, gutters and sewers.
Since 2012, city policy has allowed Public Works officials to grind substandard residential streets into dirt instead of maintaining them. Stothert’s proposal would end that practice.
City Council must still vote on the proposal.