OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Mayor Jean Stothert delivered her State of the City address, touting her work just a few days before the primary election. KMTV spent the day asking neighbors, what question they would bring to the Mayor.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Reporter Molly Hudson hit different neighborhoods to hear what is important to you and heard it all.
"We need to provide, low income reliable housing for those folks who can't really afford to live in West Omaha,” said Beth Jensen.
“At this point it's a city where if you don't have a car, it's really hard to live here and that shouldn't be the case,” said Leslie Staten, a Ralston neighbor.
“The only part is just you know the streets, they are always a pain,” Kim Oldenhauis, a West Omaha neighbor.
What stood out is that almost everyone we met on the street told us, unprompted, their questions about the streetcar.
"Why do we need a cable car when the roads are terrible," said Northwest Omaha resident, John Wolford.
"Nobody wants the streetcar, get rid of it," said Karen who lives in South Omaha.
"I'm curious what the business case is for this streetcar thing," said Justin Graver, a Northwest Omaha neighbor.
"Why the hell do you want you want to put a streetcar, in here, when that big … bus ain't doing a damn good anyway," a West Omaha neighbor shared. "That streetcar ain't doing a damn thing about the potholes."
Molly: “Their question was why do we need a streetcar, can you speak to that?”
"Yeah, a streetcar is a catalyst for economic development," Stothert said. "So it's a job creator, it's a high dollar development creator, it's already happening, and it's going to help people get in and around and out of downtown without having to pay for parking."
Roads and potholes are a concern across the city.
The Mayor addressed the work that has been done to repair city roads.
“By the end of this year, we will have completed about one-thousand additional miles of road re-surfacing, brick street replacement, and concrete replacement,” Stothert said.
As far as potholes, the Mayor's Hotline shows several reports on Friday alone. Stothert says crews are out.
“If you have already made a report, I’ll just guarantee, we are on the way,” Stothert said.
In the Mayor's address she touched on a variety of topics like homelessness, public safety, the roads, development, the streetcar and affordable housing.
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