OMAHA- After hearing highlights from meetings held earlier this week with North and South Omaha leaders, a special legislative committee moved closer to resolving a $335 million question.

The question: How best can the panel identify projects that will spark wealth-building, well-paying jobs and generational change in the poorest areas of Nebraska?

The committee, led by State Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha, is tasked with defining specifically how to invest the $335 million that Nebraska lawmakers earmarked earlier this year to North and South Omaha and other communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The committee and representatives from engineering and design consulting firm Olsson met with community leaders at the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus to share results of four “stakeholder” meetings held earlier this week in North and South Omaha.

The specific plan is to be turned in by Olsson on December 1st. Olsson plans to create a website to provide further guidance on the process and how applicants can compete for the grants.

Public meetings will be scheduled during the week of Sept. 19 at which people can discuss and submit ideas for potential ways to use the funds.

For the full article click HERE