OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Mayor Jean Stothert held the first of four town hall meetings at Saddlebrook Community Center Tuesday. She focused on the big issue of fixing Omaha roads and wanted to hear from the public on funding the city's first long-term plan.
The city currently spends $41 million dollars annually on road repairs and maintenance. Stothert suggested the city spend a total of $75 million annually to cover 250 lane miles of roads.
She says it would help reduce costs should another pothole crisis occur again in the future.
"Then we would be touching them once every twenty years. We would do it again and we would do it again. And, that is what we're talking about in terms of a long-range sustainable pavement maintenance plan. We won't let them get to the deteriorating condition that they're in right now," Stothert said.
She emphasized how a long-term funding plan would cut down on the costs associated with "Band-Aid solutions" such as using asphalt to fix potholes every year.
She says the city has currently spent most of the money budgeted this year for winter road cleanup.
The mayor will host other three more town hall meetings:
-Thursday, July 18, The Venue at Highlander 75 North, 2112 N. 30th St., 5:00-6:30 p.m.
-Friday, July 19, The Salvation Army Kroc Center, 2825 Y Street, 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
-Monday, July 22, UNO Community Education Center, 6400 University Drive, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
