The Community Advisory Committee: Your Voice Heard in Omaha’s Future

Economic development in urban centers is often critiqued for favoring macro-level corporate interests at the expense of local neighborhoods. Nebraska is deliberately altering that dynamic.

The Omaha Inland Port Authority (OIPA) actively engages with its local community through the Community Advisory Committee (CAC), a legally chartered bridge ensuring that the voice of historically underinvested communities in North and East Omaha directly shapes the growth and future of the inland port district. Through the CAC, your voice is heard in the Inland Port’s future.

Who Sits on the Committee

Nebraska legislation requires the committee to maintain at least nine district members, chosen specifically to reflect the heartbeat and everyday realities of the inland port district. The committee’s roster must include:

• At least two residential-property owners within the district’s boundaries
• At least two local business owners operating directly within the port’s footprint
• An Omaha City Council member whose respective district overlaps with the port’s boundaries
• A member of the Nebraska legislature whose respective district overlaps with the port’s boundaries
• A dedicated youth representative or advocate involved with local youth development

By binding neighborhood property owners, micro-entrepreneurs, and civic leaders into a singular advisory body, the CAC commands structural influence over how public and private capital transforms local land.

Comprehensive Community Survey and Reporting System

The flagship focus of the CAC is the rollout of a comprehensive community survey and reporting initiative. Rather than relying on sporadic town halls, the committee is working alongside a specialized partner to establish a sustainable, data-driven system that captures resident sentiment on an ongoing basis. This platform translates raw neighborhood feedback regarding safety, displacement concerns, and industrial proximity into actionable insights OIPA commissioners must evaluate before greenlighting development.

This community survey ensures that not only the loudest voices are heard and that any infrastructure development aligns with genuine needs in the community.

Where To Join the Conversation

Locals and prospective stakeholders can attend the CAC’s quarterly community forums, where the committee fields the community’s questions and feedback. The next quarterly community forum is coming up shortly on June 16, with another two scheduled later in the year on Sept. 15 and Dec. 15. All quarterly forums are held at Metropolitan Community College. 

You can submit formal questions online up to two weeks prior to any scheduled assembly, and in doing so, ensure that the growth of North and East Omaha remains a project built with the community.