OMAHA — The fate of one of Omaha’s oldest public parks brought roughly 50 people Saturday to a meeting that included impassioned remarks from community and civic leaders, a Nebraska lawmaker and a City Council member.

At issue is a proposed arrangement that would place the operation of North Omaha’s Miller Park in the hands of a private philanthropic foundation, the Lozier Foundation.

Some have questioned the setup, though city officials hosting the meeting reaffirmed that the 80-acre park would remain open to the public and owned by the city. Maintenance and programming would be paid for and managed by Lozier under a “Miller Park Trust” contract yet to be presented to the City Council.

Saturday’s meeting at Nelson Mandela Elementary School, across the street from Miller Park, was intended to gain community input. Mandela school is a nonprofit entity funded by a donor group led by the Lozier Foundation.

Miller Park’s development dates back to the 1890s.

Several community members voiced concern that the proposal was moving too quickly and sought assurance that North Omahans would not get short-shrifted.

Anthony Karefa Rogers-Wright recognized the work and improvements Lozier has made in the area and said his skepticism and search for more transparency is rooted in past “malfeasance” of city government and “how it’s spending the people’s money.”

Nancy Williams of No More Empty Pots has been a neighborhood resident for three decades. Her kids attended school in the area and she said she’s seen the park transform for the better as the Lozier Foundation has invested millions into improving trails, the fountain, the pavilion and sponsoring concerts and programming.

“The issue is fear and trust,” of being let down by other sources and officials in the past, she said. “People have not felt seen and heard.”

Terri Sanders, owner and publisher of the Omaha Star newspaper, which focuses on the Black community, suggested it was time to trust those leading the effort.

“North Omaha suffers for lack of pulling the trigger,” she said. “Pull the trigger and let it fly.”

Omaha officials leading the meeting, including aides to Mayor John Ewing Jr. Jacqueline Morrison and Thomas Warren, distributed a “myth vs. fact” sheet and said the Ewing-backed arrangement with the foundation will help improve public spaces when a city budget is ill-equipped to do so.

Warren said a study of the city’s more than 250 parks revealed a “woefully underfunded” Parks and Recreation Department that needed $5 million to bring it up to par. He said the agreement with Lozier Foundation would free up city resources for other parks and services.

Lozier Foundation representatives also were present and outlined the organization’s investments in the past decade at Miller Park, including a splash pad, soccer wall and pavilion renovation.

Among the city’s points:

• If approved, Lozier would pay an estimated $800,000 annually to operate and maintain the park starting in mid-2026. The contract still has to be voted on by the City Council. City officials said they hoped that a three-step process could begin before the year’s end.
• The proposal is for 10 years, however the city retains the ability to end the agreement at any time.

Nancy Gaarder, president of the Miller Park Minne Lusa Neighborhood Association, said the park was a “mess” before the foundation invested.

“Lozier did the city’s job,” said Gaarder, and referred to notable performing artists the foundation brought to the park that she said helped build community relationships.

Upkeep is critical for environmental and health measures, she said, citing stagnant water and possibly toxic algae of the fountain prior to improvements. Gaarder advocated for the trust arrangement.

State Sen. Ashley Spivey of North Omaha said she will continue to monitor the situation that affects her legislative district. “Sounds like people want this but want the right parameters.”

LaVonya Goodwin, who represents the neighborhood on the City Council, said the attention people are paying to the matter shows they care about the community she said has suffered from decades of neglect.

She said public-private partnerships work but that she’ll continue to listen to constituents as the contract terms develop.

“We want people to know their voices matter, their concerns matter and long term … that this park is a place the community can be proud of,” Goodwin said.

This story was published by Nebraska Examiner, an editorially independent newsroom providing a hard-hitting, daily flow of news. Read the original article: https://nebraskaexaminer.com/2025/12/13/spotlight-on-future-of-park-serv...