Omaha Business Owner Pushes Mayor for Earlier Path to Trades
Mayor John Ewing Jr. held a town hall addressing public safety, housing, and small business contracts.
Dupree Seavers, owner of Black Power Redevelopers, raised concerns about access to the trades and city contracts for small businesses. He expressed his desire for Omaha kids to have earlier access to vocational training, citing his own experience learning about electrical work in college.
“I didn’t learn about electrical until I hit college,” Seavers said.
He also criticized a city program guaranteeing small businesses a chance at city contracts, saying it doesn’t go far enough.
“It should be between, realistically, $200,000 to $500,000 that a small business should be able to do with the city,” Seavers said.
During the town hall, Mayor Ewing discussed:
- A new police and fire headquarters
- Affordable housing initiatives
- A planned soccer stadium in north Omaha
- A program guaranteeing small, qualified businesses a chance at city contracts up to $50,000.