The pro-arena side is outspending the arena opposition group by more than 100 to 1 in the campaign over whether to build a new arena in Lincoln's Haymarket district.
According to its campaign spending report filed Monday with the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, Citizens for Jobs and the Lincoln Haymarket Arena reported raising about $335,000 to support the passage of the arena proposal on the May 11 ballot.
That's in addition to the $200,000 the UNF Charitable Fund will spend promoting passage of the project -- it's the group paying for radio and TV ads featuring Nebraska Athletic Director Tom Osborne.
The UNF Charitable Fund is a nonprofit set up by the University of Nebraska Foundation through which the 2015 Vision group has channeled tax-deductible donations to promote its goals, including the arena.
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The opposition group, called No2Arena, did not have to file a spending report because it only recently reached the $5,000 filing threshold.
Campaign manager Hadley Richters said the pro-arena campaign has received more than 250 donations from individuals and groups, has volunteers making calls and walking precincts, and has distributed nearly 2,000 yard signs.
The No2Arena group has bought 250 yard signs and has bumper stickers, lapel stickers, vehicle mats and soon will have billboards and leaflets, according to spokesman Scott Wendt.
A&D Director Frank Daley said the pro-arena campaign's report indicates it's raised nearly $359,000 and spent $267,400 so far in the campaign. It reported 29 individual donations over $250 -- including $10,000 donations from Nelnet Chairman Mike Dunlap and Crete Carrier President and CEO Tonn Ostergard.
The pro-arena campaign reported 38 contributions from entities and businesses, including:
- $50,000 from the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, in addition to the $50,000 the chamber gave the campaign in December.
- $30,000 from Woodbury Group, the Salt Lake City-based commercial real estate company that is working with WRK of Lincoln to develop private shops, offices, condos and a hotel near the proposed arena.
- $25,000 from Pinnacle Bank.
- $25,000 from Olsson Associates, a Lincoln engineering company hired by the city for $1.5 million to do infrastructure and transportation planning for the arena project. Olsson subcontracted environmental testing to HWS.
- $15,000 from HWS Consulting Group -- the Lincoln engineering company that has done environmental testing in the area targeted for a new arena. The city and HWS have estimated the arena redevelopment area can be cleaned up for $7.5 million, worst-case scenario.
Fire union resolves minimum staffing dispute
The city and fire union have resolved a labor dispute over minimum staffing that had been headed for arbitration.
According to an executive order signed by Mayor Chris Beutler on March 30, the city has agreed to only count firefighters toward the requirement that 76 firefighters be on duty at all times. The city had been counting two battalion chiefs to get to 76, which the union didn't like. Battalion chiefs are not members of the union.
The two sides reached an agreement to stop counting battalion chiefs and, in exchange, the city was given more flexibility to adjust daily staffing at the beginning of each shift (7 a.m.) and at 7 p.m. That way if someone goes home sick, for example, they don't have to add staffing until the next 7. The city also will not be obligated to staff up to 76 when unplanned absences occur.
The fire union had filed a grievance and was headed for a March 25 arbitration hearing before settling the issue.
The city began minimum staffing after two firefighters were arrested on drug charges last year and the union leveraged the mayor's desire to begin drug testing to get minimum staffing into the labor contract. The staffing requirement became controversial later in the year when it became clear the provision might cost more than expected.
Although council members were told the staffing requirement would cost nothing, they weren't given fire department estimates that it could cost up to $380,000. The first year ended up costing $137,000. This year, the fire department is staying within its overtime budget.
Union head Dave Engler said if they had gone to arbitration and the city lost, it might have had to pay back pay for understaffing.
"We weren't after money and I think this goes to show that it's about protecting the public and firefighter safety," Engler said of the resolution. "We certainly could have stood our ground and made the city uncomfortable and we didn't."
The new rules go into effect May 1, and so will be in place for the four months left of the contract. Negotiations on a new contract are just beginning.
Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.
