197. Clarice Dombeck Makes her Pitch for Regional Metropolitan Transit Board

Clarice Dombeck is a candidate for the Regional Metropolitan
Transit Authority’s Board of Directors in District 2. The Transit
Authority, also known as Metro, is responsible for running
Omaha’s bus system, including ORBT and MOBY services.


The first elected board will have seven nonpartisan members, one
for each district. Prior to this year, seats were appointed by
the mayor rather than elected. The change is part of Metro’s
increased budget and expanded regional services. Board
responsibilities include determining transit policy, overseeing
the budget and handling contracts


Dombeck was born and raised in North Omaha. In addition to her
candidacy, she serves on ⁠Elevate Omaha’s⁠ Board of Directors and
is the urban development manager at ⁠Spark⁠, an Omaha nonprofit
that aims to transform and invest in underserved neighborhoods.


Dombeck is also an urban farmer and a founder of the ⁠Healing
Roots African Diaspora Garden⁠ on North 24th Street, and she’s
working on a Master of Science in Urban Studies at the University
of Nebraska Omaha.


In this conversation, Dombeck is in conversation with Michael
Griffin about her family’s history of community organizing, and
how it informs her own varied approach to advocacy. They also
discuss transit disparities in Omaha and Dombeck’s vision for
Metro.


Correction: A previous version of this podcast incorrectly
identified the Regional Metropolitan Transit Authority as being
responsible for the forthcoming Omaha Streetcar. It is a City of
Omaha project.