Stay updated on the most recent news regarding the proposed OPD Gun Range in Fort Calhoun.

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  • Will this be discussed at the next City Council meeting?

  • What’s happening with the petition?

  • Will I get to vote? If so, when?

A special election will be held by mail on May 13th.

Stay in the know about the details…

Most Recent Updates

March 25, 2025

The Nebraska Secretary of State approved the special election for a ballot on a proposed gun range. The earliest date by Statute submitted by the City of Fort Calhoun was also approved. The election date will be Tuesday, May 13th and will be through the mail. All registered voters in the City of Fort Calhoun will receive a ballot in the mail. They will need to follow the directions received with the ballot.

The Council unanimously approved the resolution requiring a special election for the City of Fort Calhoun to allow the Omaha Police Department to lease land, buy land and/or attain necessary permits to build a gun range. The special election will be put into process immediately, and community members should be on the lookout for when it will take place. The City Attorney did not confirm, but stated that he thinks the special election will take place by mail.

March 17, 2025

March 14, 2025

The agenda for the upcoming City Council meeting (to be held at the Northern Lights venue Monday, March 17th at 7pm) has been published. Item #13 includes a resolution requiring a special election to decide on the gun range.

March 13, 2025

Watch the Channel 7 News story:

Mayor Mitch Robinson posted this on his Facebook page, regarding the upcoming City Council Meeting:

During the Council meeting on Monday, March 17th, there will be an agenda item for a resolution to place the negotiations for a gun range on a ballot for the public to vote on. This will be the only agenda item concerning the possible gun range. I can assure the public, the resolution will pass, and this will be on a ballot to be voted on by the citizens of Fort Calhoun. These is no need to ask to be placed on the agenda to speak on the resolution. Public comment is always allowed and asked for before any vote by the Council.

March 13, 2025

A representative from Washington County has notified the Fort Calhoun City Clerk (Alicia Koziol) that 244 signatures have been validated, and that the necessary confirmed signatures (153; or 20% of registered voters) to meet the requirement for a proposed special election has been achieved. Alicia has stated that the council will seek to add this as an agenda item for Monday’s meeting.

March 12, 2025

A petition for the community to be able to hold a special election for the approval of the proposed gun range was submitted to city hall. The City Clerk said she would take it immediately to the Washington County courthouse, where signatures would be validated. The petition was submitted with 251 signatures, while only 153 were required to trigger a special election.

March 10, 2025

A petition was approved by the Ft. Calhoun City Clerk - requiring 20% of registered voters to participate to enact a special election for the proposed gun range.

March 7, 2025

Prior Updates

(Presented by Fort Calhoun Mayor at the City Council Meeting March 17, 2025)

February, 2025

The presentation was given to the public during an open house.

February, 2025

The Omaha Committee gave their presentation to Superintendent Green and 3 members of the School board.

February, 2025

The Omaha Committee gave their presentation to representatives from Fort Atkinson, and the Nebraska Game & Parks

January, 2025

Omaha Committee members presented their presentation to the Fort Calhoun Mayor, City Clerk, City Engineer, City Attorney and Council Member Schuler. Council Member Schuler had to leave early due to a prior family commitment. Council President Prieksat was aware of this meeting unable to attend as he was out of state and not arriving home until later the same evening.

November, 2024

The Citizens of Omaha pass a law enforcement bond issue. The City of Fort Calhoun was not aware a bond would be on the ballot for the proposed project. This would have explained the delays on communication with the City of Omaha.

September, 2024

Sound meters were placed in 4 locations in the City of Fort Calhoun for a sound study. Council Member Schuler relayed a question from the community, “could the proposed facility be used for specific community events such as a Boy Scout Gun Safety or if FCHS had a Trap Shooting team.”

August, 2024

Council Member Schuler emailed concerns he had and needed to be addressed by the City of Omaha. They were sent to the City of Omaha committee

August, 2024

Executive session held during the monthly Council meeting to discuss the status of negotations

July, 2024

Picture of the flooding was sent to the Omaha representatives. They said they were aware of the potential flooding and the facility would be designed with floods in mind.

July, 2024

Omaha Mayor Stothert, without consulting Fort Calhoun, announced the Elkhorn gun range was moving from Elkhorn to Fort Calhoun. She was either uninformed, ignorant to the status of the negotiations, or used the announcement for political reasons in her upcoming Mayoral election. This resulted in people questioning if there had been a secret agreement made, which was understandable.

February, 2024

Fort Calhoun Mayor directed Mr. Talbot to contact Omaha City legal that a meeting was required prior to March 1st to discuss a proposed lease payment. If there was no movement, the project would no longer be considered. A meeting was held on February 27th.

October, 2023

Omaha City legal reached out to City Attorney Talbot for a meeting. Fort Calhoun mayor told Mr. Talbot there was no need going further until a lease cost was discussed. Omaha legal never responded with potential dates for negotiations.

June, 2023

Omaha legal counsel requested a meeting to start price negotiations. No meeting was set up and we waited to hear from Omaha.

June, 2023

Preliminary restrictions were sent to the City of Omaha Engineer for review.

September, 2022

Completed lease agreement was sent to the Council Members with any questions or additions from the members addressed. This would be placed on the agenda for the September 19th, 2022 Council meeting:

27. Discussion and possible action regarding the shooting range lease agreement between the City of Fort Calhoun, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Omaha Police Department.

During the Council meeting, the following citizens asked questions and made comments: John Slader, Mike Szlachetka, Justin Thompson, John Linton, Tim Oelke, Richard Brock, Mike Hoefker, Sheriff Robinson, Deputy Judkins and City Engineer Lucas Billebach. Council Member Schuler made a motion to approve the lease contingent on amending the restrictions on use to just say “Hours to be determined through conditional used permit.” Council President Prieksat seconded the motion. The motion was approved with all 4 Council members voting “aye”.

August, 2022

The City Council was given the information that negotiations had begun for a long-term lease for a law enforcement firearms range during a special meeting on August 24th during executive session. No Council Member spoke up to stop the negotiation.

A long term lease was written by the City Attorney and forwarded to the Council members for any corrections or additions.

July/August, 2022

Council President Prieksat and I met with representatives of the Omaha Police Department, Omaha office of the FBI and Washington County Sheriff’s Office at the proposed site for a gun range. After discussion, and other meetings that included Omaha City Engineer and Omaha legal counsel, Council President Prieksat, Council Member Schuler and I decided to move forward with negotiations for a long-term lease for the property with the City of Omaha.

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Recent News

  • BREAKING NEWS: Petition submitted calling for Ft. Calhoun gun range special election

    View Article

  • Petition drive launched on proposed gun range in Ft. Calhoun

    Read Article

  • Proposed gun range: The plan, the need, the use, the location, the sound

    Read Article

  • Local law enforcement shares insight to possible gun range with Fort Calhoun residents

    Watch Video

What The Community is Saying

  • "With news about school shootings, it is horrible to think that our children at the elementary school will have to listen to this day and a day out and wonder if they are in danger or not. This is a bad idea in our city . We already have enough noise pollution with the trucks on the highway and the rock quarry . Leave us alone Douglas County. This is not good for anybody here. The city Council and the mayor have a duty to listen to their constituents and if they don’t, they have no business being in city government."

  • "I would say if it does pass, It should have very strict time constraints.On what time they can actually shoot."

  • "I live right above the proposed area and my dogs have to be drugged during the 4th of July. They could not survive all the shooting.property values will certainly drop. Keep it in Douglas County or OPPD"

  • "As a resident of Fort Calhoun we do not want this noise pollution in our community...and it will not be good for Fort Atkinson and vistors...Also take into consideration our grade school not far from it...and young people attending cross country events....just to name a few reasons we do not want it...."

  • "As someone who spends most of our summer in the campgrounds next to the proposed gun range, I feel there is other areas that are available. And personally with a sensitive dog who would never be able to go with us bc she is terrified of loud noise and our own enjoyment of what we invested in as campground owners it will hinder not only our own daily enjoyment and lives but also those that have invested or leased lots at our campground. So I definitely feel it is not suitable for the area."

  • "I do not live in town, but within a mile so I have no voice in this but was wondering to your city council members would even consider this? Vote no your town citizens do not want this."

  • "The Omaha Mayor, Jean Stothert, seems to think that Fort Calhoun is a great place to build the Gun Range. She has mentioned it several times and is giving false hope to the people that live around the current gun range that it is going to move to Fort Calhoun even though it's not a done deal. I don't think she realizes that so many residents of Fort Calhoun don't agree with her. Maybe everyone who doesn't want the Gun Range in Fort Calhoun should call the Mayor's hot line and nicely let her know that. The number is 402-444-5555."