Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 10:30 a.m. (Denver time), City & County Building, room 391
The Governance and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, chaired by Council Member Sawyer, took up a proposed ballot measure (with a companion ordinance) from Council Members Torres and Sandoval to modernize City Charter sections 9.3 and 9.4 governing civil service and classified service for police and fire. The proposal moves operational detail from the charter into ordinance, removes the citizenship requirement for Civil Service Commissioners, updates gendered language, extends certain disciplinary-review and probationary timelines, and removes command staff caps; the committee voted the item out as part of a block vote, with a goal of first reading July 27, final reading and ballot referral August 3, and placement on the November 3 ballot. The committee then received a final wrap-up briefing from Policy Matters on the state legislative session, covering the state budget outlook, vetoed bills, upcoming ballot initiatives, and what to expect in the 2027 session, including questions from council members on election-year dynamics, competing tax ballot measures, and RTD/transportation follow-through.
0:00 visitors. We're proud to
0:05 maintain state highway 5.
0:06 Welcome back to this monthly
0:09 meeting of the governance and
0:09 Intergovernmental Relations
0:10 Committee of Denver City
0:15 Council. Thanks for joining us
0:17 for the discussion. The
0:18 governance and
0:20 Intergovernmental Relations
0:24 Committee starts now. All
0:27 right. Good morning. Everyone
0:28 to get is Tuesday, JULY 21st.
0:28 This is the governance
0:29 committee. I'm Amanda Sawyer
0:31 of the honor of representing
0:33 the residents of District 5
0:35 and also chairing this
0:36 committee, 7 Action Item in a
0:38 briefing today. So before we
0:39 get started, what we do around
0:40 of introductions and I'm going
0:42 to start to my Good morning,
0:45 Watson, Fine District, not
0:45 good morning an American
0:47 Southeast Denver district
0:50 court. Jamie Torres customers
0:51 to run into many s#
0:53 northwest Denver district
0:54 front. Everybody said in a
0:54 Gonzales kitchen is one of
0:57 your council members at large.
0:57 Kevin Flynn, southwest
1:00 numbers, district 2. All
1:02 right. Fantastic. Just
1:03 checking to make sure we don't
1:07 have anyone online. We do not
1:08 ok, so we're going to start
1:11 with 10, 48 10. 55, which is
1:13 going to be a block vote. And
1:15 our presenters today are going
1:17 to be councilmembers. Torres
1:19 and Sandoval, very weird not
1:20 to call you Council. PRESIDENT
1:23 Sandoval. So what did you guys
1:28 to Thank you so much. We are.
1:30 That's proposal for a ballot
1:33 measure to change the charter.
1:37 Since we came to budget and
1:37 policy a couple weeks ago. We
1:41 have also drafted a companion
1:43 ordinance per the good
1:45 recommendation, COUNCILMAN,
1:47 Sawyer conversation to a
1:47 company that's where and to do
1:48 it later, no time like the
1:50 present make sure all
1:54 questions get answered. So
1:54 COUNCILWOMAN Sandoval and I
1:55 are pleased to this
1:59 particular. Charter change
2:00 forward and ask for your
2:03 support. I will go through our
2:06 entire kind of process. We
2:10 started nearly a year ago and
2:11 in our meeting with the Office
2:13 of Society and Innovation. We
2:16 knew that really wanted or and
2:20 this review of these of to
2:21 charter sections leading it
2:23 was an equity lens. And so we
2:25 partnered with cia. Robert
2:25 Johnson, particular would
2:26 already been working with
2:28 public safety departments
2:30 playing equivalence to their
2:31 policies she agreed to work
2:33 with us, which included
2:34 pulling a group of
2:36 stakeholders together who
2:36 would be work shopping. Those
2:40 2 sections of language big
2:41 starting first with the
2:42 training about how you apply.
2:45 I created a equity less so
2:48 many thanks to Robin for help
2:49 in really kind of creating
2:50 that competition for us with
2:57 this. These this was our team
2:58 team of stakeholders and all
3:00 of the folks that we knew
3:01 would have a stake in this
3:05 conversation. Double SEPTEMBER
3:05 Civil Service Commission
3:12 director Gracie Press
3:12 originally Civil Service
3:14 Commission Gardner was
3:16 participating. He became
3:16 Department of Safety,
3:17 executive director and
3:18 continue to participate in
3:23 capacity. Office of the
3:25 Independent Monitor. The
3:25 Monitor castle. Was that part
3:31 of group, Robin sci, the 2
3:32 Chiefs from fire and police to
3:36 Fulton and to Thomas and then
3:38 representatives from the 2
3:39 safety Chris Ferguson, locally
3:43 5, firefighters Union. Brian,
3:47 Graham, the South Co PRESIDENT
3:50 Of the ppa. We did have the
3:52 prior ppa PRESIDENT Originally
3:54 involved is currently Brian
3:57 and additional folks from the
4:00 ppa. So we were looking
4:00 exclusively at Section 9.3, my
4:04 point for the charter that
4:04 covered civil service and
4:05 classified service. And if
4:07 remember, this is really
4:09 prompted by our prior charter
4:12 change removing citizenship
4:13 from the recruitment
4:15 requirement for police and
4:17 fire. We recognize that there
4:18 are probably other things that
4:18 just needed to be updated.
4:20 There's a lot of added a
4:22 language in our charter
4:23 overall and in the sections
4:26 that we didn't want to
4:28 continue to get in the way of
4:30 really broad and diverse
4:31 processees that we knew that
4:31 our safety departments wanted
4:39 to be able to implement the
4:40 admin details as well that are
4:41 in the We wanted to
4:43 potentially move to ordinance
4:47 where they could be subject to
4:50 to change too broad and too
4:51 constrict as time means as the
4:52 conversation needs in the
4:53 future. We're not tomorrow's
4:55 and major changes to those
5:00 sections today. So proposed
5:02 solution is modernizing these
5:03 2 sections and you'll find
5:06 that we had have 2 other
5:07 sections per the request of
5:10 the team Chiefs of Police and
5:13 fire. So with regard to 9.3,
5:15 9.4, we're moving language
5:16 that feels very operational
5:18 and very detailed in 2
5:21 ordinance. Have that kind of
5:25 detail. I charter like really
5:27 confining to have something
5:29 exist in concrete that cannot
5:29 be changed other than with a
5:33 vote to the people. So we
5:33 wanted to make sure that that
5:34 we had some flexibility, but
5:37 there's still legislative and
5:38 decision-making process around
5:40 those pieces of language, even
5:41 when they're in ordinance as
5:44 well as rulemaking for civil
5:46 service. We wanted to update
5:46 the charter with gender
5:47 neutral language would like to
5:49 do that to the whole charter
5:50 and we're doing it any time
5:53 that we're in. We are removing
5:55 the citizenship requirement
5:56 that remains in the charter
5:58 for civil service
5:58 commissioners. That was one
6:01 that we have not removed
6:02 before that we are taking out
6:05 of it this time. The public
6:06 safety cadet program is listed
6:08 as us in the Civil Service
6:09 section the civil service has
6:11 nothing to with the cadet
6:13 program and we would just like
6:13 to move that to the
6:16 appropriate section of the
6:18 charter. We are offering to
6:19 extend some timelines of the
6:24 manager of safety has to
6:24 review disciplinary
6:25 recommendations or suspension
6:27 pending investigation.
6:29 Recommendations and those are
6:30 just being extended by a
6:32 handful of days per the
6:35 request. This one is another
6:35 one that found. Very
6:37 interesting what we got into
6:39 the details allowing
6:40 probationary periods to be
6:42 extended in the cases of
6:43 approved leave. So that's like
6:47 military leave medical leave,
6:50 allowing probate probationary
6:51 firefighters and police
6:52 officers to extend that
6:54 period. They don't have to
6:56 start back over once that
6:58 leave ends. And then at the
7:00 request of the 2 chiefs
7:04 removing the command staff
7:04 caps, felt like an appropriate
7:06 thing to do knowing that we
7:11 also have buck stops during
7:12 budgeting process for how many
7:15 of teas they have, how much
7:15 budget they might need to
7:18 allocate 2 new ones. This is
7:22 the proposed ballot question.
7:23 We tried to keep very simple,
7:24 very clear as to what we were
7:30 doing. And the companion
7:31 ordinance. So this is new
7:33 since budget and policy. We
7:35 want this to accompany the
7:35 charter amendment moving
7:36 forward and they wanted to
7:39 make very clear what was going
7:42 to be in the companion We
7:43 worked to make sure that
7:47 anything that we took out of
7:50 charter moved into ordinance,
7:51 which is really only 3
7:56 sections of language. We've
7:57 just kind of oriented that
7:58 companion towards to give a
8:02 little preamble. So what what
8:03 we're doing over all. So it
8:04 does repeat kind of that. The
8:05 commission is created the
8:06 Civil Service Commission. And
8:07 then here, the 3 sections that
8:10 we moved out of charter. We're
8:13 not changing those sections.
8:13 There as written from charter
8:15 and putting it into ordinance.
8:18 Just so that's clear. No
8:23 substantive changes were made.
8:26 One of the things that we
8:27 wanted to make sure it was
8:30 really clear was that when we
8:31 referred to additional powers
8:32 were referring to our power is
8:36 council to create. The
8:38 companion ordinance. It's not
8:39 that we're granting additional
8:40 powers to civil Service
8:42 commission or to anyone else.
8:43 So but it to make sure that
8:47 that clarified. This is our
8:48 engagement timeline. All of
8:50 the folks that we met with the
8:51 way that we've been doing,
8:55 spend really iterative really
8:56 building on those deep
8:57 workshops that we had, where
9:00 everyone was able to
9:01 participate. I was really
9:04 pleased very little attrition.
9:04 Folks stayed engaged the
9:05 entire time and felt like
9:09 their input was heard. This is
9:12 our a timeline. We are here,
9:13 JULY 21st and governance in
9:15 their government relations
9:16 committee. We would like to be
9:19 at first reading on JULY 27th.
9:21 And final reading and ballot
9:24 referral vote on AUGUST. 3rd
9:25 aiming for this question to be
9:26 on the ballot on NOVEMBER.
9:34 3rd. Open for any questions. I
9:35 have no council members in the
9:38 and they believe there was.
9:39 Are we doing we do have public
9:43 comment on this. I do not have
9:45 any information about anyone
9:47 signing up snow. Sign up so It
9:50 was no sign public comment
9:51 members. When you're looking
9:56 at me, you want to get in the
9:58 queue will ask a a retired and
10:05 the 2 to 51. The selection for
10:05 officer's. The commission
10:08 compile a list, all qualified
10:09 persons willing to be hearing
10:12 officers. The word all. Think
10:18 there's Super Bowls how do we
10:24 know when they've acquired all
10:24 persons where you had,
10:26 ordinances, section 2 to 51
10:30 per of the first life.
10:32 Commission just just have to
10:33 we're all the commission shall
10:35 compiling list of qualified
10:36 persons. You have to have at
10:39 least 7. We'll do that. And,
10:48 you know, thank you, MADAM Not
10:49 finished by saying that
10:51 referred to the ballot. We'll
10:54 just need your how. When we
10:55 talk about this, people don't
10:56 understand that there's even a
11:00 separate commission. Here's
11:00 our firefighters and police
11:01 officers who are explained
11:06 this to my family. They're
11:07 like, what are you doing?
11:09 Don't understand so they don't
11:10 quite understand that. It's a
11:12 bit complicated, but we really
11:15 do think it helps us become
11:17 compliant with our charter
11:19 right now and we're going and
11:20 doing this exercise.
11:21 Oftentimes you get a covid
11:23 were not compliant with the
11:25 charter in this section and
11:26 they want find another
11:27 section. We're not comply with
11:27 the charter in this section
11:30 which makes us vulnerable. And
11:31 so I would want to do really
11:33 emphasize that this really
11:34 good governance and cleaning
11:37 up our charter moving this to
11:43 ordinance so that we can work
11:44 together with all of the
11:45 stakeholders like we have in
11:45 future to make sure that
11:49 everyone is protected. We're
11:51 compliant. Really. Thank you.
11:56 Also point out we have putting
11:56 into legistar letters of
11:58 support that we've got
11:59 trapped. The Civil Service
12:04 Commission and the tissues.
12:04 Great. Thank you. Council
12:07 PRESIDENT For Marion Thank
12:09 you. I just wanted to thank
12:11 you for the work that you've
12:12 done on It was a tremendous
12:13 amount of work. I think you
12:13 have no questions because you
12:17 and so thorough and the
12:18 briefings that you've provided
12:21 have really, I think clearly
12:22 explained everything to a
12:23 point where, you know, you
12:24 don't have questions on the
12:25 floor and I just appreciate
12:26 that and appreciate the work
12:31 that you have. Dunn. When you
12:32 how we communicate, former
12:33 you've created the chart. I
12:34 mean, it's just so clear and
12:36 easy for us to be able to
12:37 communicate this out as well.
12:38 So just thank you both for
12:44 your work. Thank you. And you
12:45 just want to take a second
12:46 because we have time set aside
12:49 for public comment to see if
12:49 there's anyone in the room who
12:55 wants. I just like to check.
12:56 Okay, great. And I want just
12:57 take a minute to say thank
13:00 you, guys. I think it's really
13:01 important that the companion
13:01 ordinance get moved through at
13:06 the same time. I think it just
13:07 former council, PRESIDENT
13:08 Sandoval always says clears
13:10 kind rate. And so just moving
13:11 that language directly from
13:12 the charter into ordinance and
13:13 moving it through together
13:17 makes a lot of sense because
13:19 then, you know, whatever
13:20 updates need to be done can be
13:21 done. But at the very least,
13:23 the expectation is clearly set
13:25 for everyone that we're not
13:27 changing or deleting anything
13:28 worse moving in and the
13:29 ordinance so that it can be
13:30 updated in the future
13:31 depending on the future needs
13:32 as opposed having to go back
13:33 to a vote of the people. Every
13:35 single time. We want to make a
13:37 change. And I will just say in
13:41 my personal opinion, our
13:43 target was written in 1916. It
13:44 is incredibly and
13:46 inappropriately prescriptive.
13:47 And what that does is
13:48 hamstring us and a lot of ways
13:53 as a city, whether your city
13:54 were, you know, City Council
13:55 or the mayor's office or an
13:58 independent agency within the
13:59 city. So I know that there
14:00 have been a lot of charter
14:01 changes that have come through
14:04 over the last few years. And
14:06 that's why and this is another
14:07 one. I think that really
14:08 helpful and useful and makes a
14:10 lot of sense. But really
14:11 appreciate you guys. Just move
14:12 in that language in the
14:13 ordinance through as well so
14:14 that the voters get to take a
14:17 look at everything known for
14:17 themselves that we're not
14:20 changing any language. We're
14:21 just going to an important.
14:22 With that, I'm a movies and a
14:23 block and need a motion. And
14:29 second all right. Council
14:31 protem a seconded by Councilor
14:35 fled first time to call you
14:36 Okay. Do we need a voice vote
14:40 or are we comes up? Fantastic
14:41 We will see you on Florida.
14:41 Thank you very much. Thank
14:48 you. And then second, we have
14:51 a briefing We have our state
14:52 legislative final update.
14:52 We're going to take a minute
14:55 to just switch everything over