Tuesday, September 15, 2026, 10:30 a.m. (Denver time), City & County Building, room 391
0:05 Arts district here in Denver.
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
0:25 Committee starts now. All
0:26 right. Good morning, everyone.
0:27 Apologies that were starting
0:30 10 minutes late today. It is
0:31 Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 15th. And
0:33 this is the governance and
0:34 Intergovernmental Relations
0:35 honor of representing the
0:35 And it's already have the
0:36 residents of District 5. A few
0:40 of them are in the room today
0:41 and a also being the chair of
0:42 this committee. Before we get
0:44 started, we're going to do a
0:45 quick round of interactions,
0:46 but we have a packed agenda
0:49 for today. So search my left.
0:50 Good morning. You're watching.
0:53 Find district. Nice Iran said
0:59 that consults good at large.
1:00 You want counsel high Diana
1:00 Romero, Campbell, something's
1:03 Denver District. 4. Join me.
1:06 Taurus was Denver District 3
1:08 Stacie Gilmore and District
1:11 11. Great and I counselor
1:13 Cashman icu online. You want
1:14 to go ahead more involved.
1:16 Fashion show time reduce your
1:17 Great. Thank you for joining
1:20 us. Also know Councilmember
1:21 Flynn is here. COUNCILWOMAN
1:24 Torres is here. I mean
1:26 counselors and volunteers for
1:27 it or looking at you and I
1:29 could comment. So I want to
1:30 welcome both of them into the
1:32 meeting and they will be in in
1:33 just one minute. And we are
1:37 going to start by just welcome
1:38 the fallen. We're going to
1:43 start with COUNCILWOMAN Torres
1:45 and COUNCILMAN's involves
1:48 presentation. It 13 62 through
1:51 13. 64 which we are going hear
1:51 in a block. So don't think you
1:55 so much said this. Has to do
2:00 with 3 ordinance updates
2:00 before the 3 nonprofit
2:03 entities that receive sales
2:05 tax updates to their
2:10 ordinance. So start with the
2:12 issue that we face. Didn't
2:13 also mention I want to thank
2:16 the CEOs of a profits for
2:19 being here. Denver preschool
2:20 program, prosperity to every
2:21 caring for Denver. Thank you
2:21 all for being here and your
2:25 partnership in this effort.
2:28 And that Councilmember Central
2:31 and I I started looking the 3
2:32 entities their ordinances were
2:36 created different times. The
2:38 Kerry different language when
2:42 it comes core when it comes to
2:43 consistent restrictions around
2:48 use of funds for expenditures.
2:49 And couple different other
2:53 things that came up excluding
2:54 language strategic plans as
2:55 well as an support for the
2:57 departments that oversee those
2:59 contracts. We went in trying
3:02 to understand, however, all 3
3:03 of these our the head of the
3:04 different. How can we bring in
3:07 alignment with one another so
3:08 that they're following
3:13 different kinds of things? The
3:14 solution that we arrived over
3:18 a year doing this work was
3:21 aligning the public records
3:22 requirements established
3:24 dedicated fee for city
3:28 administration and oversight,
3:29 which separate and in addition
3:32 to the beach, not profits,
3:34 admin and expense We were
3:35 mirroring this after what we
3:39 most recently established as
3:40 the Denver Health and Hospital
3:41 Authority tax funds dedicated
3:44 one percent city admin expense
3:47 fee for administration
3:47 agreement. Oversight,
3:50 accountability, important
3:53 nation. We require the
3:54 Department of Public Health
3:55 and Environment when they
3:57 budget for that one percent to
3:59 budget in advance and any
4:02 utilized funds return back to
4:04 the administrator organization
4:05 that same year. We don't keep
4:10 And so set up the 3 funds and
4:11 their one percent to be
4:15 structured in the same way or
4:15 standardizing expenditure
4:19 controls. And we looked to the
4:22 language in the elections
4:22 fund. Frankly, how language
4:26 spelled out for what you can
4:27 send spend taxpayer funds on
4:30 and what you cannot. We also
4:32 clarified 3 things for caring
4:36 for Denver program,
4:37 expenditures, strengthening
4:39 governance and increasing.
4:42 Admin fee when they have the
4:45 lowest kind of overall admin
4:47 fee as a nonprofit Web 5%
4:50 bringing that up to 7%. That's
4:53 the same that's shared by
4:54 Denver preschool program,
4:54 Prosperity, Denver's a little
4:55 bit different because they
4:58 have a 5%. They're also
5:01 afforded a different 5% for a
5:04 database. Things like that.
5:06 Rather than try to figure out
5:08 is there like 7% enough for
5:12 them. We wanted to raise
5:16 caring for We need to have
5:19 that conversation for Denver.
5:20 We want to have that a
5:21 different But this these were
5:21 looking for its that I think
5:28 we can do now. So Denver,
5:29 preschool amendments they
5:33 currently receive 5% sales and
5:36 use tax they will be their
5:38 ordinance update includes the
5:40 separate city admin fee of up
5:44 to one That would be carried
5:46 by the Office of Children's
5:48 Affairs and Off a section of
5:49 first was partner with us and
5:52 figuring out how this actually
5:53 happens. We put in the
5:55 language consistent among all
5:59 3 prohibiting the use of the
6:00 admin funds job food,
6:01 beverage, alcohol, marijuana
6:04 or tobacco, food or beverage
6:05 specifically must be. They
6:08 can't be used as expenses, but
6:10 they have to be tied to the
6:11 function related services of
6:16 the nonprofit. Prosperity,
6:16 Denver, same that they
6:17 currently receive a 0.8% sales
6:23 and use tax establishing the
6:27 city admin fee of one and
6:28 maintaining their separate 5%.
6:31 Plus 5% admin fees
6:34 prohibitions are the same
6:38 Denver preschool program and
6:39 then permitting qualifying
6:42 events that benefit. Had been
6:43 fenced food and beverage
6:47 related to services by the
6:48 nonprofit. The one thing
6:48 that's different about this
6:50 ordinance change is we
6:54 normally had it named original
6:56 think the Denver College
6:58 affordability We just updated
6:59 that throughout its ordinance
6:59 to the Denver up to the
7:03 prosperity, Denver fight. But
7:05 for caring for Denver, it is a
7:09 point to 5% sales and use tax.
7:10 So included the one percent
7:12 for city admin that would be
7:16 done by the Department of
7:17 Public Health and Environment.
7:20 We've aligned responsibilities
7:21 with Denver, a preschool
7:22 program and prosperity.
7:24 Denver, same prohibition, the
7:27 same permanent qualifying
7:29 events. We've also prohibited
7:31 the use program funds for
7:34 employee mental health
7:35 wellness services. These are
7:35 for the grants that are given
7:40 out that we're coming back to
7:41 caring for Denver. We're
7:45 hoping with the increase to
7:46 the 7% that eliminates the
7:49 need for what what was
7:50 arranged for and that grant
7:51 making cycle, which was called
7:54 out by the auditors. We're
7:55 hoping that we've clarified
8:01 mind that better strengthen
8:02 governance around the
8:04 strategic plan and then
8:06 clarify co-responder program
8:11 funding to include alternative
8:12 response programs this is an
8:14 example of the Office of
8:15 Children's Affairs,
8:17 Administrative Fee, Russia
8:20 now. So how would they use the
8:23 one percent from both sales
8:24 tax and to the estimated
8:26 personnel support could
8:28 include program administrator,
8:30 fiscal administrator, contract
8:33 administrator. These are not
8:35 fte. Some MAY be partial at
8:39 t's as they relate to their
8:40 time spent on that contract on
8:46 that analysis or on that
8:48 compliance. See and then this
8:52 is the ddphe administrative
8:54 fee rationale. Same for that
8:55 one percent what they could
8:59 potentially use it on what
9:00 they're thinking about it. And
9:02 they're the one percent about
9:03 for use on this particular
9:07 thing. This makes a big
9:10 difference for these agencies.
9:11 So far they've with the
9:12 exception of caring for
9:19 Denver, which had negotiated
9:20 130,000 to remitted back to
9:22 department of Public Health
9:22 and Environment, Children's
9:26 Affairs Ddphe were otherwise
9:28 carrying or eating the costs
9:31 associated compliance and that
9:33 limits their ability to
9:34 provide really good compliance
9:35 measures. So we're hoping that
9:39 this kind of just raises the
9:41 level everyone what they're
9:48 able to be a part in monitor.
9:49 And then this is our timeline.
9:54 Today is SEPTEMBER 15th where
9:57 aiming to be at for streaming
9:58 on SEPTEMBER 28th and then
10:01 final reading with 3 public
10:03 hearings on Oktoberfest. Each
10:04 ordinance requires public So
10:07 we make sure didn't. I didn't.
10:11 Even that did not already have
10:13 public And then what we're
10:14 looking at doing is making of
10:17 the ordinance effective the
10:19 first of JANUARY, which is
10:20 also when the one percent
10:23 would be effective for city
10:25 departments, which all 3
10:25 organizations felt think have
10:27 the capacity to with that.
10:33 We'll take questions him. Let
10:33 me COUNCILMAN Said because any
10:34 comments for being tardy, just
10:36 want to say thank you to
10:40 Brady, Denver to Denver
10:40 preschool program and caring
10:41 for Denver. Been a great
10:42 partner in this and want to
10:43 thank you to the Office of
10:47 Children's Affairs and Ddphe
10:48 you off with really dug and
10:50 just have to give a shout out
10:51 to bake. And Angela, we
10:52 started this project from the
10:55 mayor's office. We started
10:56 this project probably year and
10:59 a half ago to talk about this
11:01 and work through and figure to
11:03 define what our problem
11:04 statement was, what we were
11:05 trying to go after and what
11:08 created the best clarity and
11:09 good governance in this
11:10 situation and just want to say
11:14 thank you to from COUNCILMAN
11:14 Tour says office and Melissa
11:17 from my office, they've great
11:20 and then to John the
11:21 revisions. We've 7 different.
11:24 We've had several variations.
11:25 You'll see in legistar of
11:26 draft. That's because it's
11:29 been great partnership of us
11:32 going back and forth to need
11:34 and especially around
11:36 allowable. So one thing that I
11:37 do is when I mean a
11:38 constituent for coffee. I
11:41 that for coffee. I pay for out
11:41 don't use my city p card to me
11:44 that, you know, someone comes
11:44 of my personal expense and by
11:46 to my eye, Vincent. I have
11:50 coffee at my office 100%.
11:50 Somebody can come in to my
11:51 city council office and I can
11:53 provide them coffee. So we're
11:55 just looking to regulate that
11:57 in a way where we public
11:59 officials, because all of our
12:01 peak cards and travel cards
12:03 are associated with sales tax
12:05 dollars. And so are these
12:07 funds as well. And just create
12:10 more transparency across and
12:12 and gave him with 3 that have
12:13 outside organizations. Could
12:14 we still have a couple that
12:17 have? But they're administered
12:18 by the city and county of
12:19 Denver Edition lives that have
12:19 specific outside organizations
12:21 who just want to say thank you
12:25 for the transparency. Shared
12:27 this with their board members.
12:28 And so far 3 of them that
12:31 their board members are good
12:32 with these changes. So that's
12:33 why the spread this out a
12:35 little bit further instead of
12:37 needed to make sure that
12:37 taking action right away as we
12:38 they're board felt comfortable
12:39 and all of these changes
12:40 moving And thank you to come
12:41 to mentor. Been a great
12:44 partnership. I think great
12:46 thank you. I want to welcome
12:47 Councilmember Luis. I don't
12:48 have any councilmembers in the
12:53 Queue. Watson, u n I Thank you
12:55 so committee chair. I All
12:56 right for me to ask for
12:57 someone in the audience, from
13:02 Press, for Denver, ca speak So
13:03 I am honored to be on the
13:04 board across Perry, Denver.
13:06 I'm curious from Icr executive
13:08 director here. Rivera Rebecca
13:11 Angel and also see our Good
13:12 friends most here. And I'm
13:15 curious as to thoughts on the
13:20 one percent that impact
13:20 anything else that back to
13:21 first and then see a so
13:24 excited to come forward. And a
13:25 I would advise if you don't
13:30 mind. Thank you, COUNCILMAN,
13:31 thanks to the council women
13:32 for their hard work on this
13:36 and for all that you all do to
13:37 steward the resources of the
13:38 Denver taxpayers. So
13:41 carefully. We, of course,
13:45 share that goal and are
13:48 excited to actually be able to
13:49 know that Office of Children's
13:51 Affairs who would have been
13:51 great partners will now have
13:54 the resources to do even more
13:55 to help us with the oversight
14:00 of the resources that we car
14:01 stewarding on behalf of
14:03 taxpayers to us. This is a
14:04 plus. We know that we'll have
14:06 a little bit less money, too,
14:10 distribute out to our partners
14:11 who are helping students
14:13 throughout Denver. But we also
14:13 know that our money will be
14:17 better spent because of the
14:18 partnership ca. And we're very
14:19 pleased about that. So thank
14:20 you so much. Any other
14:23 questions for me? Great job
14:25 make.
14:33 When he does want to take
14:37 losses I like to defer to
14:37 wreck, it I work with Office
14:40 of Children's Fares were
14:42 excited. This came up in the
14:42 audit report that we have
14:44 prospered Denver ca lacked
14:45 sufficient oversight. So I
14:48 think from that standpoint, we
14:48 see it as our duty and our
14:49 responsibility to be good
14:50 stewards and have sufficient
14:53 oversight of these funds. And
14:54 I would say that to Rebecca's
14:55 point, we do see this as
14:58 strengthening our partnership.
14:59 We're fortunate that we get to
15:00 work with 2 special Revenue
15:02 partners. So we actually see
15:03 this as a really cool
15:05 strategic opportunity to align
15:05 our programming. So we have a
15:09 program person who can kind of
15:10 strategically through our
15:13 cradle to career supports, but
15:14 also thinking about the
15:16 administrative in the fiscal
15:17 state side of the because we
15:19 get to oversee 2 of these
15:21 funds. We see this as an
15:22 opportunity have both a
15:23 financial and a programmatic,
15:28 both search programming thank
15:28 you to the sponsors. Another
15:31 great, I think thoughtful
15:31 piece of legislation and to
15:32 your staff pulling this
15:33 together and things are smart.
15:34 Thank you. Chair. Great. Thank