Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 9 a.m. (Denver time), Parr-Widener Community Room, Room 389
This was a Denver City Council budget hearing on the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) 2027 budget. Executive Director Amy Ford and staff presented an overview of DOTI's operating framework, its roughly $450 million operating budget, the $114.9 million general fund portion, fleet management, bridges, interagency capital delivery, wastewater, and solid waste (volume-based pricing). Council members then asked questions on topics including district projects, downtown signal maintenance, ADA parking enforcement, asphalt funding, solid waste solvency and privatization, employee holidays, vacancy cuts, residential permit parking, and wastewater spending. Several follow-ups were deferred to the Thursday transportation-focused hearing.
0:33 And today, budget hearings
0:35 with our favorite one of our
0:38 favorite city departments,
0:39 Department Transportation,
0:40 Infrastructure. Just I will
0:42 start with introductions
0:44 around the and do want to
0:44 start off this morning. Yeah,
0:45 Emily Arnett chief operating
0:49 officer to the stabbing. Good
0:51 morning said in a Gonzales
0:52 because Councilmember Kevin
0:52 Flynn, southwest members
0:58 district 2, officers, tax,
0:58 Brockway Department finance
1:01 Justin Sykes, Department of
1:01 Finance and you get into
1:02 operating officer. It MAY be
1:05 Ford executive Jim Potter,
1:06 that it is well documented.
1:09 And Sawyer to survive. There
1:11 are lots fun this tonight
1:13 because of a chief financial
1:15 officer, Mayor Thanks for
1:18 being here. Do want to open up
1:19 with any comments for day to,
1:20 know, just thank you all so
1:22 much for your feedback.
1:23 Unhelpful comments. Thanks. A
1:24 lot of shame for all their
1:25 preparations. I know we have 2
1:26 sections of this conversation.
1:30 So I I think for it but stable
1:32 folks, little more
1:36 infrastructure and services
1:37 and Thursday when the war
1:38 Libyan capital of the that
1:39 we've laid out. And so I do
1:40 think questions across both
1:41 them, but we'll try leave time
1:41 to get to both. Thanks for
1:45 your interesting, too. Very
1:47 excited to do to so much. And
1:50 I would like to welcome
1:52 COUNCILMAN Hines with that
1:52 perfect 10 to the meeting to
1:53 different note to make sure
1:55 the accessible doors unlocked.
1:59 That be great only thing can
1:59 good We need to make sure that
2:00 some not. And then I would
2:01 like to welcome Councilmembers
2:04 online. If you want to
2:05 introduce yourselves. It's a
2:06 Jamie Torres was Denver
2:08 district. 3. Paul Kashmann
2:12 South Tendra District 6.
2:13 Wonderful about. But I want to
2:14 take any more time. Leave it
2:19 to director for taking thank
2:21 you. Council in and of a
2:23 dress. We're excited to be
2:26 here this morning. And as you
2:26 noted, we're all excited to
2:29 spend 2 days with you sitting
2:30 and talking about the job, the
2:31 budget. And what we wanted to
2:32 do today is we wanted to start
2:34 with the overview. We wanted
2:35 to start with the operating
2:38 framework here at Daddy. And
2:39 as you see this operating
2:39 framework, I think it's
2:40 important to understand a
2:43 couple of things are people
2:44 service our strategies, our
2:47 Capitol, our programming. They
2:48 are the ones who are behind
2:51 the system that makes it work.
2:52 We talk about the vision of
2:52 Dottie. It's easy to come up
2:54 and just think about Goodson,
2:56 things that you see physically
2:57 in the systems are in the
2:58 roads are in our pipes or
2:59 others. But the important part
3:01 understand with all of this is
3:03 that while our infrastructure
3:05 is visible, the operating
3:05 framework behind the scenes,
3:08 the keeps it moving isn't. And
3:09 so when we think about that,
3:11 it is every night every day,
3:13 every season we work around
3:14 the clock and whether it is
3:17 this crash that you saw the
3:18 traffic signal, you know, a
3:19 few weeks ago, several once
3:20 ago that our team was out
3:22 operating on and taking care
3:24 of or even the wastewater
3:26 urgency is that we had last
3:27 night and that some of our
3:27 team members here are last
3:30 night working on the work that
3:31 we do is often not seen by the
3:33 public because it is there to
3:36 keep this system moving this
3:37 system operating. It allows us
3:40 to can get how people move
3:41 help people thrive in the city
3:41 and county of Denver. And at
3:44 the core of it are those core
3:46 services that is always our
3:47 core function and
3:48 functionality is how we
3:49 preserve and manage those core
3:51 services here in the city of
3:52 Denver so that the city and
3:55 its residents can thrive. When
3:57 we think, though, about those
3:57 core business lines, we wanted
3:59 to talk just a little bit
4:01 about that. Again, it is all
4:03 under penned by one singular
4:04 focus. How do we preserve and
4:05 how do we operate the course
4:06 services and the core
4:08 infrastructure that keeps the
4:10 city moving and we do so over
4:12 across a variety of business
4:14 lines. The beauty of that
4:16 piece of it, though, inside of
4:17 Dottie and our structure and
4:20 how we operate is that each of
4:21 those relies upon the other.
4:22 There are synergies behind
4:23 that core element of what it
4:24 is to preserve and to build
4:25 the infrastructure that keeps
4:26 timber Friday. But as you
4:27 know, we have essentially the
4:29 several business lines. We
4:31 have a citywide infrastructure
4:33 side who is managing the
4:34 infrastructure that benefits
4:35 entire city, whether it's from
4:37 the pipes in the sewer, in the
4:39 storm systems to how we
4:40 control and manage the
4:41 buildings that are sitting
4:42 here on top of that that
4:43 really are allowing rest of
4:44 what we don't really control
4:47 and we build them and how we
4:48 then think about how people
4:50 get to those activities, the
4:50 transportation infrastructure
4:51 that lays on top of that. And
4:55 then we operated the
4:57 operations of those systems in
4:57 the operations that the
4:58 services that we offer to the
5:00 city and county of Denver and
5:01 are penned again by those
5:03 people who manage all of the
5:05 relationships and then we
5:06 continue to and look at how we
5:08 enforce that singular right of
5:09 way. And those elements that
5:09 make sure that the city
5:13 operates well. When we think
5:14 about that, then in terms
5:14 chart, we did just want to
5:17 want to drop back down. You
5:17 know, the simplification of
5:19 this or chart is really that
5:21 Dottie operates and business
5:23 lines that we operate across
5:25 the core system that really is
5:26 about infrastructure in the
5:28 preservation of services. And
5:28 we have several different
5:31 groups who manage We have
5:32 several different leaders.
5:33 You're going to hear from
5:34 basically 3 of us today. And
5:35 you could hear from a couple
5:37 of us tomorrow on Thursday,
5:39 but we're excited to show you
5:41 that the simplification of
5:41 daddy's or charge is actually
5:42 something that we've been
5:45 working on over the last few
5:46 years, too. And how we think
5:48 about again, a couple of
5:50 things. The overlap of
5:51 services, the center, she of
5:53 the relationships that are
5:53 different business lines have
5:55 with each other, the a
5:55 capacity to draw on different
5:56 resources as we go through for
5:57 things to come tournament to
6:00 finance to otherwise as well
6:01 as the delivery of exceptional
6:05 customer service. So when we
6:06 talk about the investments and
6:07 some of the paintings that we
6:08 wanted to talk about in this
6:11 budget this cycle is that
6:12 every investment in our
6:13 capital also creates an equal
6:16 investment on our rating. And
6:17 so when we think about the
6:17 growth of our infrastructure
6:20 and our systems here, we also
6:21 think about what the
6:22 commitments are about, how we
6:24 think about that long-term
6:25 preservation, the long-term
6:27 impact that it has on our core
6:28 services. So when you think
6:29 about our budget philosophy
6:31 this year, it's really based 3
6:33 tenants. The first is always
6:34 to protect those core
6:37 services, the services that
6:37 are the investments that we as
6:39 a city have made each other in
6:41 our infrastructure and our
6:44 facilities in our in our in
6:45 our systems and to assure that
6:46 those are the pieces to keep
6:49 moving every single day. The
6:50 second element that we think
6:50 about and again, it sounds
6:52 very redundant, but it is the
6:54 same is the preservation of
6:56 those assets. So not only are
6:58 we can sharing that we have
7:00 the operations that manage and
7:00 keep our systems moving in.
7:02 Our in our services going how
7:03 we ensure that the system stay
7:04 at the quality levels that we
7:07 need them to be. And that
7:08 plays itself across a variety
7:10 of areas, which is why in this
7:11 budget, as you see here and as
7:12 you see and Thursday, which
7:14 will talk about the vast
7:15 majority of the budgetary
7:17 dollars. Our about item number
7:19 2, the preservation of the
7:20 assets that we have already
7:22 have in our system. And then
7:23 lastly, our primary focus is
7:24 how do we continue to preserve
7:27 our workforce? Cut Cassidy,
7:27 how do we continue to maintain
7:28 it? How we ensure it and the
7:32 reason why for that, it's
7:32 because our people are who
7:34 turned that strategy into
7:37 just, for instance, when
7:37 service. And so you're not
7:39 you're funding through the
7:41 general fund, adding Fte, what
7:42 you're adding in is an
7:43 individual who can take
7:45 strategy and converted into an
7:46 service. You're adding a
7:47 planner in our wastewater
7:49 system who can design systems
7:50 and the and the in the pipes,
7:51 if you will, that feed the
7:53 investment that we make on our
7:54 capital side. Those people are
7:58 the engine under operates.
7:59 They are the secret to success
8:02 of how this organization works
8:03 to turn around and deliver for
8:03 and their job really is then
8:06 the city of Denver. And when
8:08 we think about that again,
8:09 just to if I if I haven't said
8:11 it once, say it 4 more times
8:12 is the focus again and what
8:13 our strategic outcomes really
8:16 are all about. It is about
8:17 that preservation of these
8:18 essential services in our
8:19 infrastructure. It's how we
8:21 build to the future. How we
8:23 think about what the services
8:24 and the systems that we needs
8:25 that are really going to
8:28 enhance the city and county,
8:28 whether its investments in our
8:29 rose to investments in our in
8:33 our sewer systems to how the
8:34 work that we do facilitates
8:36 economic growth and community
8:37 vitality. And all of that
8:38 wraps up into how we move in
8:39 really enabling. That's
8:44 thriving city. As we think
8:45 about that, our priorities. We
8:47 wanted to also come back to
8:49 yours and one of the things
8:50 that we wanted to make sure
8:52 that we reflected is how much
8:52 we overlap and share the
8:53 priorities of what a thriving
8:55 city is and what it looks like
8:56 and with you and what you've
8:59 said, are your priorities. But
9:01 you have in front of you as a
9:02 very response, if you well,
9:04 but it really it and
9:06 engagement about how the
9:06 programs in the services that
9:10 we operate and maintain
9:10 overlap with the priorities
9:11 that you have so thoughtfully
9:12 laid out for us as a city in
9:15 regards to community safety.
9:16 Climate response, how we think
9:18 about basic community
9:20 services. And while I want to
9:20 spend the time to go through
9:22 each one of these because
9:22 you're gonna see us deep dive
9:25 into this a little bit later,
9:26 what we wanted to be able to
9:28 articulate also is the budget
9:29 that is aligned with those
9:29 priorities and what it means
9:33 when we say that we're
9:34 supporting workers and
9:35 businesses, what we think with
9:36 our economic thriving and
9:36 Howard right of way system
9:40 works and how our contracting
9:43 partnerships really critically
9:43 help drive the capacity for
9:46 France's small businesses to
9:47 do work with So as we move
9:49 through this, I wanted to
9:49 consider that and talking a
9:53 little bit about equity when
9:53 we often come to this
9:55 discussion. We often show you
9:58 this map outlines and lays out
9:58 the investments that we make
10:02 is the city. How we think
10:04 about the investments over the
10:05 cross of the city in regards
10:07 to sort of are which as you're
10:08 aware, Dottie has a very
10:09 robust and extensive equity
10:12 assessment and consideration
10:13 and it helped guide helps
10:14 guide much of our investment
10:15 in what we do in our programs
10:18 and our projects. But it is
10:19 also when we talk about
10:20 equity, not just in what we
10:23 put out into the ground. It is
10:24 how we have relationships with
10:26 different partners in our
10:28 small businesses, medium-sized
10:30 businesses, the extensive
10:31 relationships that we have
10:33 with our does both programs
10:33 and how we sit and think about
10:35 what is it that people can
10:37 work with the city given that
10:38 we are a primary working arm
10:40 of the city and how they is
10:45 businesses can thrive. So from
10:46 our daddies, bagels and
10:47 business practices to our
10:49 programming that we have and
10:49 how we are mentoring helping a
10:51 small businesses and others
10:53 grow. These are also part of
10:54 our extensive equity programs
10:56 along with some work, fact
10:57 that we are doing right now
10:57 where we are doing racial
11:00 equity planning and thinking
11:01 inside of Dottie with each of
11:03 our different groups and
11:04 different divisions. So wanted
11:05 to emphasize some of that.
11:06 When we said we think and we
11:07 talk about equity, it is not
11:10 just an external relationship.
11:11 It is one that is also
11:11 internal inside of Dottie and
11:15 how we partner with community.
11:16 So as we talked about the
11:17 operating framework, let's get
11:19 into the numbers now in the
11:21 budget. So I want to take us
11:22 through the high level across
11:23 all of them. And then I'm
11:24 asking Cindy and Jim, to sort
11:26 of take you through different
11:26 divisional areas from our
11:28 wastewater to our solid waste
11:30 and others so that you all can
11:30 see and understand sort of how
11:32 this breaks down. Our
11:37 operating budget by source. It
11:38 is very similar. Almost like,
11:40 if you will, to what we had
11:41 last year in a proximate Lee,
11:43 450 Million Dollar Budget
11:45 program that is split out
11:46 among a variety of different
11:50 programs. As you can see here.
11:51 And so some of these are
11:52 enterprises engagement since
11:54 some of these are general
11:56 funded engagements. And so as
11:59 you notice the difference
12:00 again, just reference the the
12:01 the acronyms, another tms, the
12:02 transportation ability set
12:03 special revenue fund
12:05 value-based pricing to general
12:07 fund. But we're in the small,
12:07 far, far right corner. There
12:12 is a sidewalks. How we look at
12:14 this again from an operating
12:15 budget perspective. So
12:17 operating again is primarily