City Council

Monday, October 5, 2026, 3:30 p.m. (Denver time), Cathy Reynolds City Council Chamber 1437 Bannock Street, Room 450

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Documents

Summary

The Denver City Council met on Monday, October 5, 2026, with all 12 members present. The Council adopted two proclamations — one recognizing the Grito 5K Run/Walk and another honoring fallen Denver Police Officer Merle Neeting — and approved a bill (CB 26-13-05) prohibiting voluntary collection and disclosure of an individual's sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. The Council postponed a block of ten airport use-and-lease agreements (CR 26-13-48 through 26-13-57) and two other resolutions for one week, adopted a nearly $970,000 contract amendment with the law firm Wheeler Trigg O'Donnell after extensive debate over the firm's representation of GEO Group and the contract cost, and approved a $375,000 settlement payment bringing 2026 settlement totals to about $4.49 million. The Council also passed three bills aligning the ordinances governing the Caring for Denver, Denver Preschool Program, and Denver College Affordability/Prosperity Denver Fund sales-tax nonprofits, following required public hearings.

Transcript

0:07 A Denver. It's time for the

0:10 weekly general session of your

0:17 Denver City In tonight's

0:17 coverage of Denver City

0:20 Council starts now

0:30 thank you for taking time to

0:32 join us today for the Denver

0:33 City Council meeting today is

0:36 Monday, OCTOBER 5th 2026.

0:38 Tonight's meeting is being

0:38 interpreted into Spanish. Sam

0:41 are just mean, would you

0:42 please introduce yourself and

0:43 let our viewers know how to

0:44 enable translation on their

0:49 devices? Yes, of course. Thank

0:50 you everyone. My name Sam

0:53 Guzman. But the coc joining

0:55 you virtually through zoom.

0:57 And along my calling just

0:59 mean, we will be interpreting

1:02 today's meeting into Spanish.

1:03 Please allow me a quick

1:04 minute. Want to give

1:05 instructions in Spanish on how

1:08 to access interpretation? When

1:09 a starter you know, someone

1:13 money the cdc. He took them to

1:14 come equally. Doesn't mean

1:14 that it will sink the putt on

1:15 the left and on in the

1:18 spending. She's doing a

1:19 concert that be fun. Mental

1:21 performance consultant. I

1:22 yeah. One of the Little Kitty.

1:25 That up with us. Young. Pretty

1:26 much said. What do you the

1:27 selection Lopes who owns

1:30 Klutch on the south present

1:34 him into custody in the coming

1:34 What followed was consistent

1:36 thing put the finest Putin has

1:39 this point. Which is of the

1:40 essence. And thank you very

1:44 much thank you very much.

1:45 Welcome to the Denver City

1:46 Council meeting of Monday,

1:49 OCTOBER 5th, 2026 council

1:51 members please rise. Our

1:53 council members, please rise

1:54 with council member of the

1:56 jurors. As you are able to do

2:16 the Pledge council members

2:18 please join council member of

2:19 the dust as they lead us in

2:22 the Denver City Council land

2:23 Acknowledgement the Denver

2:26 City Council honors and

2:27 acknowledges that the land on

2:27 which we reside is the

2:28 traditional territory of the

2:31 Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples.

2:33 We also recognize the 48

2:34 contemporary tribal nations

2:36 that are historically tied to

2:37 the land that make up the

2:40 state of Colorado. We honor

2:42 elders past present and future

2:44 and those who have Stewart

2:46 steward of this land for

2:47 generations. We also recognize

2:51 that government academic and

2:52 cultural institutions were

2:54 founded upon and continue to

2:56 enact exclusions and shares

2:58 indigenous peoples made. This

2:59 acknowledgment demonstrate a

3:00 commitment to working to

3:04 dismantle ongoing legacies of

3:06 oppression and in equities and

3:07 recognize the current and

3:09 future contributions of

3:11 indigenous communities thank

3:14 you, MADAM Secretary. Roll

3:18 Call Council members Gilmore

3:25 here where it. Finance year.

3:31 These wouldn't here. And it f

3:34 times Cashman now present

3:37 Sandoval here watching

3:38 PRESIDENT American public

3:41 share it. Top members present.

3:42 There are 12 members present

3:44 council has a form approval of

3:46 the minutes. Are there any

3:46 corrections to the minutes of

3:51 SEPTEMBER? 28. Seeing none.

3:53 The minutes standard proved

3:54 council announcements. Are

3:54 there any announcements from

4:02 council members? It's going

4:04 get started with Councilmember

4:08 Sandoval. Thank you, my head

4:11 and a half point where he

4:13 might ever and her. Tonight we

4:14 hear trying to wish my had

4:15 been 24th wedding anniversary.

4:17 He's from 5th place trapped

4:20 and I'm wearing prevented that

4:22 mask is preseason and on and

4:23 get other state. But happy

4:25 anniversary to my has been

4:26 found sometimes on city

4:28 council. You have to celebrate

4:29 your in these type of setting.

4:33 It's I'm happy to do that. And

4:34 also I would help welcome all

4:38 of you to join me in than our

4:44 side asked line Recs center

4:48 their annual trunk or October

4:48 16th at 5.30, at

4:51 Representative, thank you.

4:53 MADAM PRESIDENT, thank you.

4:55 Council member of either Thank

4:55 you. Council PRESIDENT, I want

4:56 to do a shout out to the

4:58 Denver Porchfest team. We have

5:02 an epic week. Can council

5:03 district 7 with Porchfest

5:05 bringing almost 200 different

5:06 bands to the Baker

5:07 neighborhood. There was a lot

5:09 of dancing and fun to be had

5:12 and I want to shout out made

5:12 Laura specifically worked a

5:15 lot to make that happen. I

5:17 thank you to the Department of

5:17 Transportation and

5:18 Infrastructure who worked with

5:20 us to close streets something

5:23 that has been very hard to do.

5:24 So I'm very grateful for You I

5:27 also just wanted to take a

5:32 moment to talk about Jane Doe.

5:37 And the incident at court. I.

5:40 My heart is with everyone that

5:46 assaulted And this time we've

5:46 has then assaulted, sexually

5:49 had several people reach out

5:50 bow their specific

5:54 experiences. I myself have

5:56 been sexually assaulted

5:57 several times throughout my

6:01 life. Sometimes at school.

6:03 Think that it took maybe 10

6:05 years after time, but I was

6:07 assaulted to release it and

6:09 recognize that what happened

6:10 was a consensual. That because

6:11 he stopped because I was

6:15 crying, have left. I never

6:17 even thought of calling the

6:20 police and as young woman, I

6:22 was never taught that my value

6:25 was enough to tarnish a man's

6:26 reputation or to bother

6:29 calling 9-1-1 and bother

6:31 investigations. And this is

6:32 something that is a story that

6:35 many people share. And my

6:37 heart is with every single

6:39 person and Jane Doe who is

6:41 fully realizing the

6:42 ramifications of speaking out

6:44 and the struggle of talking

6:45 about these horrible things

6:48 that can be humiliating that

6:51 can be you can be judged for

6:53 sharing. And I want elevate

6:54 the voices of victims

6:55 everywhere in this moment.

6:56 Thank Thank you. Council

6:59 PRESIDENT. Thank you and thank

7:00 you for being vulnerable and

7:02 sharing with us. Councilmember

7:06 consoles could get Thank you,

7:07 MADAM PRESIDENT, thank you.

7:09 Council in all the that for

7:12 sharing. I think we said it

7:13 earlier. It to change a little

7:14 bit topics but happy birthday.

7:17 Also happy belated birthday so

7:20 I don't know if folks side,

7:21 but there was an announcement

7:22 that the Immigrant Rights

7:24 Coalition made today and a

7:25 press release. And I just

7:28 wanted to bring it to light.

7:30 Colorado Immigrant Rights

7:31 Coalition house a circle and

7:33 American Friends Service

7:34 Committee fsc the Colorado

7:35 Rapid Response Network we all

7:39 know as corn, the volunteer

7:40 network released a new report

7:42 about ice activity in

7:44 Colorado. The report draws on

7:45 a year and a half of data

7:47 collected through thousands of

7:49 calls to the Koran hotline. It

7:51 reveals that ice operations

7:53 occurred nearly every day in

7:55 Denver. There are some key

7:55 findings that this council

7:59 should be aware of of the

8:00 people detained by ice last

8:03 year. 73% have children. 18%

8:06 have children that are U.S.

8:07 Citizens. 37% of people

8:09 detained by ice pending U.S.

8:11 asylum application. Family

8:13 petition you visa or other

8:14 type of pending immigration

8:18 application. 3 U.S. Citizens

8:19 in Denver were picked up by

8:21 ice last year. The Corn

8:26 hotline is 1, 8, 4, 4, a 6, 4,

8:27 8, 3, 4, 1, If you don't have

8:28 it, put it on your phone. And

8:32 that's a bit as a contact. The

8:35 hotline is 24 7, bilingual and

8:36 completely anonymous. If you

8:37 think you see ice and Amber,

8:38 please call the Hotline. Thank

8:41 you, MADAM PRESIDENT, thank

8:45 Councilmember Watson. Thank

8:48 you so much. Council PRESIDENT

8:51 Thank you council member

8:54 either as telling a story and

8:55 making sure that folks realize

8:59 that. On this diocese lived

8:59 experience that art. That's

9:04 here allows us to elevate our

9:07 voices for voices that can't.

9:08 And so hearts go out to you.

9:11 We love you and thank you so

9:12 much for telling your story

9:13 and also happy birthday. We

9:14 leaders need to stick together

9:18 and sell. Birthday to Yeah, I

9:20 don't mess with Got a few

9:22 events happening to find

9:24 district 9 Lisa Curtis Park,

9:26 Public update meeting will be

9:30 at the Montessori Academy on 5

9:31 points. Curtis Park on Tuesday

9:34 night tomorrow night from

9:36 5.30, on Till 06:30pm. We have

9:38 a small group that is coming

9:39 together to discuss public

9:39 arts and that's from the one

9:42 percent for art. That's coming

9:44 out of the mist. Lisa Curtis

9:46 Park reopening, which will be

9:49 in 2028. But we're determining

9:49 what neighbors and what it MAY

9:50 input what type of our Tom

9:52 should be accompanying that

9:55 throughout Curtis Park on so

9:56 thanks the neighbors for the

9:58 work that you're doing and I

9:59 look forward to joining there

10:02 and look forward to joining

10:04 with COUNCILWOMAN Louis on

10:05 Wednesday, OCTOBER 7th the

10:06 near Northeast Area Plan

10:08 Advisory Committee were a

10:11 meeting in COUNCILMAN Lewis's

10:13 Dalia campus for health and

10:15 well-being from 5.30, to

10:17 07:30pm. This is more of a

10:19 discussion for the advisory

10:21 group to discuss important

10:23 outcomes from the land use and

10:26 human process. We're doing for

10:28 this neighborhood plan. But

10:29 all absolutely want encourage

10:29 folks to come out and

10:31 listening. Courage of the

10:33 advisory board to be there and

10:35 to be present in important

10:37 event to decide how our land

10:41 he's used within our

10:41 communities in the north

10:44 northeast on Saturday, OCTOBER

10:47 tense from 05:00pm to 08:00pm

10:48 5 points. Jazz roots

10:51 celebration on The Savoy

10:52 Denver, this a big blowout

10:56 that we do every year. Want to

10:59 thank the 5 points bid on jazz

10:59 artists and neighbors

11:00 throughout chair. We have

11:02 what's called the objects

11:05 routes celebration. And one of

11:07 folks come down to beautiful 5

11:08 points and enjoy some good

11:09 music, some good food and some

11:09 good community. Thank you,

11:12 MADAM PRESIDENT. Thank you.

11:14 Councilmember Luis, let's

11:15 change you. Thank you so much.

11:18 COUNCILWOMAN Olivia, just

11:19 fair. You're staring in your

11:20 words and of course, happy

11:23 birthday. I wanted to announce

11:25 a few things. First, I wanted

11:27 to thank everyone who had the

11:29 opportunity to attend the

11:29 budget book Club. I like to

11:30 think Oz when Cashman as well

11:34 as Heinz and Council Pro Tem

11:34 Gonzalez Gutierrez for their

11:35 participation. Really

11:37 appreciate you all. Also

11:40 thanks to the staff from these

11:41 as well for the added work on

11:43 nights and weekends that you

11:45 all we were to do only I think

11:45 we've got some pretty good

11:47 budget amendments from those

11:51 conversations East Colfax your

11:52 ballot boxes for those of you

11:54 at or even sitting here who

11:56 don't East Colfax is not just

11:57 a general area, but a specific

11:59 neighborhood in Denver and

12:00 unlike other neighborhoods in

12:03 the district or nearby, the

12:04 neighborhood lacks facilities

12:05 like a library, a recreation

12:07 center, or even a ballot box.

12:09 And so folks in the

12:10 neighborhood ban together and

12:12 work with both myself and the

12:13 clerk and recorder to obtain a

12:14 ballot box in the

12:15 neighborhood. So the clerk it

12:18 actually acquired the ballot

12:20 box back in 2023. But because

12:24 of some challenges in

12:26 requirements for placing a

12:28 ballot box. It took a lot

12:29 longer to be able to install

12:30 But this morning, which I'm

12:34 super excited it was my

12:34 distinct pleasure to attend

12:37 the opening of the East Colfax

12:40 ballot box dedicated to a

12:41 local activists. And so thank

12:42 you to the clerk and recorder

12:46 Paul Lopez his tireless. That

12:48 is tireless advocacy for his

12:49 staff as well. And all of the

12:52 communities who showed up

12:55 activated in for ballot

12:55 Ballots are in the mail. And

12:56 so the use your new ballot box

12:59 and feel it on up. The next

13:03 thing that I wanted shout out.

13:04 It's just that think folks who

13:06 were able to come to our

13:08 council district for screening

13:09 of unconditional. For those of

13:11 you that don't know. It's a

13:12 documentary from and about the

13:15 Basic Income project. It was a

13:17 pretty powerful piece of

13:18 testimony as to the efficacy

13:18 of these kinds of programs.

13:22 And so next, a shout out to

13:23 the streets attorney for

13:24 hosting and the community we

13:28 have panel that occurred after

13:29 the screening was Chantel. Al

13:30 and Charlie and all of them

13:33 were part of the the Basic

13:37 Income Project and there was a

13:38 question from one of the

13:40 community members asking about

13:41 where they were simply because

13:42 they had a chance to screen

13:44 where they were now. And one

13:44 of the things that I've just

13:47 been holding on to is one of

13:48 the folks at the screening

13:51 said she was not doing well

13:52 and that she wished that she

13:55 had basic income right now

13:56 because she tried to make

13:57 money with Uber and lives. But

13:58 because gas is so expensive,

13:59 she's actually paying Cooper

14:01 lift because she's not

14:03 bringing in additional income.

14:05 And so I know that there are

14:05 some folks who don't believe

14:09 that the Denver basic income,

14:10 project was a success. But I

14:11 would encourage folks to make

14:12 that determination, not by the

14:13 data that MAY have been

14:16 presented with the eu, but by

14:18 the stories of those who were

14:19 previously benefiting from the

14:20 Denver Basic Income Project in

14:22 a now carrying a burden that

14:25 are now carrying the burden of

14:27 surviving without basic income

14:29 and then finally, I just

14:30 wanted to say that I'm super

14:31 excited about the opening of

14:32 brt. If you know me, you know,

14:35 I love public transportation

14:37 and portions along Park Hill

14:38 in other parts of East Colfax

14:42 construction being done the

14:42 as looking forward to that

14:43 business is really feeling

14:44 that released of pressure and

14:45 as the rest of the line

14:48 continues to be open. And so

14:50 they're excited for you.

14:51 COUNCILMAN Walks in and sits

14:52 well as you can sometimes the

14:54 opening of your second segment

14:56 and I look forward to

14:57 celebrating the near future.

14:59 My second minutes. Thank Thank

15:01 you. Councilmember Hines,

15:04 thank you. MADAM PRESIDENT,

15:05 you know what? I'm going take