City Council

Tuesday, October 13, 2026, 3:30 p.m. (Denver time), Cathy Reynolds City Council Chamber 1437 Bannock Street, Room 450

Video of the meeting

On the agenda

Roll-call votes

Documents

Summary

The Denver City Council held its October 13, 2026 general session. The meeting opened with roll call (12 members present), council announcements including a bias-motivated attack on a Muslim mother in Washington Park and the launch of a Data Center Working Group. The Council adopted proclamations for Indigenous Peoples Day (Proclamation 26-15-05) and the 2026 Veterans Stand Down (26-15-03). Two technology contracts failed: Council Resolution 26-13-73 (Sunny chatbot/311 AI, failed 9 nays) and 26-13-72 (Slalom consulting, failed 10 nays), after members raised concerns about AI replacing staff, lapsed contracts, budget sources, and procurement process. The Council then debated and adopted a block of ten airport use-and-lease agreements (26-13-48 through 26-13-57, adopted 11 ayes), focusing heavily on Key Lime Air's role in ICE deportation flights at DIA, with members citing federal grant obligations and arguing the signed leases provide contractual accountability mechanisms. The Council adopted a proclamation opposing Colorado Proposition 132 on fentanyl mandatory minimums (26-14-64) and one honoring Matthew Shepard (26-15-04). A required public hearing rezoning three Denver Housing Authority properties in Barnum/Barnum West for affordable tandem homes passed 11 ayes (Council Bill 26-12-52).

Transcript

0:09 A Denver. It's time for the

0:12 weekly general session of your

0:17 Denver City Council. In

0:19 tonight's coverage of Denver

0:21 City Council starts next

0:31 Good afternoon. And thank you

0:32 for taking time to join us for

0:34 the Denver City Council's

0:35 meeting today is Tuesday,

0:38 OCTOBER 13th 2026. Tonight's

0:40 meeting is being interpreted

0:42 into Spanish. The camera just

0:43 mean, would you please

0:44 introduce yourself and let our

0:45 viewers know how to enable

0:48 translation on their devices

0:53 Yes, thank you, Lori. One.

0:54 Good afternoon. When started

0:57 my name is Sam Guzman with the

0:57 joining you virtually through

0:58 zoom in along with my

1:01 colleague just me. We will be

1:01 interpreting today's meeting

1:05 Spanish. Please allow me a

1:09 quick Thank you. Instructions

1:11 interpretation when doesn't

1:11 and spend it on that axis

1:12 always mean someone's mind,

1:14 putting the same to say you

1:16 them to come because just

1:17 means that a motion to put on

1:20 the left on over-under sprint.

1:22 On the south of gunmen put

1:24 portable. It was consultant.

1:25 Thank you. When you go into

1:28 low key saying that put the

1:30 opening a civil tone he next

1:31 me love this project and this

1:34 one, too. Too soon to go

1:35 inside prison term and Toni

1:39 Collette and not come up

1:40 before Ward can almost

1:41 unthinkable the furnace put up

1:41 with it is content in spring

1:43 of. Which is that And thank

1:51 you very much. Welcome to the

1:53 Denver City Council meeting of

1:56 Tuesday, OCTOBER 13th 2026

1:58 council members. Please,

2:00 please join Councilmember

2:06 Sandoval in the Pledge of

2:23 Allegiance council members.

2:25 Please join Councilmember

2:25 Sandoval as they lead us in

2:28 the Denver City Council. Land

2:30 knowledge. The Denver City

2:31 Council on using knowledge is

2:36 that the land on which it is

2:38 the traditional territory. Of

2:41 you, Shannon and Arapahoe We

2:44 also recognize the

2:45 contemporary tribal nations

2:45 that are historically tied to

2:46 the lands that make up the

2:51 state of Colorado. We honor

2:52 elders past present and future

2:54 and those who have Stewart did

2:57 this land throughout

3:00 generations. We also recognize

3:02 that government academic and

3:03 cultural institution to were

3:06 founded upon and continued to

3:08 enact exclusion. Any wagers of

3:11 indigenous peoples made this

3:12 acknowledgment demonstrate a

3:15 commitment to working. They

3:17 need to dismantle ongoing

3:20 legacies of oppression and

3:22 equities and recognize the

3:23 current and future

3:23 contributions of indigenous

3:27 communities in Denver. Thank

3:32 MADAM Secretary. Roll Kens

3:45 numbers. So defense plan you

3:48 kind Cashman. We get there.

3:51 PRESIDENT Sandoval, told and

3:55 staying here. Watson, people

3:58 here top members present.

3:59 There are 12 members present

4:01 council has a quorum approve

4:02 the minutes. Are there any

4:03 corrections to the minutes of

4:08 OCTOBER? 5th? Seeing none. The

4:10 minutes stand approved council

4:12 announcements. Are there any

4:13 announcements from council

4:18 members? Let's go ahead and

4:19 get started with council

4:23 member of the thank you

4:23 council PRESIDENT. I first

4:24 wanted to thank the host

4:28 department for working with on

4:30 restoring the Queen City.

4:32 question that we got over the

4:32 Co-op alone. That was a

4:33 weekend and has been restored.

4:37 So we really are grateful to

4:38 that collaboration. Second of

4:42 all, I wanted to take a moment

4:45 to share that. I am deeply

4:47 saddened and disturbed by

4:48 reported bias motivated attack

4:49 on a Muslim mother in Denver's

4:53 Wash Park. On Wednesday,

4:56 OCTOBER 7th in front of her

4:59 children reports that same

4:59 individual had a direct

5:00 directed anti Muslim comments

5:03 toward her the day before

5:05 before she was assaulted. The

5:07 next no one should ever fear

5:08 for their safety because of

5:08 their face identity or what

5:12 they would wear as long phobia

5:15 hate and violence have no

5:15 place in Denver. And I just

5:18 wanted to send my condolences

5:21 and not woman know that care

5:22 and am here in whatever way

5:23 that she would like us to

5:25 Thank you. Council PRESIDENT,

5:28 thank Councilmember Watson,

5:30 thank you, council PRESIDENT

5:32 Thank you. Councilmember Peter

5:35 does for a living not We are a

5:36 welcoming city where safe

5:37 harbor for folks from around

5:39 the world and across the

5:40 country to come to Denver

5:41 thank you for making it clear

5:44 that in the city county of

5:47 Denver, we did a poll but

5:48 hatred we don't put up with

5:51 Anti-Semitism, GOPro, hatred

5:53 neighbors as well. And we

5:55 intend to be in solidarity and

5:57 council towards announcement

6:01 was a thank to the over 200

6:03 community members that apply

6:05 to be members of the Data

6:05 Center working Group calm here

6:06 in the city and county of

6:09 Denver. We held our first

6:12 meeting last Friday. The with

6:14 the 29 members are selected

6:14 through a very thorough

6:19 process. Took several months

6:20 about going through that

6:21 process. The data Center

6:22 working Group provides the

6:23 opportunity for community

6:26 members to help a city council

6:30 members regulations for data

6:32 centers and to be the voice is

6:33 elevated to make the decisions

6:36 on those regulations. We have

6:39 folks from the health care

6:39 industry. We have union

6:42 members. We have folks from

6:44 the this is industry. We have

6:47 city council members. My 2

6:49 colleagues Pro Gonzalez

6:52 Gutierrez and councilmember

6:56 Cashman are on this working

6:57 group. All focus is There's

6:57 been a lot of discussions

6:59 about data centers throughout

7:01 the U.S. And throughout

7:03 Colorado, Denver has chosen to

7:05 lead and we're leading with

7:06 community voice. So thank you

7:08 all for participating

7:09 community members that are not

7:12 members of the working group.

7:14 You have control role in this

7:15 process continue providing us

7:18 input and we intended to

7:19 continue working this process

7:20 until we have an outcome that

7:23 we can regulate data centers

7:24 in this city like we do any

7:25 other industry. Thank you,

7:26 MADAM PRESIDENT, thank you.

7:28 Councilmember Sandoval, 3,

7:31 Thank you. MADAM PRESIDENT.

7:35 All right. Have right around

7:43 the Friday last line wrecks in

7:47 is our annual trunk or treat.

7:49 So car set up at 5.30 and they

7:52 fun. Kicks off right at 6 pm.

7:55 So if you have little kiddos

7:56 who you want to take out

7:56 trick-or-treating, go to

7:58 Iceland Recs center, which

8:00 people people less people

8:02 might not know. It's on. 46,

8:02 the Navajo. So it's a great

8:05 community resource a great

8:08 center. So please join us at a

8:10 recs and then also in the

8:11 north side happening this

8:14 Saturday is the tennis in Fall

8:15 fest all up and down 10

8:18 descend from 38th Avenue to

8:20 about 46th Avenue. It's closed

8:23 off and it's from 10:00am to

8:25 06:00pm. It's great. If i

8:26 wasn't at a town, I would

8:29 totally be It's right on.

8:32 There are tennis in Carter and

8:33 it's activating neighborhood

8:33 in exactly what we want see.

8:36 Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT,

8:38 thank you. Councilmember Luis,

8:41 I thank you so much. I wanted

8:42 to I know that many of us as

8:42 council members that they

8:46 reached out to Craig Whyte

8:48 regarding the Queen City co-op

8:48 in 9, 1, to 2 expression.

8:51 Thank council. Sandoval for

8:52 the work that she did over the

8:54 weekend. That I'm aware of to

8:55 make sure that that project

8:56 was able to go forward. And so

8:57 thank you for your work on

9:01 that you were able to do in

9:02 community. I also wanted to

9:03 thank everyone who was able to

9:06 attend the press conference

9:07 this morning. We were very

9:09 excited to announce Park Hill

9:10 Park stat the design firm that

9:13 we selected in. We're really

9:14 excited about it. But one

9:17 thing that I was sitting with

9:18 earlier as I was going into

9:19 the celebration for Park, your

9:22 parka side received a phone

9:23 call from a constituent as I

9:26 was walking in and the

9:26 constituent told COUNCILMAN

9:27 Luis have to the grocery store

9:28 lately yes, ma'am, I been to

9:31 the grocery store and she says

9:34 these prices are

9:35 unsustainable. And I was like

9:38 and it was not lost on me that

9:39 we were celebrating the

9:42 investment of 70 million

9:43 dollars in the park for many

9:44 families are struggling to

9:46 feed their children are

9:46 struggling to provide.

9:47 Transportation are struggling

9:49 with housing costs. And so

9:50 while this is a celebration, i

9:51 hope that we can hold the

9:54 tension of those being able to

9:55 invest in our communities, but

9:57 making sure that the

9:59 investment that we have in

10:00 communities ensures that the

10:01 communities that have lived

10:03 there who have left their who

10:05 have built the continue to

10:07 exist and are able continue to

10:11 afford to stay and their

10:12 beloved communities. Some

10:12 thank Thank Council member of

10:15 the dress. Thank you for the

10:17 second chance. With all the

10:18 seriousness, I forgot to

10:19 mention that we have the

10:19 Broadway Halloween parade this

10:21 weekend. So join us this

10:24 Saturday. 06:00pm Broadway

10:27 between 6th Avenue and I-25

10:28 and we'll have a great time

10:28 bringing costume have some

10:30 time thank you. Council

10:32 PRESIDENT, thank you.

10:33 Councilmember Cashman. Yeah,

10:34 thank you, council PRESIDENT.

10:37 I want to thank my COUNCILMAN

10:41 Of the for bringing up that

10:46 terrible incident and Wash

10:47 Park and published newspaper

10:51 named after part for 35 years.

10:54 Represented that district for

10:56 11 years when my kids were

10:58 younger, we lived across the

11:00 street from the park on

11:00 Virginia Avenue, down by the

11:03 fire station. There and know

11:04 that park has always been a

11:08 place joy people of all races,

11:11 colors, creeds, national

11:13 origin, gender, you name just

11:19 having a great time. Now say,

11:20 haters gonna hate, ok? I

11:21 understand that it's that's

11:24 been part of the backdrop for

11:25 ever. But I just can't ignore

11:30 the fact that to be kind the

11:33 individual who resides in the

11:37 White House now has made it

11:40 every day it to spew a level

11:44 of salt that I just haven't

11:47 seen coming from that level of

11:48 public figure and all the time

11:50 I paid attention, you know,

11:53 then the is it's a good

11:54 commercial I've seen before.

12:06 One of our political campaigns

12:08 candidate, wasn't. Gabe Evans

12:12 standing. There was 4 guys

12:12 throwing around insults and

12:17 the in salt that they was

12:18 vicious who is very different

12:20 to his opponent as a vegan

12:24 activist from Yale. And they

12:25 spit that out like that's

12:27 something to be ashamed of.

12:32 This is insane. I mean, it is

12:34 absolutely insane. I still

12:36 stand for the pledge, but it

12:40 gets difficult some days

12:41 because not because any lack

12:42 of love or respect for our

12:46 country, some of stuff that's

12:50 being accepted and promoted

12:52 and accelerated is simply has

12:55 to stop. It is not value that

12:57 drew, I don't care whether

13:00 Republican Democrat who you

13:03 are. I've never seen any other

13:08 time with this level rancor

13:10 and public in coming from

13:13 people that should be setting

13:13 an example. So to go back, my

13:15 heart goes out to the woman

13:19 who victimized wash park and

13:22 certainly I love for her and

13:25 her family. But we need to

13:26 call the task that people are

13:29 promoting this Thank MADAM.

13:34 Kristin, thank you. I do have

13:36 an announcement for this

13:37 Wednesday. The People's Budget

13:41 Block Party for the cycle. 3

13:43 voting kickoff is It is going

13:45 to happen over there. I

13:47 believe at 16, 50 south and

13:52 Bourke Street 16, 50 South.

13:55 First Street is at a community

13:55 So if you're on Colorado

13:57 Boulevard, it's a little bit

14:00 east they're behind a best

14:03 buy. Okay. I'm getting

14:06 landmarks, but that's where it

14:07 Very excited. There's going to

14:07 be food trucks that we prizes

14:08 and giveaways. Local artists

14:12 will also be there. Very

14:13 exciting because this a time

14:16 that we have whole bunch great

14:19 projects that are in the queue

14:21 from the near South East Amber

14:22 Plan. So just very much

14:23 encourage people to come out

14:26 and join us and learn more and

14:32 vote. So thank Seeing no other

14:34 council members in the queue.

14:37 There are no presentations.

14:39 There are no communications.

14:40 There are 2 proclamations

14:41 being read this afternoon

14:42 council members. Would you

14:45 please join me in reading

14:47 Proclamation are reading

14:48 proclamation. 26 15. 0,

14:52 Councilmember Tours. Thank

14:54 you. Proclamation. 26 15. 0,

14:56 people stay in the city and

14:56 5, in observance of indigenous

14:59 county of Denver, whereas the

15:01 state of Colorado defiant

15:02 defines indigenous as having

15:03 descended from people who were

15:06 living in North America prior

15:06 to the time people from Europe

15:08 begins settling in North

15:10 America being an enrolled

15:11 member of a federally

15:13 recognized Indian tribe. We're

15:14 being a lineal descendant of

15:15 tribally, enrolled parent or

15:19 guardian and whereas the

15:22 Denver City Council recognizes

15:23 that indigenous peoples have

15:26 lived in florist on alliance,

15:29 known as the Americas. That

15:31 the memorial and that Denver

15:32 and the surrounding

15:33 communities are built upon the

15:34 ancestral homelands of

15:38 numerous indigenous peoples,

15:40 including for land Base,

15:40 sovereign nations, the

15:43 Southern Ute Ute Mountain Ute.

15:45 The Northern Arapaho and the

15:48 northern Cheyenne along with

15:49 45 additional tribes with

15:51 legal and historic stand. It

15:53 and is home to the descendants

15:58 of approximately 150 tribal

15:59 nations or the homelands in

16:01 communities of the southern

16:04 the Ute Mountain Ute, the

16:06 Northern Arapaho, northern

16:07 Cheyenne peoples, along the

16:09 banks of the Cherry Creek and

16:11 the South Platte River

16:13 Confluence gave rise to future

16:14 encampments of newcomers. That

16:16 would become the birthplace of

16:19 the mile High City. As the

16:21 Denver City Council

16:23 acknowledges that the land

16:24 upon which the city stands was

16:27 not legally transferred under

16:29 the 18. 61 for wise treaty due