Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 10:30 a.m. (Denver time), City & County Building, Room 391
The Health and Safety Committee, chaired by Council Member Watson, held a proclamation discussion on Colorado Amendment 81, a ballot measure that would require state and local law enforcement to make a reasonable effort to determine the lawful presence of individuals charged with certain crimes. Members speaking in support said it conflicts with Denver's longstanding policies against city collaboration with federal immigration enforcement, with one speaker calling it an elimination of due process for people who are charged but not convicted. The committee then took up an action item (record 261435, Department of Safety), an ordinance amending the automated vehicle enforcement system to align with state Senate Bill 152 on speed cameras, mobile speed cameras, and red light enforcement. Staff from the Department of Safety, Department of Finance, City Attorney's office, DOTI, and the Mayor's Office of Social Equity and Innovation answered questions on revenue placement, camera locations, data retention, and equity. The item was moved, seconded, and approved by the committee with a voice/thumbs vote. Six consent items were called off and the meeting adjourned.
0:07 Welcome back to this weekly
0:08 meeting of the Health and
0:09 Safety Committee with Denver
0:15 City Council. Coverage of the
0:16 Health and Safety Committee
0:18 starts now.
0:29 In the morning. And welcome to
0:29 day is Wednesday, OCTOBER
0:30 14th. This is a health and
0:32 safety Committee. My name is
0:34 Darrell Watson, Monitor chair
0:34 of the Health and Safety
0:35 Committee as well as city
0:36 council member representing
0:40 all of the fine district 9. We
0:41 have one briefing in one
0:43 action item today. But before
0:44 we jump into the agenda, when
0:45 we go around the room and have
0:46 introductions from
0:48 councilmembers starting right,
0:49 our Kevin Flynn, southwest
0:53 number district, 2. Everyone,
0:59 Senate themselves at large. I
1:00 do good cause after doing well
1:04 might be nice good Ashley
1:04 destruction good morning,
1:06 everyone at the table. I think
1:12 we council PRESIDENT Hi, good
1:16 morning. Diana Romero
1:18 Campbell, Southeast Denver
1:22 district 4. Do we have anyone
1:26 else Seeing We have 2 guests
1:30 and yard and said I thought
1:32 let me start first Introducing
1:35 that we have Katie Olson and
1:36 Marissa Chris incentive. They
1:38 produce that would embarrass.
1:40 I'm like. And so folks can see
1:42 These are to see you put a
1:44 journalism students from see a
1:47 Boulder. Thank you so much for
1:49 being here. Thank you so much
1:52 for coming down being a part
1:55 of, you know, this important
1:58 process that our students and
2:01 welcome all with that. We have
2:02 the first item on the agenda
2:04 is a proclamation discussion
2:07 for Colorado Amendment. 81 pro
2:08 tem of the contenders are
2:09 turned over to you. Thank you,
2:11 MR. This is a proclamation
2:12 similar to what we did last
2:13 council having on many brought
2:14 a proclamation through because
2:16 this is involving policy
2:17 positions. And so at this is
2:18 in the in the same vein and
2:20 myself and COUNCILMAN Told us
2:21 are bringing this one through.
2:23 This is regarding amendment
2:28 81. I think unfortunately
2:29 there is that as I stated even
2:30 last night in last week of
2:32 this committee, there's an
2:35 organization that is trying to
2:39 bypass process by bringing
2:41 very harmful propositions
2:44 measure ballot measures to our
2:48 ballots looking at amendment
2:49 81, which would require our
2:50 state and local law
2:51 enforcement to make a
2:55 reasonable effort to determine
2:56 whether an individual charged
2:59 with a crime is lawfully
3:01 present If the charge is a
3:04 crime of violence or the
3:06 individual has a prior felony
3:07 or convention conviction, it's
3:08 essentially requiring that our
3:09 state and local law
3:11 enforcement collaborate with
3:12 ice. And that is something
3:17 that actually took back in
3:21 2017 as an issue of has not
3:22 collaborating with not part
3:24 our city. Employees are not
3:26 allowed to ask some buddies
3:27 status documentation status.
3:28 And that was something that
3:30 this body took up back. Then
3:33 and that the city passed and
3:36 then the state followed some
3:40 years later. And so this is
3:41 something that clearly
3:43 violates what our intentions
3:45 are as a city and as a state.
3:47 And so we are, you know,
3:49 asking for support going
3:52 forward. As we talked about
3:53 last week, our process
3:56 bringing these proclamations
3:57 and through that committee is
4:00 not for votes. But as
4:02 discussion and going forward,
4:05 forward to bringing that to
4:08 the full body and are open to
4:09 any questions. And also what
4:11 welcome COUNCILMAN Thomas,
4:12 who's my co sponsor of the
4:15 Proclamation. And welcome
4:18 concert tours and counsel said
4:19 about moment or city which any
4:20 other thoughts love to open it
4:21 up for councilmembers that
4:23 they have any questions or
4:28 comments. Only I think juror
4:30 sent city us this potential
4:33 ballot measure measure. Is for
4:34 community think we've made
4:40 really clear point in Denver
4:41 over decades. One a community,
4:45 really matters. And that their
4:48 sense of safety in the in the
4:51 city MAY is direct has a
4:53 direct impact every neighbors
4:56 sense of safety the community.
4:57 And that's I think one of the
4:58 reasons we wanted to make sure
4:59 too, I share a perspective
5:02 about this particular measure
5:05 really aligned with the way
5:07 that we've operated Qatar.
5:08 Thank you so much. Pro good
5:11 get. Harris, thanks so much.
5:12 Councilmember for council
5:19 questions or comments. Thank
5:20 you can put country to realize
5:24 that injured to my
5:25 understanding planned to be
5:29 corrected wrong, which I hope
5:31 I'm not. Denver's not taken a
5:34 position we don't ever work
5:35 work with We've with Dicen
5:42 will continue to specific.
5:45 Occurrences weather a drug
5:46 trafficking, human situation.
5:49 We just don't immigration. You
5:55 know everybody knows officers
5:57 busy they can possibly be used
6:00 and don't have the time to do
6:00 that. And I do think it's a
6:02 value as well that we want
6:04 them to be doing safety work
6:12 in Denver. But yeah, I in
6:26 addition, yes, eyes presents
6:33 are for sheriff who is
6:46 honor those warrants. We honor
6:46 the legal process we just want
6:46 to be extra cautious. As my
6:46 assigned warrant. We will
6:46 colleagues are doing and
6:46 trying to protect. In members
6:47 from unfair, a just want make
6:47 sure come realize we're just
6:47 not. We'll never talk to So
6:47 of our immigrant community
6:47 there's appropriate
6:52 interactions along the way.
6:53 Customer and not just respond.
6:57 Sat next to police chief is
7:00 delivered the message to
7:04 community they don't want to
7:05 be the space of enforcing
7:06 immigration and which isn't
7:08 even with this ballot measure
7:10 is this is actually just a
7:11 pure elimination of due
7:12 process for individuals who
7:16 are charged with a crime, not
7:19 convicted. This cause so many
7:23 steps what we are for did as
7:25 residents of the United
7:26 States. That piece, I think
7:32 the most egregious about Thank
7:33 you so much customer towards a
7:34 look around the room and then
7:35 also council PRESIDENT Online.
7:40 If have a comment or question
7:41 please raise your hand, let us
7:42 Let's give it one more second
7:42 rounder room. See there
7:48 someone He did because
7:54 PRESIDENT, please Yeah, no. I
7:55 just wanted the council
7:56 members for bringing this
7:57 forward and really
7:59 highlighting and I think the
8:01 there are so many things on
8:03 the ballot being able to have
8:04 a proclamation and let people
8:10 know. How we feel about this
8:10 bill. And a position from
8:11 counsel, I think is going to
8:12 be really important just thank
8:14 you for bringing it forward.
8:15 Thank you. Council PRESIDENT
8:19 And I and I agree, I think
8:20 this is a really long ballot
8:21 and what our family does. My
8:24 husband and I I'm always sit
8:26 around the table and we go for
8:28 it about and my mom ask a
8:30 5 million questions for each
8:30 of the 5 million things that
8:33 are on the ballot. And so it
8:35 takes while this was one of
8:36 the longest that we've done
8:37 and the complexity of, you
8:41 know, watch on the ballot and
8:42 that and many of these items
8:46 to replace specifically on the
8:49 ballot and they were made
8:52 seemingly not complex but for
8:54 a very complex impactful
8:56 things. And so this being the
8:57 second night of that city
8:58 council is taking a position
8:59 on. I think this one is
9:00 important because this is a
9:02 really good who we are and
9:04 what our city has been a safe
9:05 AUGUST. Thank you both
9:06 councilmembers bring this
9:09 forward. Looking for tapping
9:10 that further discussion on the
9:10 floor. Tendon all looking
9:12 forward to voting on
9:14 proclamation. Thank you. Thank
9:16 Thank you both so much. And
9:18 with that, we have one action
9:22 item on the agenda. 2, 6, 1,
9:23 4, 3, 5, department safe. The
9:26 ordinance amending the
9:27 automated vehicle Education
9:29 system. And so Angela Qcs and
9:33 team bring them all We'll give
9:35 you a few moments to set we'll
9:38 open up your presentation. As
9:40 a reminder to our council
9:43 members as well as to the
9:46 folks the this online.
9:49 Presentation was provided last
9:52 This was delayed to answer
9:54 handful city council member
9:55 questions on. So this will be
9:57 another presentation this
10:01 week. But obviously the team
10:02 is prepared to provide any
10:03 slide, a management for anyone
10:05 that needs to see everybody.
10:06 This is really an opportunity
10:08 for us to ask any final
10:10 question. Can see as a bus you
10:10 i'll turn it over to you for
10:12 introductions and instruction
10:13 of your team. If you wanted to
10:14 pick up the first we can begin
10:18 with your presentation. All
10:19 right. Thank you very much.
10:19 Thanks so council members for
10:22 having us back today. We have
10:23 a presentation. I didn't I
10:24 didn't think we would go
10:25 through it formally. But if
10:27 you have questions, we can
10:30 pull it up as he did. So that
10:32 was what I was planning on
10:35 doing today. So Angela is
10:37 chief of staff for the
10:38 Department of Safety and all
10:40 tonight produced some of dry
10:42 and my phone out to see her.
10:42 And I am representing the
10:43 mayor's office and social
10:46 equity and innovation. Brent
10:47 Weisberg, communications
10:49 director for the Department of
10:50 Public Safety Pro Phising or
10:52 help manage the city's vision
10:52 0 program within the
10:54 Department of Transportation
10:55 and Infrastructure. Good
10:55 morning with the Shades.
10:56 Special counsel of Department
10:58 of Public Safety. Good Morning
10:59 News in the U.S. Or with the
11:02 city attorney's office. And we
11:03 also have a couple of others
11:07 in the audience. We quill out
11:09 in the audience with those. We
11:10 taken Ander Herrera and Ted
11:14 porous and sunny coming. So we
11:17 have a full like we said, this
11:18 is a this is a multi-agency
11:19 effort. And we want to be sure
11:20 that we answer all the
11:23 questions you have. Of course,
11:24 are different. And certainly
11:25 Joe investors begin. Thank
11:31 you. Floor is yours. All
11:32 right. We got a lot of
11:37 questions from all of you. And
11:39 I think we responded to the
11:41 majority, if not all. And so
11:43 what I'd like to do is just
11:44 open it up to see if you all
11:45 have any clarifications that
11:48 you need. Or if you would like
11:49 to discuss anything and more
11:54 debt. We to starting. And so
11:56 we'll start first with council
11:58 percent of all of the council
11:59 was elected and just message
12:01 me and I will begin rolling
12:05 occasion. So one then he mail
12:06 campaign right now that all
12:08 the council members are
12:10 getting and it's talking about
12:13 the can even say on the record
12:14 so that all of us don't have
12:16 to go and hundreds e-mails
12:21 right now. If do respond to
12:23 you know, he can just with
12:25 this video telling have that
12:28 this section of the board here
12:29 section. Will it be the
12:30 ordinance coming forward tell
12:32 us how it will be determined
12:35 where the revenue look. So we
12:36 can clearly put this to rest
12:37 with because it there's some
12:43 time come. Increase out there
12:44 right now. So Cummings and I
12:44 are meeting with the
12:47 Department of Finance today.
12:50 My understanding is that any
12:53 any type of changing of where
12:54 the revenue goes would be part
12:59 of a change in that ordinance.
13:02 That manages that special
13:05 Revenue fund. And so we were
13:06 reviewing options on what that
13:07 could look like today,
13:10 actually. And so it will be
13:10 part of like the cute for
13:13 presentation that we bring
13:13 forward. What if the I don't
13:16 know yet. Where we're meeting
13:18 with department of Finance
13:20 today. So I don't Sanae if you
13:22 want to come to the microphone
13:23 sharing more information.
13:25 She's talking to Justin Sykes
13:26 and Justin will be here
13:30 shortly. I believe so. Good
13:35 morning. Comes to financial
13:36 yes, tap Justin Sites and the
13:39 Department of Finance team.
13:40 They have identified that
13:41 these funds need to go into
13:43 the general fund and the
13:46 purpose for that is because
13:47 expenditures are coming out of
13:52 the general fund. Initially.
13:53 The transportation and
13:56 Mobility has specific
13:57 permissible uses that align
13:59 with the ordinance of how that
14:02 fun can be utilized. And so it
14:04 would take a more amount of
14:06 time to see what ordinances or
14:08 revisions would need to be
14:10 with special Revenue that
14:13 would allow this type of
14:15 funding to be placed into that
14:16 And so again, just enough to
14:22 be here, he said probably 10
14:24 45 ish. Make might be welcome
14:25 in the door in the town's only
14:26 But that was the understanding
14:28 we had as of Friday. So we're
14:31 working the analysis now of
14:33 what that total expenditures
14:35 would be for implementation of
14:37 this program as well as
14:40 revenue to show. But the
14:40 redneck criminal assets are.
14:41 And that's what we will be
14:44 very bringing before council
14:46 before the end of the year
14:47 because we're talking about
14:49 procurement strategies as
14:51 well. Do we have idea of what
14:53 the project is? Revenue like
14:58 to ballpark. Right now I would
15:01 comfortable in speaking to
15:01 because we're doing a lot
15:06 analytics. Of course, as we
15:07 mentioned last week, different
15:10 device structures with that.
15:11 Also the 30 day warning
15:13 period. So we're trying to do
15:14 the analysis of all that. We
15:17 do know the first year, even
15:19 if we implement 1st quarter of
15:20 the year. Where is something
15:21 that that 30 day
15:22 implementation, period, we
15:25 might only collect revenue for
15:28 that 6 to 7 month period. So
15:30 the it's kind of different
15:30 because then we have to offset
15:34 that against the additional
15:36 expenditures. We need to get
15:37 the program up and running to.
15:39 Is a difficult assessment at
15:39 this time that we're still
15:41 trying to work through. I
15:46 thank you for thank you for
15:48 the placement of the cameras.
15:51 How can I know it's not time
15:54 will that go out to the
15:57 public. Fair on the high next
15:58 networks rate hike. I have
16:01 federal I have 38th Avenue we
16:05 need to e think how many do
16:07 estimate would go each council
16:09 district and they would we be