City Council

Monday, September 9, 2024, 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 met on September 9, 2024, hearing member announcements, introducing numerous bills, and acting on several called-out items. The Council adopted a resolution allocating remaining ARPA dollars to the Downtown Denver Partnership for 16th Street Mall recovery (three members spoke in opposition, and the vote was announced as 3 nays and 10 ayes), and postponed a resolution for a Haven of Hope contract supporting the Denver Asylum Seekers Program by one week after extensive questions about the shift from direct cash assistance to food distribution. The Council unanimously adopted Council Bill 24-0813, granting the auditor subpoena authority over city contractors subject to audit committee approval, after an amendment adding that oversight. Two proclamations were adopted (National Service Dog Month and a welcoming-city/diversity proclamation responding to racist signs posted along Colorado Boulevard), and three required public hearings were held, including adoption of the sidewalk ordinance amendments (Council Bill 24-1076) implementing Ordinance 307, which passed 13-0, and approval of a metropolitan district service plan and a Westwood rezoning. Several remarks by a member whose name the captions render inconsistently ("Perry"/"parity") could not be matched to the roster and are not attributed below.

Transcript

0:04 Council.

0:04 Welcome to your Denver City

0:10 Please stand by full coverage

0:13 of your Denver City Council.

0:14 The kids now.

0:42 Hello,

0:45 everyone. Thank you for

0:48 joining us this evening.

0:50 Tonight's meeting is being

0:51 interpreted contest banished.

0:51 Sam, would you please introduce

0:52 yourself and let our viewers

0:55 know how to enable translation

0:56 on their devices?

0:59 Yes, of course. Thank you

1:01 for having U.S.. Hello,

1:04 everyone. My name is Sam Guzman

1:05 with the clc and along with my

1:06 colleague Alison, we will be

1:10 interpreting today's meeting

1:10 in Spanish. Now give you

1:13 instructions in Spanish and how

1:15 to access interpretation.

1:18 But that isn't number. Someone

1:19 was Mike on the scene to say

1:20 the ultimate becoming clear to

1:20 us and said it wasn't that put

1:23 on the left. And, you know, at

1:24 this

1:25 point on to settle in

1:28 accordance with those of his

1:29 own retirement to put forward

1:32 last It was critical of the

1:33 global tv saying that

1:34 this young in opening a silicon

1:36 yeas election, the notes you on

1:36 this witch hunt and it's which

1:39 very much.

1:39 of the essence. And thank you

1:45 Thank you very much. Time.

1:46 Welcome to the Denver City

1:49 Council meeting on Monday,

1:51 SEPTEMBER 9 to 2024. Council

1:52 members. Please raise your able

1:53 enjoying Councilmember Hines

2:06 for the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:08 whether which it stands a

2:09 nation under GOD, indivisible,

2:12 with liberty and justice for

2:17 all.

2:17 And council members, please.

2:18 Jane Councilmember Hines as

2:19 they lead us in the Denver City

2:24 Council land acknowledgement.

2:25 The Denver City Council

2:27 honors and acknowledges that

2:30 the land on which we reside

2:31 is the traditional church or

2:33 the Ute Cheyenne and Arapaho

2:34 Peoples. We also recognize the

2:37 48 contemporary travel nations

2:37 that are historically tied to

2:39 the lands that make up the

2:43 state of Colorado. We honor

2:45 elders past present and future.

2:47 And those who have stewarded

2:49 this land throughout

2:51 generations. We also recognize

2:51 the government m#

2:53 and

2:56 cultural institutions were

2:56 founded upon and continue to

2:57 Annette exclusions and array

3:01 shiri's of indigenous peoples.

3:01 It's acknowledgement

3:02 demonstrating commitment to

3:06 working to dismantle ongoing

3:07 legacies of oppression and

3:09 inequities and recognize the

3:09 current and future

3:11 contributions of indigenous

3:14 communities in Denver. Thank

3:16 you. Councilmember heading.

3:19 MADAM Secretary will call.

3:32 Do you want?

3:36 Here. And so let's get to

3:39 this year Heinz here, Cashman

3:41 here. Morris present parity

3:45 here where Campbell here.

3:46 So we're here

3:49 for us here. Watson here.

3:51 MADAM PRESIDENT, here.

3:52 13 members present very 13

3:57 members. Present council has a

3:57 crime. Approval of the minutes.

3:58 Are there any corrections to

4:01 the minute to the AUGUST?

4:05 26.

4:08 The seeing none. The minutes

4:09 stand approved.

4:10 Council member announcements

4:13 and there out announcements by

4:18 members of council.

4:19 Council members say good things

4:22 that I'm PRESIDENT. I'm just

4:24 reminding everyone that.

4:25 Coming up here, OCTOBER 6,

4:26 which is Sunday, 08:30am.

4:28 We will all be meeting at

4:33 Montclair Rec center in Lowry.

4:36 It's our biannual perks and

4:36 bust up cleanup day. So come

4:40 and volunteer. Help us clean up

4:42 half of our district, 5 parks

4:43 and a number of our bus stops

4:44 within the district. 5

4:46 community will begin Alameda

4:48 Avenue. I believe this time.

4:48 So you can find out more

4:50 information on our social media

4:55 and please join us. Thanks.

4:56 Thank you. Can swim in.

4:56 men, Watson.

4:57 Thank you. Council

5:01 PRESIDENT, we have on Thursday,

5:03 SEPTEMBER 12th are for Denver

5:06 community discussion with the

5:07 administration and with Mayor

5:10 Johnston, come on out. We're

5:11 going to be meeting at Johnston

5:14 Rec center and 05:00pm. There

5:15 will be food. They'll be

5:16 translation. All we look

5:17 forward to hearing from

5:18 community and be able to engage

5:21 in a dialogue around affordable

5:25 housing and affordable Denver

5:27 also have a comment we have

5:28 on consent tonight. A

5:31 discussion around the global

5:33 Metropolitan District's

5:37 number one, and it described

5:38 describes a a process that we

5:40 are taking within the global

5:42 community for Metropolitan

5:44 District. There's a lot of

5:47 information involved in this

5:50 process. We will be discussing

5:51 it in fig of tomorrow at

5:53 10, 30 council member. Sawyer

5:54 is going to be leading that

5:57 discussion. I just didn't want

5:57 us to go by on consent for

6:01 community members in global not

6:02 to be aware of that. They can

6:03 tune in and listen in to that

6:05 full discussion. If they have

6:06 questions about the Metro

6:07 District in Global. Thank you

6:10 very much. MADAM PRESIDENT.

6:11 Thank you. Councilmember me,

6:13 COUNCILWOMAN Male Campbell.

6:15 Thank you. MADAM PRESIDENT,

6:18 I just wanted to take a moment

6:19 of personal privilege and

6:21 congratulate. We had a wedding

6:23 on the steps of the city county

6:23 building around 2 o'clock

6:27 today.

6:30 My senior counsel aid and a

6:32 Sonia and Sam Andrew

6:34 got married and in the ceremony

6:36 was performed by Mayor Johnston

6:36 and we had a lot of our council

6:39 friends and family there.

6:40 So I just wanted to say thank

6:43 you to them and congratulations

6:44 for a long and happy life.

6:50 They're celebrating

6:51 right now.

6:53 Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT,

6:56 you. Congratulations, The that

6:58 is.

7:01 Thank you, council PRESIDENT.

7:02 I just wanted to remind people

7:03 that on Wednesday from 06:00pm

7:04 to 08:00pm at the Westwood

7:07 Community Center, we will be

7:09 having the kickoff kickoff

7:11 workshop where the Southwest

7:14 Area plan which covers in

7:16 district 7 after Parker, Ruby

7:18 Hill and Overland and some also

7:19 some neighborhoods and

7:20 councils. You think a stick to

7:21 if they want to share those

7:21 because I don't know exactly

7:22 which neighborhoods in those

7:25 neighbor which neighborhoods in

7:26 those districts. But it's very

7:26 important to have your voice

7:30 heard in the future of planning

7:31 in the city. Thank you. Thank

7:32 you, PRESIDENT. Thank you.

7:34 COUNCILMAN Gonzales could get

7:36 us. Thank you. Council

7:37 PRESIDENT. I just want to let

7:41 people know that we myself and

7:42 COUNCILMAN Told us.

7:43 Are helping to host along

7:44 with Representative. Have you

7:46 had me renters. Know your

7:48 rights training and resource

7:48 fair this Friday from 5 to

7:52 07:30pm, at revision in

7:53 Westwood.

7:55 And we will have Foods will

7:57 have dinner childcare as well

8:00 as interpretation services and

8:00 is also resources. There MAY be

8:01 some offerings of legal clinic

8:04 for folks who might be facing

8:08 eviction.

8:09 And other just basic need

8:10 resources. Thank you, MADAM

8:11 PRESIDENT, thank you. Thank you

8:14 for hosting such an important

8:15 clinic COUNCILMAN Cashman.

8:18 Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT and

8:21 one let folks know.

8:23 Tomorrow night Tuesday,

8:25 SEPTEMBER 10th. We will be

8:26 welcoming Mayor Mike Johnston

8:30 and variety of members and city

8:32 agencies too. For more on the

8:32 Affordable Denver community

8:36 conversation. It could park

8:40 Recreation Center and 05:00pm

8:43 from 5 to 06:30pm, to talk

8:46 about. The mayor is a

8:46 2025.

8:48 Gold for a portable housing

8:50 in the city and county of

8:50 Denver.

8:51 So please come by and make

8:54 sure your thoughts and opinions

8:54 are heard and get your

8:56 questions answered again.

9:00 It's tomorrow night Tuesday,

9:04 SEPTEMBER 10, 05:00pm to

9:05 06:30pm, Cook Park Recreation

9:07 Center. The District 6

9:08 affordable Denver community

9:09 conversation. Thank you, MADAM

9:10 PRESIDENT.

9:12 Thank you. COUNCILMAN

9:12 Cashman COUNCILMAN Hines.

9:16 Thank you. MADAM PRESIDENT.

9:20 It has been long enough ago

9:23 that people can now vote.

9:25 Or even legally

9:25 drink alcohol and have. And

9:29 we're not a life for this

9:31 event. But SEPTEMBER, 11th

9:35 2001, I recall that that moment

9:39 when the second plane hit the

9:40 tower and I just wanted it just

9:44 recognizing observes that

9:47 SEPTEMBER 11th 2001 was a.

9:48 A point have time in our in

9:52 our country, in our planet.

9:54 I don't know how to transition

9:58 away from that from just kinda

9:59 on Thursday after SEPTEMBER,

10:00 11th, the Civic Center park

10:04 just turned 100 years old a

10:04 couple years ago and the Civic

10:08 Center Conservancy is coming

10:08 up with the plan for the next

10:11 100 years for Civic Center

10:12 park. And that is there is a

10:15 garden party to benefit the

10:17 conservancy and that vision

10:23 on Thursday at 06:00pm at the

10:23 McNichols East Lawn. Also

10:25 Friday evening, in addition to

10:29 the important conversation

10:31 about housing stability, that

10:32 there are 3 events there Teller

10:35 Elementary, which is in

10:36 Congress Park is having a block

10:37 party from 04:00pm to 09:00pm

10:40 and that would be for the

10:41 students for the parents and

10:44 for the neighbors. So they'll

10:47 be closing down some of the

10:47 streets right around Teller.

10:52 Also Greenway Foundation, which

10:56 is a instrumental foundation

10:58 helping us with that with our

11:01 challenge of our planet and

11:04 making sure that we have

11:05 this sustainable at a

11:06 sustainable environment.

11:07 It is having a an event on

11:10 Friday evening. Their gala from

11:13 6.30, to

11:13 09:00pm and the historic 19th

11:17 Street pedestrian bridge in

11:18 Conyers Commons park. Also

11:21 together, Denver from 5 to

11:22 6.30. I'll be a guest there.

11:27 Its an organization that's

11:29 trying to get more young people

11:33 registered to vote and to vote.

11:34 So from 5 to 6.30, we will be

11:34 back. Call me Pearl. And then

11:37 at 6.30, we'll be heading over

11:37 to the Rockies game. So like

11:38 going on a Friday night here in

11:41 District 10. Thank you. MADAM

11:43 PRESIDENT.

11:44 Thank you.

11:48 I will say Commons park is

11:51 in council district

11:51 1, 0, so that 19 historic pages

11:52 right by my office and that's

11:54 in council district sent.

11:55 But

11:58 we share where it's all of them

11:59 are. So next of COUNCILMAN Say.

12:02 Thanks, MADAM PRESIDENT.

12:03 I just didn't, but I appreciate

12:04 counselor Hines acknowledging

12:05 SEPTEMBER 11th. For those of

12:07 you who know me know, I lived

12:09 through SEPTEMBER. 11th in

12:10 Washington, D.C., it was not my

12:11 favorite day. It's not going to

12:14 talk about very often. But I

12:15 did just want to acknowledge

12:16 it. And and to ask if we could

12:18 just take a moment of silence

12:18 for all of the people that we

12:21 lost during SEPTEMBER 11th that

12:22 day and also all of the people

12:26 that we have lost sense to

12:27 things like lung cancer, from

12:28 the air quality in New York

12:29 that that happened when the

12:32 Twin Towers came down that day.

12:40 Thank you. MADAM PRESIDENT,

12:47 thank you. Comes moving

12:48 I have a couple cool events

12:50 happening in Council district

12:51 one on Saturday. So Saturday

12:51 morning.

12:55 My counsel office is putting

12:58 together a opportunity to clean

13:00 off of federal and 46th Avenue.

13:00 Rocky Mountain Park, which is

13:04 So if you're interested in

13:05 spending your morning, cleaning

13:06 up a really well utilized part,

13:06 please contact my office

13:10 district one and timber got

13:11 dot org. And then in the

13:15 afternoon at Chaffee Park, we

13:17 will be celebrating the

13:18 Sunnyside Music Festival.

13:19 So for anyone who has never

13:20 gone to the sunny side music

13:21 festival, it's this Saturday.

13:25 It's a great opportunity to

13:25 meet your neighbors. It's a

13:26 really fine music festival.

13:27 And I'm just going to give a

13:29 shout out to one of my favorite

13:31 brands. They're called the

13:32 reels and they're from night

13:33 than our site near, you know,

13:36 who knows. Meantime, nurse,

13:37 So go check out. The real is

13:37 I pride all day every day.

13:39 this Saturday at Chaffee Park

13:42 which is right off of 44th and

13:43 tea hone from one 30 to 2.30.

13:43 And I'll be giving a little

13:45 speech around 5 o'clock.

13:47 So we hope to see you at

13:48 Chaffee Park with that. There

13:51 are no more council

13:51 announcement. There's no more

13:54 presentations. There's no

13:57 communications. There are no

13:58 proclamation is being read this

13:59 afternoon. MADAM Secretary,

14:02 please read the Bills for

14:04 introduction.

14:06 In the business are its work

14:07 force Climate and Aviation

14:09 Services Committee. 24 Dash

14:12 10 69 a bill for an ordinance

14:13 approving the proposed

14:16 intergovernmental agreement in

14:17 the form of a memorandum of you

14:17 between the city and county of

14:20 Denver and the Transportation

14:23 Security Administration, tsa

14:24 related to the transfer of

14:24 ownership and passengers

14:25 screening security equipment

14:28 at Denver International

14:31 Airport. From the Finance and

14:33 Governance Committee. 24 Dash

14:36 10 89 a bill for an ordinance

14:37 modifying Article 6 Chapter 18

14:41 of the Get the of the revised

14:41 Municipal Code of Denver

14:44 entitled Insurance Program to

14:45 implement 2025. Employee

14:48 benefit changes that both adds

14:50 a new preferred provider

14:54 organization insurance plan

14:55 and allows employees until

14:58 DECEMBER 31st of each year to

14:59 earn wellness incentive.

15:00 24 dash to 90 a bill for an

15:01 ordinance amending

15:02 classification in pay plan for

15:03 employees in the career service

15:05 and for certain employees, not

15:07 in the career service. 24 Dash

15:09 11. 0, 1, a bill for an

15:10 ordinance establishing a new

15:11 fund and the grants and other

15:14 money projects funded series

15:15 for the Mile High Flood

15:17 District. Green Infrastructure

15:18 guidelines ig a program and

15:21 authorizing appropriations in

15:22 the new fund. 24 Dash 11.

15:23 0, 2, a bill for an ordinance

15:26 authorizing an appropriation in

15:29 the general fund to make a cash

15:30 transfer to and appropriation

15:33 in the liability claims Special

15:36 Revenue Fund.

15:36 From the land-use

15:37 Transportation and

15:38 Infrastructure Committee.

15:39 24 Dash 10 63 a bill for an

15:41 ordinance approving adoption of

15:43 the Parks Legacy Fund 5 year

15:46 plan setting planned revenue

15:49 uses from 2025. To 2029 for

15:49 Denver, Parks and Recreation.