City Council

Monday, November 4, 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 November 4, 2024, opening with a proclamation honoring former Rocky Mountain News reporters Kevin Flynn and Gary Gerhard for their book on white nationalism and the Alan Berg murder, now adapted into the film 'The Order.' The bulk of the meeting was consideration of twelve budget amendments to the mayor's proposed 2025 budget. All substantive amendments discussed failed, including transfers of the AID Center from the Office of Neighborhood Safety to public health (8 nays, 5 ayes), moving the Street Engagement Team from the Department of Safety to HOST (8 nays, 5 ayes), canceling a third police academy class (10 nays, 3 ayes), library HVAC funding via the climate fund (9 nays, 3 ayes), safe RV parking acquisition (9 nays, 3 ayes), behavioral health staffing at All In Mile High sites (7 nays, 5 ayes), Denver Basic Income Program funding (6 nays, 6 ayes), and digital equity funding (7 nays). Two amendments were withdrawn after mayoral office commitments: one for STAR program funding contingent on the Urban Institute report, and one for residential health inspectors, with the mayor committing $400,000. The council also passed, 10-0, a rezoning of 10353 East Mississippi Avenue (Council Bill 24-1209) after a public hearing.

Transcript

0:05 thinks I'm funny.

0:08 Welcome to your Denver City

0:12 Council.

0:14 Please stand by full coverage

0:17 of your Denver City Council.

0:17 The kids now.

0:33 Good afternoon, everybody.

0:35 I really liked him.

0:36 On the air, it is now is

0:40 come on 10. Don't know if the

0:41 member alive or not

0:42 thank you for joining us

0:46 tonight. Meeting is being

0:46 interpreted into Spanish.

0:48 Sam already 100 or would you

0:48 please introduce yourself and

0:49 that our viewers know how to

0:52 enable translation on their

0:54 devices?

0:54 Of course. Thank you very much

0:55 because it's not a crime to do

0:57 it at that. Working with my

0:58 colleague Sam.

0:59 Thank you for your patience.

1:03 As I provide interpretation

1:03 instructions in Spanish.

1:06 Well, I feel is minimal.

1:06 If any kind of laughing at the

1:07 city only looking benefits that

1:08 are in the coming days and the

1:10 other way, it's going to come

1:10 into play. That sound

1:11 was month just to pick up a

1:14 piece of Biden has been ordered

1:15 to perform. I assume, but I

1:15 don't want that. I cannot but

1:18 think that what I'm Emily

1:18 Tencer

1:19 upon you. Yeah, I don't know.

1:22 Wilson and East will see we

1:23 almost without without it.

1:24 There. But I don't think that

1:24 that's going to hurt us.

1:28 The most innocent people,

1:28 skinny, thin mints. We'll take

1:29 a potential contacts and it's

1:30 going to start your which is in

1:31 effect with that. We can get

1:36 started. Thank you very much.

1:39 Thank you both.

1:42 Welcome to the Denver City

1:45 Council meeting of Monday,

1:46 NOVEMBER 4th.

1:47 2024 council members.

1:48 Please rise as you are able and

1:49 join Councilmember Gonzales

1:52 could be at us in the Pledge of

1:56 Allegiance.

1:57 I pledge allegiance to the

1:59 And to the Republic for

2:03 which it stands. Why one nation

2:03 under GOD, indivisible, with

2:13 liberty and justice for all.

2:13 Council members, please

2:14 joining Councilmember Gonzales

2:15 could be at us as they lead

2:18 us in the Denver City Council

2:18 land acknowledgement. Thank

2:21 you, MADAM PRESIDENT, the

2:22 Denver City Council honors and

2:24 acknowledges that the land on

2:25 which we reside is is not is

2:28 the traditional territory of

2:30 the eu to Cheyenne and Arapaho

2:31 peoples. We also recognize the

2:32 48 contemporary tribal nations

2:33 that are historically tied to

2:37 the lands that make up the

2:39 state of Colorado. We honor

2:40 elders past present and future.

2:42 And those who a steward of this

2:44 land throughout generations.

2:46 We also recognize that

2:47 government academic and

2:49 cultural institutions were

2:50 founded upon and continue to

2:54 enact exclusions. Any rangers

2:55 of indigenous peoples made this

2:56 acknowledgment demonstrate a

2:58 commitment to working to

3:00 dismantle ongoing legacies of

3:01 oppression and inequities and

3:02 recognize the current and

3:03 future contributions of

3:06 indigenous communities in

3:10 Denver.

3:14 Thank you.

3:23 MADAM Secretary will call.

3:27 Hines here. Louis.

3:32 Watson.

3:34 We just here one

3:34 here, Gilmore Air Gonzalez

3:44 Gutierrez care, Cashman here.

3:48 American here. So we're here.

3:51 Torres here. MADAM PRESIDENT,

3:53 here.

3:54 13 members present. There are

3:56 13 members present council has

4:00 a choir councilmember Cashman.

4:02 I'm just continues moment of

4:06 personal privilege. If you all

4:07 saw the agenda, I'm using my

4:07 personal privilege as council

4:09 PRESIDENT To take certain

4:13 things out of order. So just

4:15 bear with me, COUNCILMAN

4:16 Cashman, we please put council

4:20 proclamation 15 84 on the floor

4:22 to take out of order.

4:23 Yes, ma'am. I move the

4:23 proclamation. 15. 84 be placed

4:25 on the floor and taking out

4:29 a boards.

4:30 It has been moved and

4:32 seconded comments by member

4:33 Councilmember Cashman your

4:35 comments.

4:37 Just would like to make sure

4:38 to get this proclamation taken

4:39 care of before we get into the

4:41 rest of the day's business.

4:45 Sam Kerridge Act.

4:47 Oh, yes, you MAY. MADAM

4:47 Secretary Roll Call and taking

4:57 Council proclamation 15 84 out

5:03 Louis.

5:08 Heinz or

5:10 Louis.

5:13 Watson.

5:16 Happily, I.

5:25 We just.

5:28 I thought Gilmore I was

5:32 getting at is I.

5:35 Cashman. I parity. I Campbell,

5:38 I.

5:41 So where I tourist I, MADAM

5:47 PRESIDENT, I.

5:47 13 eyes, 13 Eyes Council

5:49 proclamation. 15 84 MAY be

5:51 taken out of order.

5:53 Council members, Lexington,

5:56 Cashman. We please read

6:02 proclamation 8, 15 84.

6:04 Proclamation number 2, 4, 1,

6:05 5, 8, 4, honoring former

6:06 reporters for sharing a warning

6:09 about the dangers of white

6:12 nationalism.

6:14 Whereas on JUNE 18th 1984, at

6:18 approximately 09:30pm, Denver

6:21 police dispatched receiving an

6:24 emergency call for service

6:25 indicating gunshots at 14.

6:26 45 Adams Street, the home of

6:29 Denver radio talk show

6:32 personality Alan Berg was

6:33 killed, beginning was killed,

6:34 beginning the story of what

6:39 could be described as Denver's

6:40 most notorious murder and

6:42 whereas Island Alan Berg was

6:43 known for provoking audiences

6:45 about every type of

6:47 controversial topic imaginable,

6:50 including baiting the local

6:50 leader of the Ku Klux k#

6:51 .

6:54 Collin, the group slime and

6:56 stirring up controversy about a

6:59 local antisemitic pop

7:01 publication. And whereas u 2

7:04 outstanding investigative work

7:05 from the Federal Bureau of

7:06 Investigation. United States

7:09 Attorney's Office and the

7:10 Denver Police Department, law

7:11 enforcement quickly zeroed in

7:14 on several members of the white

7:15 supremacist group called the

7:18 Order as suspects in MISTER

7:20 Berg's murder. And whereas

7:21 Rocky Mountain News reporters,

7:24 the honorable Kevin Flynn and

7:26 Gary Gary Hart provided in

7:30 death, courage about the crime

7:30 and soon realized a larger

7:32 story where is emerging of

7:35 related bank robberies,

7:38 bombings and car heist with a

7:39 goal of creating a whites only

7:41 nation in the northwest United

7:43 States and

7:45 whereas the reporters felt

7:47 strongly that the story about

7:48 terrorism in the cause of white

7:51 nationalism must be told is a

7:53 warning to America and where

7:55 Arounds Flynn and Gerhard spent

7:56 2 years traveling the

8:00 northwest, visiting the area

8:00 nations compound in Idaho.

8:02 The survivalist camp in the

8:04 Arkansas Ozarks and meeting

8:06 local police and fbi agents and

8:10 crime scenes from California

8:14 to Montana to research and

8:15 publish the harrowing true

8:18 story of racism, crime and

8:18 murder in their book. The

8:20 Silent Brotherhood inside

8:24 America's racist Underground

8:26 released in 1989 and whereas

8:28 working to further the message

8:30 dangers of white

8:31 nationalism. The book is being

8:33 released as a major motion

8:35 picture called the Order

8:37 starring Jude Law necklace.

8:38 Holt and making its local

8:40 premiere at the Denver Film

8:42 Festival on Friday, NOVEMBER

8:45 8, 2024 before being released

8:50 into theaters DECEMBER 6, 2024.

8:52 Now, therefore be it proclaimed

8:53 by this Denver City Council

8:55 that the section one, the

8:58 Denver City Council recognizes

9:00 Flynn and Gerhard for their

9:01 courageous and dedicated

9:04 efforts to share this story of

9:06 political terrorism that had

9:08 far-reaching impacts on our

9:10 country, that we are still

9:11 feeling today and section 2

9:14 that the clerk and recorder of

9:14 the city and county of Denver

9:17 Shell affix the seal of the

9:19 city and county of Denver to

9:22 this proclamation and that a

9:23 copy be transmitted to

9:24 Kevin Flynn, Nancy, Gary Hart

9:28 and the Denver Police Museum.

9:28 Thank you. Councilmember

9:32 Cashman and Watson. Your motion

9:35 to adopt. Yes, ma'am. I move

9:37 the proclamation. 24 Dash 15.

9:40 84 be adopted. It has been

9:43 moved and seconded comments by

9:44 members of Council

9:48 councilmember Cashman. Yeah,

9:51 thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT

9:52 I've always been since being

9:56 elected city council in the

9:57 same classes.

10:00 COUNCILMAN Flynn, I've

10:01 always been kind of amused a

10:04 little bit proud when I hear

10:06 people say that there are 2

10:08 journalists and Denver City

10:09 Council, you know, before

10:09 coming on to counseling and a

10:13 little neighborhood newspaper

10:14 in South Denver. And when

10:14 you're on a little neighborhood

10:15 newspaper, you're right.

10:16 A few articles should take a

10:20 few ads and when the bathroom

10:20 couple of pictures. You sell a

10:24 needs to be cleaned to do that

10:27 as well. COUNCILMAN Flynn had a

10:28 long career. I think 30 plus

10:32 years starting in the early

10:35 1980's doing important

10:36 journalism with

10:37 far-reaching impacts. And I

10:39 might I see the clear

10:41 difference in where. The course

10:45 of our occupations, you know,

10:45 while it's it's pretty nifty.

10:50 The book has been picked up

10:51 and it's going to be a a major

10:53 motion picture. And the

10:54 COUNCILMAN Gets too

10:55 participated in a little bit

11:00 of the fun and games that go

11:01 along with that. What what is

11:04 really so critically important

11:05 to me in is what I'm what this

11:12 proclamation means to me that

11:13 really needs to be saluted is

11:15 the effort that went into

11:19 exposing a degree of racism

11:24 and hatred and and wrongdoing

11:25 that had infected our country

11:26 back and at the time where the

11:30 the island Berg murder took

11:32 place and still exist today.

11:33 And it's something that we all

11:36 need to remain forever. Bridge

11:38 vigilant about. And I think

11:41 that's the main gift that the

11:45 movie that the order presents

11:49 to all of us? I mean, I I

11:49 congratulate the

11:51 COUNCILMAN And as Gerhard who's

11:52 with us this evening, we'll

11:56 call you up in a few minutes.

12:00 If you have time and on their

12:04 work and just a or just saw

12:04 to watch the movie. Remember

12:07 exactly the message that it's

12:08 delivering to us. And thank

12:11 you, COUNCILMAN, for your work.

12:11 Appreciate it. Thank you.

12:14 MADAM PRESIDENT, thank you.

12:14 Councilmember Cashman.

12:17 Next step, the have

12:18 councilmember Watson.

12:21 Thank you so much. Council

12:26 PRESIDENT.

12:26 Deeply it tomorrow. Most

12:29 Americans are going to be up a

12:34 voting.

12:38 And as we are in a time of

12:40 anticipation, a little bit of

12:41 angst, understanding the power

12:44 of the 4th estate, freedom of

12:47 the press.

12:51 Investigative reporting.

12:53 The ways in which that are now

12:54 councilmember Flynn and Earhart

12:57 are reported big Ehrhardt were

13:02 able to dig into a story.

13:05 A murder story of racism, story

13:07 of white nationalism in a way

13:07 that we don't have the

13:08 mechanisms, the institutions

13:12 in place in Colorado today.

13:15 Possibly to do similar

13:18 investigative reporting.

13:19 The Rockies and the Post

13:22 provided about provided an

13:24 opportunity for us. The voices

13:26 of regular citizens to be

13:28 elevated on important issues

13:28 and provided a place for

13:32 trained professionals like

13:32 Kevin Flynn in and this

13:35 together, hard to dig into some

13:36 of these issues that are

13:39 plaguing our country in our

13:39 city. Back in the 80's and

13:42 there are plaguing our country

13:45 in our city today.

13:48 Making sure that we support

13:52 the 4th estate free press.

13:53 That we support investigative

13:56 journalism. That is what this

13:57 proclamation is about.

14:01 I stance actually I'm sitting

14:02 here and I applaud my fellow

14:05 council member Kevin Flynn for

14:06 his decades of work and

14:09 commitment to ensuring that

14:11 he signs a white on the things

14:12 that can harm us and our

14:14 communities and to know that

14:16 not only has a rocky reporter,

14:18 but also as a city council

14:19 member, but Kevin Flynn

14:21 continues with the same level

14:23 of integrity. The same level

14:24 of intensity reviews,

14:27 everything that comes before

14:28 his desk as a council member.

14:31 Similarly like the great work

14:32 he did at the Rocky. I want to

14:33 thank Harry and for putting up

14:37 with him and letting us steel

14:37 him for so many nights and all

14:39 the work that he's able to do

14:41 it because of his love for his

14:42 family and the support of his

14:44 family. I want to congratulate

14:46 him and Gearhart family for

14:47 turning this screenplay.

14:51 This book into a screenplay.

14:52 And now into a motion picture,

14:54 let it inspire others to join

14:58 the ranks of newspaper writers

15:00 and investigators and possibly

15:00 inspire others to run for city

15:03 council and to continue the

15:04 good work that Kevin Flynn has

15:07 done and continue to do so.

15:08 Thank you, my friend.

15:08 Congratulations on an amazing

15:09 movie and thank you for all

15:13 the ways. But you uplift and

15:14 shine a light on so many things

15:17 impacting our city. Thank you,

15:19 MADAM PRESIDENT.

15:23 So thank you to the sponsors

15:25 for being able

15:27 figure out how to not have

15:27 councilmember flan know about

15:33 this because that certainly

15:33 was not an easy feat before

15:34 acknowledging councilmember

15:35 flan and all his hard work.

15:37 And to you, councilmember fun.

15:38 Thank you for all your

15:40 dedication to not just the city

15:41 and county of Denver, but to

15:44 writing something that's going

15:46 to be premiered.

15:47 And as your colleague is

15:48 someone who weighs council aide

15:52 prior and now sitting here as

15:54 council PRESIDENT Being able

15:55 to go and watch it with you on

15:57 Friday. I really, really look

15:57 forward to it. And so it's an

16:01 honor to be here to serving

16:03 with you. I was bragging about

16:04 you the other night. So even

16:04 though you say don't like

16:05 things you don't like to be

16:06 talked about. And I joke that

16:07 the shun around for city

16:10 written a book.

16:10 Council, you should also not

16:12 That doesn't match be not

16:15 talked about either. So he's

16:17 talking to my mom about the

16:19 book and she's very interested

16:20 to reading and hopefully maybe

16:21 should be might be able to

16:22 attend with me on Friday night.

16:23 So thank you all.

16:32 MADAM Secretary Roll Call.

16:40 Crimes by. Lewis. I want.

16:45 Watson, I we just I plan.

16:48 Gilmore. I can tell as

16:49 Gutierrez I cashed an eye

16:55 parity. I know Mayor Campbell,

16:59 I sawyer, I sure is. I. MADAM

17:00 PRESIDENT, I MADAM Secretary,

17:06 close the voting and not the

17:06 12 ayes. We have 12 ayes

17:09 proclamation. 15 84 has been

17:10 adopted.

17:13 Councilmember camp Cashman.

17:16 Who would you like to have

17:17 accept this proclamation this