City Council

Monday, October 27, 2025, 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 Monday, October 27, 2025. The council adopted two proclamations (recognizing November 1, 2025 as United Airlines Flight 629 Victims Memorial Day and honoring the 50th anniversary of the Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation), adopted resolutions including an affordable housing financing agreement (Council Resolution 16.18), claim settlements, airport janitorial contracts (with CR 14.88 postponed to November 10, 2025), and a Salvation Army Tamarack shelter contract amendment (with Council Member Lewis voting no). The council then held the legally required public hearing on the mayor's proposed 2026 budget, with 63 people signed up to testify on family shelter funding, elections/clerk funding, Office of Children's Affairs cuts, STAR, SNAP impacts, and other matters. Council members questioned the mayor's office, Budget and Management Office, and Finance staff about layoffs, the Transportation and Mobility Special Revenue Fund, the clerk's election reimbursements, bond interest savings, and the unassigned fund balance; staff committed to follow up on several items. Budget amendments may be offered through November 3 and the council votes on the budget November 10, 2025.

Transcript

0:04 a Denver. It's time for the

0:08 weekly general session of your

0:14 Denver City Tonight's coverage

0:17 of Denver City Council starts

0:39 We need to fix at him. Okay.

0:40 Thank you.

0:41 everyone. And thank you for

0:41 All right. Good afternoon,

0:43 taking the time to join us for

0:48 Denver City Council meeting

0:48 today is Monday, OCTOBER 27th

0:50 2025. Tonight's meeting is

0:52 being interpreted into

0:54 Spanish. Sam Jazz mean Ruby,

0:56 would you please introduce

0:58 yourself and let our viewers

0:59 know how to enable translation

1:02 on their devices?

1:03 Yes, of course. Thank you

1:04 for having U.S. Hello,

1:07 everyone. My name is Sandra

1:08 Guzman. With the scene on

1:11 scene. John, you virtually

1:13 along with my colleagues chose

1:15 mean and really cool. Be

1:17 interpreting today's meeting

1:19 into Spanish. Please allow me

1:21 instructions in Spanish and

1:21 a quick many want to give

1:24 how to access interpretation.

1:25 On the status of those

1:29 numbers. Somewhat was saying

1:31 the same coming to come school

1:32 the doesn't mean it will be

1:33 studying this and that. But

1:35 then the 11 do spend She soon

1:36 going to sort through

1:37 tournament and throw it

1:37 doesn't followed was

1:40 consistent thing? Yes. When he

1:41 a little kid, he that protects

1:45 you. Opening to what Cynics

1:49 chimed in this poignant. She's

1:51 on the console, those

1:52 disenchantment, astounding

1:52 thing coming up, a full rules

1:54 consent from of that nature to

1:55 quote that I own a system to

1:58 kind of put on How the but

2:00 return and it's Thank you very

2:02 much to the

2:07 Thank you very much, Sam.

2:08 Welcome to the Denver City

2:09 Council meeting Monday,

2:12 OCTOBER. 27 2025 please join

2:13 Councilmember Torres in the

2:28 Pledge of Allegiance

2:28 it's one

2:29 indivisible with liberty and

2:31 justice for all.

2:37 Council members to showing

2:38 Councilmember Torres says they

2:39 lead us in the Denver City

2:41 Council land Acknowledgement.

2:42 Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT,

2:43 the Denver City Council honors

2:44 and acknowledges that the land

2:47 on which we reside. So are

2:48 traditional territory of the

2:50 huge Cheyenne and Arapaho

2:51 peoples. Also recognize the 48

2:54 contemporary tribal nations

2:55 that are historically tied to

2:56 the lands that make up the

2:59 state of Colorado. We honor

3:00 elders past present and future

3:01 and those who have steward of

3:03 the slam throughout

3:04 generations. We also recognize

3:05 that government academic and

3:08 cultural institutions were

3:09 founded upon and continue to

3:10 enact exclusions and erasers

3:14 of indigenous people. MAY this

3:15 acknowledgment demonstrate a

3:15 commitment to working to

3:18 dismantle ongoing legacies of

3:19 oppression and then equities

3:21 and recognize the current and

3:21 future contributions of

3:22 indigenous communities in

3:26 Denver.

3:28 Incue Secretary Roll Call

3:33 Council members Cashman. I'll

3:36 be

3:37 Gilmore here. Gonzalez

3:42 could get a scare times Lewis

3:44 present charity for American

3:49 pull here. So told us Watson

3:50 MADAM PRESIDENT signed the

3:55 bill. Hear 12 members present.

3:56 There are 12 members present

4:00 council has a car approval of

4:00 the minutes. Are there any

4:01 corrections to the minutes of

4:05 OCTOBER? 20th? Seeing none the

4:09 minutes and approved council

4:10 announcements on Monday,

4:15 OCTOBER 27th, which is today.

4:16 Council is scheduled to stay

4:19 as the cause it to Shul Board

4:20 Equalization to consider

4:22 reduction of total cost

4:23 assessments for local

4:24 meetings. Districts otherwise

4:28 known as allergies. No written

4:30 protest at the assessments for

4:31 filed with the manager of the

4:33 Department of Transportation

4:35 and Infrastructure as the

4:38 deadline of OCTOBER 9th 2025

4:39 for the following local

4:41 maintenance districts and

4:42 therefore council will not sit

4:45 as the board Equalization on

4:46 Monday, which is today

4:49 OCTOBER. 27 2025. For her. 15

4:54 street pedestrian mall 32nd in

4:55 pedestrian mall. Doug Haney,

4:57 Street East 13th Avenue,

4:58 pedestrian Mer Golden

5:01 Triangle, Pedestrian mall.

5:04 Chase 2 s 38th Avenue

5:07 pedestrian mall Skyline. Park

5:10 tennis, Street to pedestrian

5:12 tenant tennis and streetscape

5:13 points 38th Avenue to for

5:15 Detroit Avenue west of the 8th

5:18 Avenue phase one pedestrian

5:18 mall 44th Avenue, ally

5:25 congestion. There any

5:26 announcements from members of

5:29 council Councilmember Abbie,

5:32 the dissent start? It's how

5:33 thank you council PRESIDENT.

5:34 Wanted to everyone a happy

5:37 Halloween. I'm still reeling

5:38 from amazing Halloween parade

5:42 that we have this weekend.

5:43 shut out to compost

5:44 foundation for being a fiscal

5:45 sponsor for the next few years

5:47 of the Broadway Halloween

5:49 parade then all the other

5:50 Halloween event that we had to

5:51 start with that. I just wanted

5:54 to say Happy Halloween now

5:57 there for PRESIDENT. Thank

6:01 COUNCILMAN Solace to the it

6:01 Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT, I

6:02 just wanted to let folks know

6:07 that we're having our kind of

6:09 last push on neighborhood

6:09 engagement workshops that

6:10 we've been hosting myself and

6:11 COUNCILMAN Have been hosting

6:16 these across the city

6:17 perfectly enough. It is about

6:18 our registered neighborhood

6:20 organizations. We've been

6:22 inviting the community at

6:24 engagement sessions. Our staff

6:24 large to participate in these

6:25 have been to numerous events

6:30 across the city where we have

6:31 asking for people's feedback

6:33 via survey and we've had well

6:35 over 1100 responses to our

6:38 survey really asking folks say

6:40 even know what a registered

6:41 neighbors organization is. And

6:44 if they are part of one, what

6:45 their concerns is their feet

6:49 back? How can we as the city

6:52 do a better job here? So we

6:53 are in the still very

6:55 beginning stages of this

6:56 entire process. We are

6:56 continuing to gather

6:59 information and that's what

7:00 these neighborhood engagement

7:03 workshops are all about is

7:04 gathering information from

7:05 community members. Those who

7:06 know what our goals are and

7:08 those who do not know what

7:09 they are or maybe you part of

7:12 one before or and something

7:14 has dissuade you from

7:15 returning. Right. We want to

7:16 know everything possible so

7:17 that we can and continue to

7:20 work with the community as we

7:21 move forward with any

7:23 potential policy with that

7:24 said, we're coming to an end

7:27 of our kind of citywide tour

7:29 and this will be a virtual

7:30 event on OCTOBER 29th on

7:32 Wednesday from 06:00pm to

7:33 08:00pm. If you go to the

7:36 Denver Gov Dot Org website and

7:37 go to the your city, your

7:41 voice, empowering Denver. You

7:43 can just search that in the

7:44 search bar and there is an

7:46 rsvp link. I think we right

7:47 now over 50 plus people that

7:51 are signed up. So we welcome

7:51 more and we look forward to

7:54 hearing from you. Thank you,

7:56 MADAM PRESIDENT, thank you.

7:58 Councilmember parity. I just

7:59 wanted to take a moment of

8:01 personal privilege and wish my

8:02 husband, Chris, a happy 13th

8:03 wedding anniversary numbers

8:04 that lucky or unlucky. But

8:05 when you have small

8:06 children, it kind feels the

8:10 same. And I I just I want to

8:11 say, I want a prelude. The

8:11 next thing that I want to say

8:14 by recognizing that one thing

8:15 about this council that I love

8:16 and that it is not apparent by

8:19 looking at us is in addition

8:20 all the other ways that we

8:24 sort of collectively embody a

8:26 lot of different life

8:27 experiences, you have people

8:28 up here who have been single

8:28 parents, both men and women.

8:32 You have people up here who

8:33 call parents who are divorced,

8:36 have not had kids who, you

8:37 basically everything under the

8:39 to a blended families. And I

8:41 really love that about us.

8:44 Honestly. So having said that,

8:46 prelude, not everyone here has

8:47 a council spouse, but speaking

8:48 to my counsel, spouse being

8:50 married to a councilmember's,

8:52 not easy. I don't see my kids

8:54 from Sunday when they go to

8:56 bed until sometimes I get home

8:57 and to says before they go to

8:58 that, sometimes it's not a

8:58 Monday morning. And so for

9:02 that whole time, my husband is

9:03 holding down. The fort

9:04 currently a three-year-old and

9:04 a 7 year-old that when I

9:05 started this a one year-old

9:07 and 5 year old. So I just

9:10 that moment.

9:10 wanted to until 11. Thank for

9:13 that's nice. Thank you.

9:19 COUNCILMAN Governor.

9:21 Thank you. Council

9:22 PRESIDENT Sound of all. Wanted

9:28 to share a a statement from

9:32 sure land Grab and Candice, a

9:35 is sending over an email to

9:37 Mayor Johnston. But there have

9:41 been a lot of questions raised

9:44 by the mayor's Risa, 9 news

9:48 interview about about flock

9:49 surveillance. This the mother

9:55 of Jackson Bratton was

9:56 tragically found along Colfax

9:59 after being missing for I'm a

10:04 little bit over 2 months and a

10:06 greater regional city, not

10:07 only in the city and county of

10:10 Denver. And so this from

10:13 Jacksons mom, Mayor Johnston

10:16 last week you describe flock

10:17 surveillance as solving

10:17 kidnapping and murder of a

10:21 trans woman. Who was picked up

10:22 in Denver and killed in

10:24 Lakewood. The video was posted

10:27 to Facebook when I watched my

10:28 heart stopped. I am the mother

10:32 mother of Jack. Scratch a

10:33 transgender woman who

10:34 disappeared from her Denver

10:38 home and was found dead 2

10:39 months later. Mayor Johnston,

10:41 are you talking about my

10:42 daughter? My daughter's case

10:45 has not been solved. It has

10:48 been clouded with

10:49 misinformation, secrecy and

10:52 trans gender bias flock

10:53 surveillance had nothing to do

10:57 with Jax being found. She was

10:59 found to have trust broken and

11:03 hidden by coincidence. Losing

11:05 my daughter has been the most

11:05 traumatic and difficult

11:07 experience my life. I truly

11:10 hope that you would not use

11:13 for death. Actually not

11:15 accurately to garner political

11:15 support for your political

11:17 agenda. Thank you. Council

11:20 PRESIDENT.

11:20 Thank you. COUNCILMAN.

11:25 Trust. Thank you so much.

11:26 MADAM PRESIDENT.

11:30 I-2 quick things. And call

11:32 to action. Just want to say

11:33 happy birthday to my team of

11:35 those at Daisy. And I and I my

11:37 team are celebrating

11:39 birthdays. So happy birthday

11:41 to them. We're going to be

11:43 holding in district 3, a truck

11:45 or treat on OCTOBER. 30th from

11:47 05:00pm to 09:00pm on the Mile

11:50 High Stadium parking lots. I

11:51 want to give a big shout out

11:52 there. So many sponsors of

11:56 this, including myself and my

11:56 at colleague COUNCILMAN

11:57 Measles could get I didn't

12:04 know. Really organized by the

12:06 Far East Me me, if you know,

12:08 you know, she is a powerhouse,

12:09 but also the Denver police and

12:11 Valley Kitchens, Southwest

12:12 Denver coalition and many,

12:13 many others contribute to this

12:18 really amazing event. Kids

12:21 welcome. Tons of candy being

12:22 distributed and costume

12:22 competitions. So I'm looking

12:25 forward to that. I do want to

12:28 do just a quick notice. Unsure

12:29 where we're all paying

12:32 attention to what's happening

12:33 federally a lot of our

12:34 families, millions of our

12:35 families are not going to be

12:36 receiving their snap benefits

12:41 in 5 days nationally. That's

12:42 42 million people will not

12:47 receive those benefits and

12:47 what's needed is about

12:48 9 billion dollars just to

12:50 cover one month of what goes

12:51 out to families. And a lot of

12:52 these are working families who

12:54 just don't make enough and yet

12:57 still qualify for federal

13:00 benefits. States will also not

13:01 be reimbursed if they come in

13:05 cover the gap. But somehow

13:06 we're given given Argentina

13:07 20 billion dollars and ripping

13:09 through million for a new

13:11 ballroom. Snap benefits. Don't

13:13 just keep families fed. They

13:14 keep community economies

13:15 moving those dollars go

13:19 directly into markets into

13:20 grocery stores into Carney

13:22 said he owes into small

13:23 grocery This is not

13:27 just going to a fact low

13:30 income and medium income

13:30 families. It's going affect

13:31 our entire for however long

13:34 ends up lasting. So I urge you

13:35 all to find your food pantry

13:39 in your neighborhood. Your

13:40 food, distribution location in

13:41 your neighborhood, especially

13:42 if you don't use it yourself

13:45 and give to them, they MAY

13:47 need your volunteer time. They

13:48 MAY need your dollars to help

13:52 make up the gap and food for

13:53 the exponential number of

13:54 visits. They're going to be

13:54 paid over the next several

13:55 weeks. Thank you, MADAM Chair,

13:59 MADAM PRESIDENT. Thank you.

14:06 Can Councilmember

14:10 Thank Council PRESIDENT.

14:12 think you have to your mike

14:13 I was just checking that.

14:14 Thank I council PRESIDENT

14:16 Thank you, COUNCILMAN Torres

14:18 for elevating that issue. I

14:18 wanted to speak on that as

14:20 well tonight, but I want first

14:23 start.

14:23 To

14:25 on the recent

14:27 hate-motivated vandalism that

14:28 has targeted all lgbtqia plus

14:32 spaces in Denver in the past

14:36 week. G b t q plus spaces in

14:37 Denver have been attacked the

14:40 center on Colfax had its

14:42 windows, smashed the

14:43 aboveground salon on colfax's

14:45 vandalized for displaying a

14:49 pride flag. These are not

14:50 random acts. These are

14:52 hate-motivated crimes. They

14:53 target my community, our folks

14:56 that I represent. We need to

14:57 be clear as a city as a

14:59 community as an elected

15:00 officials that hate has no

15:03 place here in Denver. It's

15:05 like where mad I take this

15:07 personally. I know what it

15:07 means to be targeted simply

15:11 for being who you are. These

15:13 attacks are not just about

15:15 property damage. They're meant

15:15 to divide us as a community.

15:19 One against the other. We

15:21 cannot and will not allow that

15:23 to happen. These attacks hurt

15:24 our neighbors and violate the

15:24 values that makes our city

15:30 strong. Respect, inclusion and

15:31 celebration of the things that

15:32 makes us different, which are

15:33 the things that make us as a

15:37 community stronger lgbtqia.

15:38 Plus residents, youth and

15:41 families are watching how we

15:43 respond. Our message must be

15:45 clear. You are seen you are

15:46 valued and you will be

15:48 protected Denver police are