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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Denver City Council Elects New President and Pro Tem, Advances Legislation on July 15, 2024

City Council — Monday, July 15, 2024

BodyDenver, Colorado

SessionCity Council

DateMonday, July 15, 2024

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 50:00

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:00

Welcome to your Denver City Council.

0:07

Please stand by.

0:08

Full coverage of your Denver City Council begins now, good afternoon, everyone.

0:45

Today's meetings being interpreted into Spanish.

0:48

Elizabeth and Alejandro, would you please introduce yourself and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices?

0:56

Hola, buenas tardes.

0:57

My name is Elizabeth y estoy aquí con my collega Alejandro Arrieta.

1:02

They are de hoy vamos a interpretar the English al Spaniol.

1:05

Muchas gracias por su compromiso con la justicia del language.

1:09

Soy sta in una pantalla in una tableta.

1:26

Qualquer pregunta la puede poner y le con le contestaremos con gusto.

1:32

Thank you very much, Elizabeth.

1:35

Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, July 15th, 2024.

1:40

Council members, uh, please rise as you are able and join Council Member Sawyer in the Pledge of Allegiance.

1:47

To the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands under individuals, liberty, justice, bro.

2:04

Thank you very much.

2:05

Council members, please join Councilwoman Sawyer as she leads us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement.

2:10

The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe peoples.

2:19

We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado.

2:25

We honor elders past, present, and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations.

2:31

We also recognize that government, academic, and cultural institutions were founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of indigenous peoples.

2:40

May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to working to dismantle ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities and recognize the current and future contributions of indigenous communities in Denver.

2:52

Thank you so much.

2:52

Madam Secretary, roll call, please.

3:00

President.

3:21

Here.

3:23

Here.

3:24

Madam President.

3:25

Here.

3:27

13 members present.

3:28

There are 13 members present.

3:30

Council has a quorum.

3:31

The first order of business is to elect a council president.

3:43

Before we offer any nominations.

4:33

Mostly joy.

4:34

To my family.

4:42

And I'm eternally grateful for all the love that you give to my husband, Jaime, to my mom, Phyllis, and our even our animals who are always happy when you come home.

4:52

Except the cat, he's totally indifferent.

4:56

To uh to Benita, our central staff.

5:00

I want to thank you.

5:02

Um, to Luke, to Anchal, to John.

5:06

Welcome back, John.

5:07

Um, and to Denver 8 and the whole team.

5:10

Tim, you're here in chambers, but I want to thank your whole team.

5:13

Um, where's our sergeant?

5:15

Sergeant Sumowski, he's probably out in the hall doing all of his great work.

5:20

Uh, to the deputies Miller, uh, Deputy Bush, Deputy Williams, um, as president of council has been a huge source of pride uh that we were able to pass many of you in chambers because of uh this um the civil wage theft bill and watch for the first full year of wage recovery um to give back over two million dollars.

5:42

Um that may be one of the most amazing things that I've been a part of working on as a part of this city council.

5:48

Um I could I saw the passage of the West Area Plan with its primary focus on quality quality of life and water, and then this week we launched the South Platte River Committee, and that I could begin the work to bring dignity, safety, and future to mobile home parks in Denver and the families who call them home and watch the residents of Monte Vista in my district become the first resident group to organize and buy their mobile home park.

6:19

Um we have grown the footprint for trees, urban farming, community gardening, and food forests in West Denver exponentially in just one year.

6:28

Um, and I don't do that alone.

6:31

I do it with the most spectacular partners and residents in this city.

6:36

Um I'm intensely proud of my time as president to straddle two different council cohorts, two different mayoral administrations.

6:44

It's a really unique thing to do.

6:46

Um and it called on all of my years of experience in this city, and I thank you all, my council colleagues, um, for being such amazing, dedicated and compassionate Denver leaders.

6:59

Um I am finishing a book right now called Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler.

7:06

Um, I think everyone should read this book.

7:08

Uh and shout out to uh the Chicana Book Club for picking this book this month, and in it she says, all that you touch, you change.

7:17

All you change changes you.

7:19

And the only lasting truth is change.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████████45%

Community Engagement████████████████████████████████32%

Public Safety█████████████13%

Public Health Policy██████6%

Parks and Recreation████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Denver City Council Meeting – July 15, 2024

On Monday, July 15, 2024, the Denver City Council convened at 3:30 PM (adjourned at 4:21 PM) with all 13 members present. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and a land acknowledgement. The Council elected a new President and President Pro Tem, approved a consent agenda of resolutions and bills on final consideration, debated and postponed one bill, and set future public hearing dates.

Election of Council President and Council President Pro Tem

Councilmember Amanda Sandoval was elected Council President by a unanimous 13–0 vote. She succeeds Council President Jamie Torres, who served the prior two years. President Sandoval gave remarks thanking her family, mentors, and staff, and emphasized her commitment to social justice and community.
Councilmember Deanna Romero Campbell was elected Council President Pro Tem by a unanimous 13–0 vote. Councilmember Watson nominated her, praising her collaborative leadership and work in Southeast Denver. Both winners are Denver natives and first-generation Latinas.

Consent Calendar

All items below were approved en bloc by a 13–0 vote, as moved by Councilmember Sawyer and seconded by Councilmember Flynn:

Resolutions Adopted:

24-0861 – Third Amendatory Agreement with Aramark Sports and Entertainment LLC for food/beverage services at Denver Coliseum and Red Rocks Amphitheatre (extension to 1/31/2025, no cost change).
24-0868 – Exclusive marketing partnership with Denver Region Toyota Dealers Advertising Group Inc. at Red Rocks and Colorado Convention Center ($1,230,000 through 5/31/2027).
24-0858 – Amendment to master purchase order with Bear Communications Inc. for emergency vehicle lighting ($2,000,000 addition, new total $5,000,000).
24-0859 – Amendment with Haertling.com LLC for Flagstone “Piece of the Rock” awards at Red Rocks ($80,000 addition, new total $575,000).
24-0860 – Master purchase order with Fisher Scientific Company LLC for DNA testing reagents and lab supplies ($1,000,000 through 2/28/2029).
24-0863 – Fourth Amendatory Agreement with Dominion Voting Systems Inc. for software license and warranty ($689,000 addition, new total $1,602,700 through 12/31/2026).
24-0870 – Mayoral appointments of Lynnea Green Hutton and Jorge Avendano to the Career Service Board (terms to 6/30/2029).
24-0866 – Plat approval for 38th and Huron Subdivision in Council District 9.
24-0867 – Grant agreement with Colorado Department of Transportation for FY24/25 Denver V2X Communication Devices ($1,700,000 through 5/21/2034).

Bills Placed Upon Final Consideration and Passed:

24-0716 – Charter amendment to establish collective bargaining for certain city employees, including Denver Water and Library staff, with a qualified right to strike. To be referred to voters in the November 5, 2024 special election.
24-0802 – Adjustment of allocations in the Administration and Recovery categories and allocation of interest earnings to support the “All In Mile High” Program (American Rescue Plan Act funds).
24-0803 – Cash transfer from Coronavirus Emergency Response Special Revenue Fund to the General Fund for housing stability.
24-0804 – Cash transfer of $6,464,092.66 from the Coronavirus Emergency Response Special Revenue Fund to the Homelessness Resolution Fund to reimburse pandemic shelter expenses.
24-0805 – Rescission and appropriation of $2,000,000 from Parks Legacy Fund to Parks Legacy Improvement Projects Fund for acquisition of the 167-acre Tibaldo Property in Evergreen.
24-0807 – Authorization of expenditures for the “Denver Great Kids Head Start FY 2024-2025” program based on a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant.
24-0840 – Supplemental appropriation of $6,535,000 in the Denver Arts and Venues Special Revenue Fund.
24-0841 – Fourth Amendment and Revival to IGA with Denver Health and Hospital Authority ($24,480,730.93 total, extended to 12/31/2024).
24-0849 – Charter amendment to remove U.S. citizenship requirement for classified service (police, fire, sheriff). To be referred to voters in the November 5, 2024 special election.
24-0776 through 24-0782 – Park designations for multiple properties: Axton Ranch Mountain Park (448 acres), Carla Madison Recreation Center (2.89 acres), Great Lawn Park (50.10 acres), Lowry Open Space (32.77 acres), Sand Creek “Bulk Fuel Farm” (23.39 acres), Sand Creek “Swift Parcel” (9.53 acres), Sand Creek Trunk Open Space (11.02 acres).
24-0827 – Fourth Amendatory Agreement with Urban Drainage and Flood Control District for South Platte River drainage/flood control improvements ($5,250,000 addition, new total $20,718,816.59).
24-0828 – Amendment with Colorado Department of Human Services for Equifax Verification Service ($865,981.50 addition, new total $3,350,528.09 through 6/30/2025).
24-0833 – Fourth Amendatory Agreement with Colorado Division of Youth Services for detention screening and pre-trial services ($1,751,023 addition, new total $5,103,766.17 through 9/30/2025).

Discussion Items

Bill 24-0813 – Auditor Investigatory Subpoenas: Councilmember Watson moved to postpone this bill (which would authorize the Auditor to issue investigatory subpoenas to city contractors) until July 22, 2024. Councilmember Parady questioned the need for further delay, noting thorough vetting. Watson cited possible amendments and the significance of granting new powers to an agency. The postponement motion passed 9–4, with Councilmembers Gonzales-Gutierrez, Lewis, Parady, and Sawyer voting nay. The bill will be reconsidered on July 22.
Bill 24-0849 – Classified Service Citizenship Requirement: Councilmember Torres spoke in favor, noting co-sponsorship with President Sandoval and support from Police Chief Thomas and Fire Chief Fulton. The bill would allow legal permanent residents and DACA recipients to apply for police and fire positions. It was included in the consent calendar and passed without further debate.

Key Outcomes

Elected: Amanda Sandoval as Council President (13–0) and Deanna Romero Campbell as Council President Pro Tem (13–0).
Postponed: Bill 24-0813 delayed to July 22, 2024 (9–4).
Scheduled Public Hearings:
- July 22, 2024 – Required public hearing on Evans School Urban Redevelopment Plan (Bill 24-0851).
- August 12, 2024 – Required public hearing on zoning change for 4340-4350 South Monaco Street (Bill 24-0617). Protests for the zoning change must be filed by noon, August 5, 2024.
Adjournment: The meeting adjourned at 4:21 PM. A half-hour general public comment session follows the meeting.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to your Denver City Council. Please stand by. Full coverage of your Denver City Council begins now, good afternoon, everyone. Today's meetings being interpreted into Spanish. Elizabeth and Alejandro, would you please introduce yourself and let our viewers know how to enable translation on their devices? Hola, buenas tardes. My name is Elizabeth y estoy aquí con my collega Alejandro Arrieta. They are de hoy vamos a interpretar the English al Spaniol. Muchas gracias por su compromiso con la justicia del language. Soy sta in una pantalla in una tableta. Qualquer pregunta la puede poner y le con le contestaremos con gusto. Thank you very much, Elizabeth. Welcome to the Denver City Council meeting of Monday, July 15th, 2024. Council members, uh, please rise as you are able and join Council Member Sawyer in the Pledge of Allegiance. To the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands under individuals, liberty, justice, bro. Thank you very much. Council members, please join Councilwoman Sawyer as she leads us in the Denver City Council land acknowledgement. The Denver City Council honors and acknowledges that the land on which we reside is the traditional territory of the Ute, Cheyenne, and Arapahoe peoples. We also recognize the 48 contemporary tribal nations that are historically tied to the lands that make up the state of Colorado. We honor elders past, present, and future, and those who have stewarded this land throughout generations. We also recognize that government, academic, and cultural institutions were founded upon and continue to enact exclusions and erasures of indigenous peoples. May this acknowledgement demonstrate a commitment to working to dismantle ongoing legacies of oppression and inequities and recognize the current and future contributions of indigenous communities in Denver. Thank you so much. Madam Secretary, roll call, please. President. Here. Here. Madam President. Here. 13 members present. There are 13 members present. Council has a quorum. The first order of business is to elect a council president. Before we offer any nominations. Mostly joy. To my family. And I'm eternally grateful for all the love that you give to my husband, Jaime, to my mom, Phyllis, and our even our animals who are always happy when you come home. Except the cat, he's totally indifferent. To uh to Benita, our central staff. I want to thank you. Um, to Luke, to Anchal, to John. Welcome back, John. Um, and to Denver 8 and the whole team. Tim, you're here in chambers, but I want to thank your whole team. Um, where's our sergeant? Sergeant Sumowski, he's probably out in the hall doing all of his great work. Uh, to the deputies Miller, uh, Deputy Bush, Deputy Williams, um, as president of council has been a huge source of pride uh that we were able to pass many of you in chambers because of uh this um the civil wage theft bill and watch for the first full year of wage recovery um to give back over two million dollars. Um that may be one of the most amazing things that I've been a part of working on as a part of this city council. Um I could I saw the passage of the West Area Plan with its primary focus on quality quality of life and water, and then this week we launched the South Platte River Committee, and that I could begin the work to bring dignity, safety, and future to mobile home parks in Denver and the families who call them home and watch the residents of Monte Vista in my district become the first resident group to organize and buy their mobile home park. Um we have grown the footprint for trees, urban farming, community gardening, and food forests in West Denver exponentially in just one year.

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