Denver City Council Meeting - March 3, 2025

The Denver City Council met on Monday, March 3, 2025, at 3:30 PM (with a recess and reconvening at approximately 5:30 PM) under Council President Sandoval. The meeting included approval of prior minutes, council announcements, consideration of multiple resolutions and bills, two proclamations, and a public hearing on a natural medicine licensing ordinance. All 13 council members were present (Councilmember Kashmann attended virtually).

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: The minutes of February 24, 2025 (item 25-0265) were approved unanimously.
• Block Vote (Resolutions & Bills on Final Consideration): Council adopted the following items en bloc by a 13-0 vote:
  • Resolutions: 25-0185, 25-0186, 25-0187, 25-0188, 25-0190 (Denver International Airport concessions), 24-1864 (Ernst & Young advisory services), 25-0177 (Kaiser health plan amendment), 25-0178 (janitorial supplies), 25-0198, 25-0199, 25-0200, 25-0202 (Mile High Montessori lease amendments), 25-0204 (WCI lease), 25-0206 (RiNo BID hearing), 25-0176 (East 16th Ave Storm Phase 2), 25-0179 (street dedication), 25-0180 (Peña Station Pointe plat), 25-0197 (Skyline Park ice rink), 25-0053 (Bluff Mercy supportive housing), 25-0159, 25-0160, 25-0161 (Volunteers of America rehousing contracts), 25-0181, 25-0182, 25-0183 (asbestos abatement), 24-1864 (Ernst & Young).
  • Bills on final consideration: 25-0165 (multifamily housing bonds, $29M), 25-0147 (easement relinquishment), 25-0151 (street vacation), 25-0087 (property tax rebate program transfer), 25-0094 (new fund for property tax rebate).

Public Comments & Testimony

Public Hearing on Natural Medicine (Council Bill 25-0132) – Ten individuals signed up to speak:

• Natasha Poinset (Healing Advocacy Fund, Colorado Director) – Spoke in favor, urging passage to enable healing centers for mental health; noted concerns about setback distances but deferred to council.
• Jesse Paris – Expressed support, stating psilocybin helped with depression; asked about referral process and Medicaid/Medicare coverage.
• Riley Steidel (Evergreen, former Mayo Clinic scientist, sexual assault survivor) – Opposed, arguing the bill could limit access for unlicensed growers/facilitators who help people for free; feared repeal of 301 would re-criminalize personal use.
• Andrew Gibbons (Denver native with bipolar disorder) – Opposed, saying regulation will make treatment too expensive and cut off access for microdosers and low-income individuals.
• Kyle Dyer – Opposed, calling the bill anti-democratic, exclusionary of small businesses, and a setback for Denver’s psychedelic community.
• Others (Travis Tyler Fluck, Evan Segura, Erin Spillane, Kyle Obenberger, Kelly Obenberger) signed up in opposition; they did not appear or their comments were not transcribed.

General Public Comment – The meeting included a half-hour general comment session before the public hearing; no specific speakers were listed in the minutes or transcript, but a recorded segment (unrelated to the meeting) played during that period.

Discussion Items

1. Resolution 25-0184 (BL Holdings lease at DIA) – Councilmember Lewis opposed, citing a 10-year lease with a one-year purchase option as too short to make an informed decision. Passed 12-1 (Lewis nay).
2. Resolution 25-0189 (Starbucks/Cruise Room concession at DIA) – Councilmember Lewis and Parady voted no; no discussion recorded. Passed 11-2.
3. Resolution 25-0175 (Stone Security IP camera maintenance) – Councilmember Parady requested postponement to gather more information on a recent $1.5M addition. Postponed to March 10, 2025.
4. Council Bill 25-0167 (Capital equipment from Climate Protection Fund) – Councilmember Lewis opposed, arguing the fund should be preserved for uses that cannot be funded elsewhere; DPD could use other funds for EV pilot. Passed 11-2 (Lewis, Parady nay).
5. Council member announcements – Various members highlighted community events, personal milestones, and the continuation of language access services in Denver (as reaffirmed by Councilmember Torres).
6. Public Hearing - Natural Medicine Licensing (Council Bill 25-0132) – Abby Soisson (Department of Excise and Licenses) presented staff report: The bill repeals Denver’s 2019 psilocybin decriminalization ordinance (301) to align with state law (Prop 122), creates a local license for healing centers (with exemptions for federally recognized tribes and clinical facilitators), prohibits outdoor advertising, and maintains state setbacks (1,000 ft from schools/daycares). Councilmembers asked about tribal exemptions, misappropriation of indigenous knowledge, affordability, personal cultivation, and enforcement. Councilmember Hinds spoke in support, calling it a natural evolution and responsible governance.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 25-0184 – Adopted (12-1).
• Resolution 25-0189 – Adopted (11-2).
• Resolution 25-0175 – Postponed to March 10, 2025.
• Council Bill 25-0167 – Ordered published (11-2).
• Block Vote – All listed resolutions adopted and bills placed on final passage (13-0).
• Proclamations: 25-0071 (St. Patrick’s Day Parade) and 25-0266 (Aztec New Year) adopted unanimously (13-0).
• Council Bill 25-0132 (Natural Medicine) – Placed on final consideration and passed unanimously (13-0) after public hearing. The ordinance updates local regulations to align with state law, establishes licensing for healing centers, and repeals the 2019 decriminalization ordinance.
• The meeting adjourned at 6:59 PM.